North Ward is a coastal suburb of

Townsville Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Queensland, Australia. With a population of 180,820 as of June 2018, it is the largest settlement in North Queensland; it is unofficially considered its capital. Estimated resident population, 3 ...

in the

City of Townsville The City of Townsville is a local government area (LGA) located in North Queensland, Australia. It encompasses the city of Townsville, together with the surrounding rural areas, to the south are the communities of Alligator Creek, Woodstock an ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...

, Australia. In the , North Ward had a population of 5,065 people. The suburb is one of the oldest in the city but has undergone significant development over many decades. It is home to some of the city's top attractions including The Strand, the waterpark, and the rockpool.

Geography

North Ward is home to the beachside area known as The Strand, which overlooks

Magnetic Island Magnetic Island ( Wulguru: Yunbenun) is an island offshore from the city of Townsville, Queensland, Australia. This mountainous island in Cleveland Bay has effectively become a suburb of Townsville, with 2,335 permanent residents. The islan ...

. The land is mostly flat at close to sea level except for Stanton Hill in the south of the locality () which rises to 60 metres. Kissing Point is a headland at the most northerly part of North Ward. North Ward Road (Warburton Street) runs through from north-west to south-east.

History

North Ward is among Townsville's oldest suburbs, dating to the 1870s. Townsville Central State School opened on 11 March 1869. It celebrated its centenary in 1969. St Joseph's Catholic Primary School was established on 29 March 1873 by the

Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart The Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart, often called the Josephites or Brown Joeys, are a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Mary MacKillop (1842–1909). Members of the congregation use the postnominal initials RSJ (Religious Siste ...

. Following argument between the sisters and the parish priest Father Connolly, the Sisters of St Joseph left Townsville in March 1878.The Queenslander, 30 March 1878, p.5 The

Sisters of Mercy The Sisters of Mercy is a religious institute of Catholic women founded in 1831 in Dublin, Ireland, by Catherine McAuley. As of 2019, the institute had about 6200 sisters worldwide, organized into a number of independent congregations. They a ...

arrived in November 1878 to take over the operation of the school.Townsville Herald, 9 November 1878 Townsville Grammar School opened on 16 April 1888. It celebrated its centenary in 1988. The Townsville Golf Club is the oldest golf club in Queensland, having been established at Kissing Point in 1893. The club relocated to Aitkenvale in 1921, and then relocated to

Rosslea Rosslea or Roslea () is a small village in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, near the border with County Monaghan in the Republic of Ireland. It stands on the Finn River and is beset by small natural lakes. Roslea Forest, also known as Sprin ...

in 1924. St Patrick's College was establied by the Sisters of Mercy on 1 January 1904. Townsville Hospital School provided primary school education for children in the Second Townsville General Hospitalusing a teacher from the Cootharinga Special School. The school opened on 26 August 1974 and closed on 31 March 1994. It was also known as the Cootharinga Special School Hospital Annexe, Townsville Hospital Special School, and Townsville Hospital State School. In the , North Ward had a population of 5,097 people. In the , North Ward had a population of 5,065 people.

Heritage listings

North Ward has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: * 24 Cleveland Terrace: Selhurst (house) * 24 Eyre Street: Second Townsville General Hospital * Fryer Street: St Josephs Church * 11 Fryer Street: Yongala Lodge * 38-40 Howitt Street: Kissing Point Fortification * 4-6 Oxley Street: former

North Ward Defence Complex North Ward Defence Complex is a heritage-listed barracks at 46 Oxley Street, North Ward, City of Townsville, Queensland, Australia. It was built from 1885 to . It is also known as 11 Brigade Administration Support Battalion Headquarters Compan ...

* Paxton Street: Queens Gardens * Paxton Street: School House, Townsville Grammar School * Stanton Hill: Townsville Astronomical Trigonometrical Station * 45 The Strand: St Patrick's Convent * 11 Victoria Street: Kardinia * 4-6 Warburton Street:

Townsville Central State School Townsville Central State School is a heritage-listed state school and former prison at 4-6 Warburton Street, North Ward, City of Townsville, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Francis Drummond Greville Stanley and built from 1877 to 1 ...

Education

is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 4 Warburton Street (). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 233 students with 18 teachers (15 full-time equivalent) and 14 non-teaching staff (10 full-time equivalent). St Joseph's Catholic School is a private primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at Fryer Street (). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 363 students with 27 teachers (21.5 full-time equivalent) and 25 non-teaching staff (13.8 full-time equivalent). Townsville Grammar School is a private secondary (7-12) school for boys and girls at 45 Paxton Street (). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 1193 students with 101 teachers (96 full-time equivalent) and 91 non-teaching staff (61 full-time equivalent). St Patrick's College Townsville is a Catholic secondary (7-12) school for girls at 45 The Strand (). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 407 students with 47 teachers (41 full-time equivalent) and 26 non-teaching staff (20 full-time equivalent).

Amenities

There are a number of parks in the area: * Ben Bloom Park () * Castle Hill Road Park () * Queens Gardens () * Queens Park () * Sister Kenny Park () * The Strand Park () Sport: *

Townsville Sports Reserve Townsville Sports Precinct is a multi-use stadium located in Townsville Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Queensland, Australia. With a population of 180,820 as of June 2018, it is the largest settlement in North Queenslan ...

References

External links

University of Queensland: Queensland Places:North Ward
{{Suburbs of Townsville Suburbs of Townsville