Kissing Point, Townsville, 1953

News of the day

Daily Mercury, Friday 12 November 1948, page 3

New Houses for Townsville

In 1948 seventeen rental houses are to be built on contract for the Queensland Housing Commission at Rose Hewitt and Cook Streets, KISSING POINT, Townsville. The Housing Minister Mr Powers announcing this today said the contract price was £25-133.

Background

Kissing Point is located at the Rock end Pool of the Strand in Townsville. Although it sounds romantic, it has a long association with the military….Kissing Point Fort was completed in 1891 to defend the harbour from the threat of foreign attacks. It was manned mostly by volunteers from the One Battery Garrison and the Kennedy Regiment. They held encampments at Norman Park, the area behind the point, now known as Jezzine Barracks. During WWII Kissing Point was the headquarters of the 265th Australian Infantry Battalion and landing ships used the beach to disembark men and supplies. Today, the 15- hectare heritage precinct of the Jezzine Barracks commemorates the military and Aboriginal heritage of the Kissing Point headland.

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