Aitkenvale

Aitkenvale, a residential suburb, is 7 km south-west of central Townsville. It was named after Thomas Aitken who arrived in Townsville in 1867 and took up 3500 acres on Ross Island (now South Townsville and Railway Estate). In 1883 he put up for sale subdivided land south of Castle Hill, overlooking the Ross River, which he named Aitkenvale. Sales were unspectacular, but enough for the Aitkenvale Hotel to open in 1884.