Aitkenvale, Queensland

Aitkenvale is a suburb of Townsville in the City of Townsville, Queensland, Australia.[2] In the 2016 census, Aitkenvale had a population of 4,790 people.[1]

Aitkenvale
Townsville, Queensland
Stockland Townsville
Aitkenvale is located in Townsville, Australia
Aitkenvale
Aitkenvale
Coordinates19.3055°S 146.7677°E / -19.3055; 146.7677 (Aitkenvale (centre of suburb))
Population4,790 (2016 census)[1]
 • Density1,452/km2 (3,760/sq mi)
Postcode(s)4814
Area3.3 km2 (1.3 sq mi)
Time zoneAEST (UTC+10:00)
Location
LGA(s)City of Townsville
State electorate(s)Mundingburra
Federal division(s)Herbert
Suburbs around Aitkenvale:
Heatley Vincent Gulliver
Cranbrook Aitkenvale Mundingburra
Douglas Annandale Annandale

Geography

Aitkenvale is a major commercial and residential district of the city. The suburb is home to Townsville's biggest shopping centre and is home to branches of numerous companies. Aitkenvale is the biggest commercial centre in Townsville outside of the Townsville CBD, and is often referred to as the second CBD. Besides offices and shopping centres, the suburb is mainly residential and has some light industrial warehouses and workshops in the top north-eastern corner of the suburb. There is also a picturesque parkland along the bank of the Ross River.

Ross River Road runs through from east to west, and Douglas–Garbutt Road (Nathan Street) runs along the western boundary.[3]

History

Aitkenvale is situated in the traditional Wulgurukaba Aboriginal country.[4]

View of roundabout at Elizabeth Street and Alfred Street
Estate Map of Aitkenvale Estate, Townsville, Queensland, 1883
Thomas Aitken of Townsville, 1867

The suburb is named after Thomas Aitken, the original grantee of Portion 38, Parish of Coonambelah. He began subdividing the property during the 1880s, putting 440 quarter-acre residential allotments on the market in 1885. A dairy farm was established in the region by Thomas Aitken in about 1867; the two remaining buildings of this farm (described as the Herdsman's Cottage and Cordial Factory) are still standing on what is now Leopold Street adjacent to Ross River.[2]

Aitkenvale Methodist Church opened in 1885 on its current site. It was a small hall that was destroyed by Cyclone Sigma in 1896. Church services were then held in private homes until a new hall was built in 1914. During World War II, the Royal Australian Air Force occupied the building with services again being held in private homes. In 1959 the church building was moved to the western side of the block (where it still stands) in preparation for a new church to be built. The new brick church was officially opened in 1971. In 1975 the church initiated the Lifeline telephone counselling service in Townsville. With the creation of the Uniting Church in Australia in 1977, the Aitkenvale Methodist Church merged with St Stephen's Presbyterian Church to form the Aitkenvale Uniting Church.[5]

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 in 1924.[6]

Aitkenvale State School opened on 2 June 1924. During World War II, it was occupied by the Australian Armed Forces.[7]

During the Second World War, Aitkenvale was home to the US Army's 13th Station Hospital, which comprised a 450-bed facility, located on the corner of Hatchett Street and Ross River Road.  Also, during the war, The area was the site of an aerodrome, located near Aitkenvale Weir on the banks of the Ross River.  It was built in 1942 for the Royal Australian Air Force as part of a group of wartime airfields.  The facility fell into disuse following the war, with the land eventually being redeveloped for housing.[8]

Riverside Adventist Christian School opened on 14 January 1968.[7]

The Aitkenvale public library opened in 1971.[9]

Aitkenvale Special School opened on 28 August 1972. It closed on 31 December 2001, to be merged with Mundingburra Special School in Mundingburra to create the Townsville Community Learning Centre on the site of the former Mundingburra Special School.[7][10][11]

In the 2016 census, Aitkenvale had a population of 4,790 people. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 6.7% of the population. 73.3% of people were born in Australia. 79.0% of people only spoke English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Somali at 2.2%. The most common responses for religion were No Religion 27.0%, Catholic 23.8% and Anglican 14.0%.[1]

The suburb was affected by the 2019 Townsville flood with riverside areas around Thompson Street inundated, along with Ross River Road adjacent to the Aitkenvale Library where two bodies were found nearby in the aftermath.[12][13]

Education

Aitkenvale State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 67-85 Wotton Street (19.2967°S 146.7630°E / -19.2967; 146.7630 (Aitkenvale State School)).[14][15] In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 492 students with 42 teachers (39 full-time equivalent) and 26 non-teaching staff (18 full-time equivalent).[16] It includes an intensive English language program.[14]

Riverside Adventist Christian School is a private primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 59 Leopold Street (19.3056°S 146.7677°E / -19.3056; 146.7677 (Riverside Adventist Christian School)).[14][17] In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 50 students with 5 teachers (4 full-time equivalent) and 3 non-teaching staff (2 full-time equivalent).[16]

There are no secondary schools in Aitkenvale. The nearest government secondary schools are Heatley Secondary College in neighbouring Heatley to the north-west and Pimlico State High School in neighbouring Gulliver to the north-east.[18]

Amenities

Shopping

Stockland Townsville is a shopping centre on the block bounded by Nathan Street, Ross River Road, Elizabeth Street and Alfred Street (19.2993°S 146.7631°E / -19.2993; 146.7631 (STOCKLAND TOWNSVILLE)) with the following major tenants:[19]

Parks

There are a number of parks in the area:

Churches

Aitkenvale Uniting Church is at 277-279 Ross River Road (19.2965°S 146.7676°E / -19.2965; 146.7676 (Aitkenvale Uniting Church)).[21][22]

Public Libraries

Sporting Grounds
  • Illich Park (Centrals Rugby League)
  • Aitkenvale Park (Saints Eagles Souths Football Club)

References
  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Aitkenvale (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
  2. "Aitkenvale – suburb in City of Townsville (entry 44562)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  3. Google (18 April 2023). "Aitkenvale" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  4. "Traditional Landowners - History and Heritage". Archived from the original on 27 March 2020. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  5. "History". Aitkenvale Uniting Church. Archived from the original on 6 May 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  6. "Townsville Golf Club". Townsville Golf Club. Archived from the original on 5 March 2021. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  7. Queensland Family History Society (2010), Queensland schools past and present (Version 1.01 ed.), Queensland Family History Society, ISBN 978-1-921171-26-0
  8. This Wikipedia article incorporates CC-BY-4.0 licensed text from: "Queensland Place Histories - Aitkenvale". John Oxley Library blog. State Library of Queensland. 23 January 2012. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  9. "Public Libraries Statistical Bulletin 2016-17" (PDF). Public Libraries Connect. State Library of Queensland. November 2017. p. 16. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 January 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  10. "Queensland state school - centre closures" (PDF). Queensland Government. 20 August 2013. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 March 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  11. "History". Townsville Community Learning Centre - A State Special School. 18 May 2020. Archived from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
  12. "Cops looking into fatal police flood chase". NewsComAu. 5 February 2019. Archived from the original on 20 March 2019. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  13. "Ross River flood maps". Queensland Police. 3 February 2019. Archived from the original on 3 April 2021. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  14. "State and non-state school details". Queensland Government. 9 July 2018. Archived from the original on 21 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  15. "Aitkenvale State School". Archived from the original on 3 April 2021. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  16. "ACARA School Profile 2018". Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. Archived from the original on 27 August 2020. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  17. "Riverside Adventist Christian School". Archived from the original on 29 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  18. "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  19. "Building areas - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 17 November 2020. Archived from the original on 23 October 2020. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  20. "Land for public recreation - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 20 November 2020. Archived from the original on 22 November 2020. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
  21. "Aitkenvale Uniting Church". Archived from the original on 17 March 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  22. Google (6 May 2021). "Aitkenvale Uniting Church" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  23. "Townsville CityLibraries Aitkenvale". plconnect.slq.qld.gov.au. State Library of Queensland. Archived from the original on 21 March 2019. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
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