Townsville

Townsville is a large locality in North Queensland

The Passing By
When Captain Cook made his legendary trip to the eastern coast of Australia, he visited the region. Cook however did name nearby Cape Cleveland and Magnetic Island. In 1846, a ship known as the Peruvian shiprecked off the coast of Townsville

The Municipality
In 1866, Robert Towns visited the area and offered financial support to the growing community which was named Townsville in his honor. In February that same year, Townsville was declared a municipality. John Melton Black was elected first mayor of Townsville. After this, Pastoral and Sugar industries flourished in the area. In 1902, under the 'Local Authorities' Act both Brisbane and Townsville were declared cities.

World War II
During World War II, the city was home to over 50,000 troops and crew from the Allies (Australia, America, UK). However in 1942, the city of Townsville was bombed three times by Japanese forces. Although these bombings are not very famous as they didn't do much damage. They were dropped in the ocean where craters are still visible. None of these planes were shot down by the Allies

Post World War II
In 1970, Townsville was severely battered by a category 4 cyclone known as Cyclone Althea. Buchanan's Hotel was lost to a 1982 fire and another hotel, the Alexander Hotel due to demolition in the 70s. It was here in Townsville that Eddie Mabo, the legendary protester to took on the government for the Torres Strait People, went to university at James Cook University

Events

 * Australian Festival of Chamber Music: Held in 10 Days in July each year, the festival attracts acclaimed international and Australian musicians. One such performance is the Barrier Reef Orchestra which performs throughout the region
 * Palmer Street Jazz Festival: Held by the Townsville South Hotel and the restaurant strip. Some of Australia's leading jazz artists perform here. Magnetic holds a different rendition called "The Great Tropical Jazz Party"

Places to Go

 * 1300 SMILES Stadium: The Stadium that is home to the Cowboys. This stadium was built in 1993 and can seat a total: 30,302. It has also held Cricket and Rugby Matches and has even held the Japanese rugby team
 * Reef HQ: The world's largest living aquarium. It was built to celebrate Australia's bicentennary in 1987. It home to over 100 different species of fish and coral.
 * The Strand: The Strand has been with Townsville since the beginning. The current strand was opened in 1999. It is home to many festivals such as Stable on the Strand