Forty years on the breakwater

1986: the Sheraton Breakwater

Townsville City Council's history of the city from 1901 to 2003 records that the Sheraton Breakwater Hotel and Casino opened to the public in 1986. The same page notes that Thuringowa, the large rural shire around Townsville, was proclaimed a city on 1 January that year. It was an eventful year for the region.

Jupiters

Wikipedia, which we treat as a secondary source, records that the hotel later traded as Jupiters Hotel and Casino. The council's page, written while that name was in use, calls it "now known as Jupiters Casino". Wikipedia also says it is the only casino in Townsville and gives the room count as 194, citing an older version of the hotel's own About page.

The Ville

Today the hotel is The Ville Resort – Casino, part of Morris Group, which it describes as an independent, family-run business. The current site sells eight room categories, six venues, an infinity-edge pool, and function space for up to 1,000 people. Ardo, a second Morris Group hotel with 132 rooms and suites, now stands on the next lot.

We have not found an official date for either renaming on a page we could verify, so we do not print one.

Meanwhile, along the shore

• January 1998

  Torrential rain on the night of 10 January caused the worst floods in the history of Townsville and Thuringowa. The Strand was extensively damaged; locals call 10 to 11 January the 'Night of Noah'.

• 23 October 1999

  The redeveloped Strand reopened, the promenade guests walk along today.

• 2021

  A new walking trail linked Castle Hill to the city centre, and a new track joined the Maidenhair Track to the Goat Track.

• Now

  Breakwater Marina below the hotel holds 325 berths for vessels up to 45 metres.

Older history the council keeps

The same council page records two earlier dates worth knowing on a visit: Castle Hill Road, the drive to the summit, was completed and opened on 28 February 1937; and on Christmas Eve 1971 Cyclone Althea struck Townsville, damaging hundreds of homes on the mainland and more than 90 per cent of those on Magnetic Island.

Why it matters for a booking

Old reviews of the building may describe the Sheraton or Jupiters years. When you read them, check the date, and look for mentions of the current room names. Our page on public ratings has a few more tips.

Ask the desk about these dates