Townsville is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of

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 , established_ ...

. The seat is one of four within the

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, 30 ...

urban area in North Queensland, and covers the Eastern and Northern suburbs of the City of Townsville as well as

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 ...

and Palm Island. Significant features in Townsville within the electorate are; The Strand, the

Port of Townsville Port of Townsville is a government-owned Corporation and seaport in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. It is the third largest seaport in Queensland after Port of Brisbane and the Port of Gladstone. It is located south of the mouth of Ross Cr ...

, Townsville Airport, RAAF Garbutt, Castle Hill, Museum of Tropical Queensland, Reef HQ, various administrative centres for Local, State and federal Governments. Suburbs of Townsville within the Electorate include;

North Ward North Ward is a coastal suburb of Townsville in the City of Townsville, Queensland, 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 ...

, Castle Hill, Belgian Gardens,

West End West End most commonly refers to: * West End of London, an area of central London, England * West End theatre, a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London, England West End may also refer to: Pl ...

, Hyde Park, Garbutt,

Mount Louisa Mount Louisa is a residential suburb in the City of Townsville, Queensland, Australia. The suburb contains the mountain Mount Louisa (). In the , Mount Louisa had a population of 8,825 people. Geography The suburb Mount Louisa is located to ...

, Currajong, Railway Estate, South Townsville,

Rowes Bay Rowes Bay is a suburb of Townsville in the City of Townsville, Queensland, Australia. In the , Rowes Bay had a population of 573 people. Geography Rowes Bay is located in a low-lying area adjacent to the Cleveland Bay beach. Its borders are ...

Bohle Bohle or Böhle is a German surname, and may refer to: *Ernst Wilhelm Bohle (1903–1960), leader of the Foreign Organization of the German Nazi Party * Hans-Georg Bohle (1948–2014), German geographer * Klaus Bohle (born 1936), German sprint can ...

and

Pallarenda Pallarenda is a northern coastal suburb of Townsville in the City of Townsville, Queensland, Australia. In the Pallarenda had a population of 791 people. Geography The residential development in the suburb is only three streets deep from the ...

. Two populated islands fall within the electorate; Magnetic Island and Palm Island, each have about 2500 residents, 93% of Palm Island's inhabitants are Indigenous. This State electorate falls completely within the eastern portion of the Federal

Division of Herbert The Division of Herbert is an Australian electoral division in the state of Queensland. Eligible voters within the Division elect a single representative, known as the member for Herbert, to the Australian House of Representatives. Geography Si ...

. It encompasses the local government areas of Palm Island and parts of

. Townsville Electorate is bordered by the Hinchinbrook (North), Burdekin (South),

Mundingburra Mundingburra is a Suburbs and localities (Australia), suburb of Townsville in the City of Townsville, Queensland, Australia. In the , Mundingburra had a population of 3,620 people. Geography Mundingburra is predominantly a residential suburb ...

(South and West) and Thuringowa (West) Electorates.

History

The Electoral district of Townsville was created in 1878, then the Additional Members Act of 1885 (which took effect late 1885 / early 1886) was divided in two, one retaining the name of Townsville, the other becoming Musgrave which existed until 1923. From late 1885 it was determined that the Townsville Electorate would elect two representatives to the Legislative Assembly. Premier Robert Philp (Premier 1899-1903 and 1907–08) was elected as one of the two Townsville members when his previous Electorate of Musgrave absorbed. His parliamentary activity was mainly in support of North Queensland and his own business interests - extending railway links to North Queensland, and the abolition of import tariffs. When the import of Pacific Islanders was temporarily halted in 1892 Philp was instrumental in securing its resumption. In 1912 the Electoral district of Mundingburra was created to accommodate for the return to universal single member electorates. 1923 saw the further reduction in size of the Electorate with the northern part of the city ceded to Kennedy and the southern part to

, and in 1959 it was abolished and divided into the two electorates of South Townsville and North Townsville. The 1971 redistribution recreated the Electorate with new neighbours, Townsville West and Townsville South, Townsville included most of the Northern part of the City and some rural areas which were formerly in Hinchinbrook. The Electorate was reduced in size again in 1986 redistribution with a new neighbour of Townsville East. When Townsville East was abolished in 1991 Townsville Electorate gained land but lost land in the South-West corner to the newly re-created seat of Mundingburra. In

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently s ...

Mike Reyolds was elected as the new Member for the Townsville Electorate taking over from retiring Labor Member Ken

Geoff Smith Geoff Smith may refer to: *Geoff Smith (music composer) (born 1966), English composer, academic and vice chancellor of Regent's University London *Geoff Smith (footballer, born 1928) (1928–2013), English footballer *Geoff Smith (politician) (born ...

and was immediately appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the

Premier Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of govern ...

in North Queensland. After increasing the Townsville margin in 2001 Reynolds was promoted to Cabinet as Minister for Emergency Services and Minister Assisting the Premier in North Queensland. In 2004, Reynolds was moved to the new Child Safety Ministry with Ministerial responsibilities for adoptions, child protection services, foster/kinship carers etc. After the

2006 election The following elections occurred in the year 2006. * Elections in 2006 * Electoral calendar 2006 * 2006 Acehnese regional election * 2006 American Samoan legislative election * 2006 Bahraini parliamentary election * 2006 Costa Rican presidential ...

, Reynolds was elected as

Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland The Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland is elected by the members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly to preside over sittings of the Assembly and to maintain orderly proceedings. The Speaker must be a member of the Legislative ...

by the 52nd Parliament on 10 October 2006.

Members for Townsville

Election results

References

External links

* {{Electoral districts of Queensland

Townsville