The Strand, Townsville

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Strand
Space Net on The Strand, Townsville.JPG
The Strand Seaside
Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap
LocationQueensland, Australia
Nearest cityTownsville
OpenedOctober 1999
Operated byTownsville City Council
Open24 hours
StatusOpen all year
Public transit accessBus and ferry

The Strand is a seaside foreshore located in Townsville, Australia. It is located in the suburb of North Ward. The Strand has a view of the Port of Townsville and Magnetic Island, as well as to Cape Cleveland.[1] Features in the area include a jetty, a recreational park, restaurants, cafes and pools.

History[]

The Strand has been a part of Townsville's history since the city was founded in the mid-19th century.

The thoroughfare now known as Townsville's Strand developed from as early as the mid 1860s.  From this time, Townsville's more wealthy residents, taking advantage of the cooling sea breezes, were building residences along the beachfront.  By the early 1870s, reflecting this development and growth, at least three hotels had been built in the vicinity.  At this early stage of development The Strand remained unformed and unsealed and there had been no formal planting of shade trees.[2]

In 1881, the Townsville Council planted a series of cedar trees, following up with cocoa and betel nut trees, as a way of beautifying the beachfront area and to provide shade for those using the area for recreation.  In 1883, the Council developed a roadway along the beachfront leading to Kissing Point.  There are a range of impressive and important sites and buildings along The Strand that remind us of the area's history and development.[2]

The current foreshore was opened in 1999 after the old foreshore was severely damaged and eroded after heavy rainfall and wind from Tropical Cyclone Sid in January 1998 and other monsoonal storms between 1997 and 1998. It was moderately damaged by Cyclone Tessi in April 2000.[citation needed]

The Strand was the 'cauldron stop' for Townsville, during the Australian leg of the 2000 Sydney Olympics Torch Relay.[citation needed]

The Strand held the 2001 Centenary of Federation events, including a fireworks display and skyshow which attracted a crowd of around 86,000.[citation needed]

The Strand was named Australia's cleanest Beach in 2008. This was the second time the award was given to the beach in five years.[3]

An Anzac Day march in 2009 attracted 20,000 people to The Strand.[4]

In 2010, A$35 million was spent on redeveloping the foreshore.[5] An estimated 80,000 people turned out on the opening weekend, which included numerous events including a pyrotechnics and fireworks display, and a skyshow.[citation needed]

Features[]

The Rockpool is a salt water lagoon at the Strand

Anzac Memorial Park began as The Strand Park in the 1910s as an place for the residents of Townsville to visit and enjoy.  The park was progressively expanded and developed and from the 1920s became a focus for the city's ANZAC Day activities.  Reflective of this important use, the park was formally renamed the ANZAC Memorial Park in 1934.[2]

The Telecasters North Queensland Building was previously the Queens Hotel.  This building was built in stages between 1902 and the 1920s by publican John Tyack, to the design of prominent architectural firm Eaton, Bates and Polin.  The hotel soon acquired a reputation as being one of the finest hotels in North Queensland.[2]

The Tobruk Memorial Baths were built between 1941 and 1950, with early construction slowed as a result of the Second World War.  The Baths were designed and built by the Townsville City Council's engineering and works department and named the Tobruk Memorial Baths in honour of the Australian servicemen who had taken part in the Siege of Tobruk.[2]

Other recreational features include:[6]

  • Oceanway pavement
  • Rockpool
  • Barbecue areas
  • Surf Lifesaving Club
  • Strand Park
  • Waterpark

Events[]

Since the opening of the Strand, the foreshore has been used for many annual or monthly events. The fourth Friday of each month sees Strand Park used for Nightmarkets, which is a popular festivity among the local residents. Other events include the annual Townsville City Council Run Christmas events, Carols by Candlelight and Stable on the Strand, as well as a fireworks display and gathering on New Year's Eve. One example of a bi-annual event is the Strand Ephemera, wherein local and regional artists display their works along the foreshore. Some works from this event have become permanent on the foreshore, including the Silver Coconuts near the Rock Pool.[citation needed]

References[]

  1. ^ "Things to do and see: Townsville Strand". Queensland Holidays. Tourism Queensland. Retrieved 7 September 2011.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e CC-BY-icon-80x15.png This Wikipedia article incorporates CC-BY-4.0 licensed text from: "Queensland Place Histories: The Strand, Townsville". John Oxley Library blog. State Library of Queensland. 25 June 2012. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  3. ^ "Australia's cleanest beach named". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. 18 September 2008. Retrieved 7 September 2011.
  4. ^ Winsome Denyer (25 April 2009). "Anzac Parade 2009, Townsville's Strand". ABC North Queensland. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 7 September 2011.
  5. ^ Adam Wratten (4 March 2010). "Townsville shows Rocky the way". The Bulletin. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 23 February 2011.
  6. ^ "The Strand & Beaches". Townsville City Council. 27 July 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2021.

External links[]

Coordinates: 19°14′45″S 146°48′40″E / 19.24583°S 146.81111°E / -19.24583; 146.81111

Retrieved from ""