Townsville (pop. 173,724) is a port in tropical Queensland, on the east coast of Australia. It lies on the Ross River and Cleveland Bay, about 830 miles (1,340 kilometers) north of Brisbane. It is the largest city in the tropics of Australia. It is the economic center of a rich agricultural and mining area.
Townsville is an administrative, commercial, and industrial center. It has railroad workshops, meatworks, cement works, a nickel treatment plant, and a copper refinery. Air, rail, and road transportation serve the city.
Townsville was founded in 1864. It was named in honor of the merchant and estate owner Robert Towns, who played a leading role in founding the city.
