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Townsville Heritage Centre - Townsville

The Townsville region has a vibrant natural landscape, the sea, the tropics, and the outback, rich in Indigenous history, stunning islands and reefs just off its coast, beautifully preserved architecture and a strong history.

Having a rich cultural history and a great deal of heritage-listed buildings, you’ll love being able to wander the grounds of the Townsville Heritage Centre. Learn the history of the buildings and the fascinating stories of the people who lived in them. All had associations with the industries that shaped the north — famous sugar plantations, great gold mines, pioneering pastoral properties, and the horse trade to India.

Established by the Townsville Branch of the then National Trust of Queensland in 1978, the Heritage Centre is quintessential Townsville heritage, with its collection of heritage-listed buildings dating back to the late 1800s, the Townsville Heritage Centre presents special insight into the lives of workers, wealthier businessmen and professionals in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The villa residence of 1888, ‘Currajong’, is a large single-storey house, constructed of timber, large rooms opening through French doors to wide decorative verandahs and was built for the more affluent resident. Currajong was constructed on the then outskirts of Townsville for bank manager Alfred MacKenzie.   ‘Currajong’ was later commandeered to serve as a RAAF Hospital during the war.

The 1921 Farmhouse keeps alive the memory of the 19th and 20th-century farms that have now disappeared under modern development. Its construction is quite different from that of the other two houses at the Centre. High set on timber stumps, it had originally only one room on the upper floor, surrounded by a verandah.

Connect with the region’s history by learning about the artefacts cared for within the walls of these buildings.

The Townsville Heritage Centre is important and much-loved community heritage place. Townsville Heritage Centre is popular for weddings and events as the stunning surroundings and immaculate gardens make it an ideal venue for many occasions.

Plan Your Visit

Address

5 Castling Street, Townsville, Queensland, 4810

Open Hours

We are currently improving Townsville Heritage Centre over the coming months with maintenance works.
We will advise closer to the time when Townsville Heritage Centre will re-open.

Phone

07 4771 5873

Email

townsville@nationaltrustqld.org

Entry Fees

Adult - $8
Concession - $5
Child - $5 (aged 3-13)
Under 3 years - Free
Family - $21 (2 adults and up to 3 children)
Group Bookings - Groups of 10+ Discounts apply by prior arrangements
National Trust members - free

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School Excursions

The nineteenth century villa residence ‘Currajong’, a worker’s dwelling dating from 1884 and a 1921 farmhouse are the three buildings that form the Townsville Heritage Centre. The school excursion program covers several topics relevant to the school curriculum.

Call Now - 07 4771 5873

History

Townsville Heritage Centre features three important heritage buildings. The Worker’s Dwelling from 1884 is a low-set typical north Queensland house with one bedroom, an open front verandah and enclosed rear verandah. To date it is the oldest example of a worker’s cottage identified as being built in Townsville. The villa residence of 1888, ‘Currajong’, is a large single-storey house, constructed of timber, with a wide verandah. Both houses have interesting furniture collections, some made in Townsville by well-known local manufacturers. ‘Currajong’ displays items from the Green Collection of Chinese and Japanese artefacts, dating from the era when Townsville was the home of the first Japanese Consulate in Australia over a hundred years ago.

World War II is also commemorated at the Centre. ‘Currajong’ was commandeered to serve as a RAAF Hospital during the war. For that reason the Australian Flag is always flown on the flagpole when the Centre is open to the public. Photographs of the wartime staffs and the medals of the first commandant, Dr Yeates, are always on display.

The 1921 Farmhouse keeps alive the memory of the 19th and 20th-century farms that have now disappeared under modern development. They played a vital role in supplying food before the railway along the Queensland coast opened in the 1920s. It is also typical of 19th and 20th-century houses on the farms surrounding Townsville. Its construction is quite different from that of the other two houses at the Centre. High-set on timber stumps, it had originally only one room on the upper floor, surrounded by a verandah. Later it was divided into two rooms by a passageway, with the verandah partly enclosed.

Location

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