Timeline – North Queensland

1901-1950 | 1951-2001

Governor-General flies federal flag officially for first time in Townsville on September 16.

1903 Local Authorities Act proclaims Townsville a city and creates Ayr Shire Council.

Cyclone Leonta kills 8.

Hayles' first Magnetic Island ferry, the Bee, wrecked on Nobby Point.

1904 Underground fires kill 7 in Charters Towers' Brilliant Block and Mexican Mines.

1906 Deportation of Pacific Island sugar workers speeds up move to small farming.

1907 Butter factory established at Bowen.

1908 Charters Towers proclaimed a city.

First weir across the Ross River, Gleeson's Weir, completed in Townsville.

1909 Tobacco growing begins in Lower Burdekin.

1910 Tropical Health Institute established in Townsville.

1911 Inkerman renamed Home Hill.

Yongala sinks off Cape Bowling Green killing 120 people.

1912 Motor buses start in Townsville.

Strike at New Ravenswood Company foreshadows closure of Ravenswood goldfield.

1914 Kennedy Regiment sent back from Port Moresby as ill-equipped for warfare.

1916 Government approves irrigation scheme for Lower Burdekin farmers.

1917 Charters Towers' Brilliant Extended Mine and New Ravenswood Ltd shut down.

1918 Palm Island established as an Aboriginal reserve.

1919 Townsville police fire on striking meatworkers on 'Bloody Sunday', June 28.

1921 First sugar from Invicta Mill at Giru shipped from Townsville .

1922 1000 people gather in Flinders St to watch Townsville's first electric lights.

1924 Italian immigration to North Queensland peaks in 1924-25.

Queensland's first woman councillor, Mrs Fitzpatrick, elected to Thuringowa Shire.

1925 Charters Towers School of Mines closes.

Bowen Salt Party formed to extract salt from sea water.

1927 Infectious diseases hospital established on Fantome Island.

1930 Sister Kenny sets up her first polio clinic in Townsville.

1931 Queensland Bush Children's Scheme begins in Townsville.

1933 Bowen cokeworks built to supply fuel to Mount Isa .

Bull fight in Townsville attracts national attention on May 17.

1934 Giuseppina Bacchiella killed and her son injured in bombing incident in Ingham.

1936 Towers Hill brewery at Charters Towers closes after 45 years' operation.

1939 Fred Paterson becomes Australia's first Communist alderman (Townsville City Council).

Townsville airport opens with gravel runways.

1940 First internments of North Qld Italians after Italy enters war.

1942 Japanese aircraft bomb Townsville on July 25, 26 and 29.

Battle of Coral Sea fought off North Queensland.

Hermit Park ALP branch disaffiliated over 'Sheepskins for Russia' campaign.

1943 Magnetic Island forts completed on July 10.

1944 Fred Paterson becomes Australia's only Communist Member of Parliament (Bowen).

1948 Railway strike lasts from February to April.

Timeline prepared by Margaret Bird and Diane Menghetti.
Sources: JCU history publications and theses, Townsville Bulletin, North Queensland local histories and pamphlets.

1901-1950 | 1951-2001