| Townsville Queensland | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Former Queen's Hotel on The Strand Townsville waterfront with North Queensland Stadium in the background | |||||||||
  Townsville | |||||||||
| Coordinates | 19°15′S 146°49′E / 19.250°S 146.817°E | ||||||||
| Population | 179,011 (2021 census)[1] | ||||||||
| • Density | 258.201/km2 (668.74/sq mi) | ||||||||
| Established | 1865 | ||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 4810 | ||||||||
| Elevation | 15 m (49 ft) | ||||||||
| Area | 693.3 km2 (267.7 sq mi)[2] (2021 urban) | ||||||||
| Time zone | AEST (UTC+10) | ||||||||
| Location |
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| LGA(s) | City of Townsville | ||||||||
| County | Elphinstone | ||||||||
| State electorate(s) | |||||||||
| Federal division(s) | |||||||||
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Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Queensland, Australia. With a population of 179,011 as of the 2021 census,[1] it is the largest settlement in North Queensland and Northern Australia (specifically, the parts of Australia north of the Sunshine Coast). It is unofficially considered the capital of North Queensland. Townsville hosts a significant number of governmental, community and major business administrative offices for the northern half of the state.[4]
Part of the larger local government area of the City of Townsville,[5] it is in the dry tropics region of Queensland, adjacent to the central section of the Great Barrier Reef.[6] The city is also a major industrial centre, home to one of the world's largest zinc refineries, a nickel refinery and many other similar activities. As of December 2020, $30M operations to expand the Port of Townsville are underway, which involve channel widening and installation of a 70-tonne Liebherr Super Post Panamax Ship-to-Shore crane, to allow much larger cargo and passenger ships to utilise the port.[7][8] It is an increasingly important port due to its proximity to Asia and major trading partners such as China.
Dominant sectors of its diverse economy include defence, administration, health and education, manufacturing, energy, transport and logistics.[9][10] The city is a national hub for renewable energy, in green hydrogen and polysilicon, as well as the centre of CopperString 2032 being Australia's largest renewable transmission project.[11][12][13] Townsville is Australia's 'fortress city', home to a large part of the strategic capability of the ADF, offering essential services including maintenance and supply chains including one of the largest military bases in Australia[14] as well as a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) base that can accommodate most military aircraft in service. Townsville is the industrial heart of northern Australia with a GRP of $15.1 billion in 2023.[15] The city is served by Townsville Airport and the Port of Townsville, the largest general freight and container port in northern Australia.[16]
Popular attractions include "The Strand", a long tropical beach and garden strip; Riverway, a riverfront parkland attraction located on the banks of Ross River; Reef HQ, a large tropical aquarium holding many of the Great Barrier Reef's native flora and fauna; the Museum of Tropical Queensland, built around a display of relics from the sunken British warship HMS Pandora; Castle Hill or as it was originally known Cootharinga, the most prominent landmark of the area and a popular place for exercise; The Townsville Sports Reserve; and Magnetic Island, a large neighbouring island, the vast majority of which is national park.
- ^ a b Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Townsville". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "2021 Community Profiles: Townsville". 2021 Census of Population and Housing. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
- ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference
Climate statistics Townsvillewas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Townsville". Queensland Government. Department of Environment and Resource Management. 3 February 2009. Archived from the original on 1 September 2009. Retrieved 20 September 2009.
- ^ "Townsville – town in City of Townsville (entry 35084)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
- ^ "Schedule 1: Regional overviews" (PDF). Environmental Protection Agency, Government of Queensland. p. 13. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 August 2008. Retrieved 20 September 2009.
- ^ "Subscribe to the Townsville Bulletin". Archived from the original on 22 December 2020. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
- ^ "New crane heralds a change on Townsville's horizon | Port of Townsville". Archived from the original on 22 December 2020. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
- ^ "Strengthening North Queensland". State Development. Archived from the original on 20 January 2024. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
- ^ "Townsville". Department of Energy and Climate. Archived from the original on 20 January 2024. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
- ^ "Ark Energy breaks ground on Townsville hydrogen hub". AUmanufacturing. November 2023. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
- ^ "$8bn silicon plant for Queensland – reports". AUmanufacturing. 31 October 2023. Archived from the original on 20 January 2024. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
- ^ "Mission 2050: how Townsville is becoming a global renewable energy hub". QLD Government: State Development and Infrastructure. Archived from the original on 20 January 2024. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
- ^ "Townsville emerges as new 'capital' of Army in Defence Force shake up". ABC news. 27 September 2023. Archived from the original on 29 September 2023. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
- ^ "City of Townsville". IDcommunity. Archived from the original on 1 May 2024. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
- ^ "Master planning for the priority Port of Townsville". QLD Government:Department of Transport and Main Roads. Archived from the original on 20 January 2024. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
