Charters Towers

Charters Towers is southwest of Townsville, has a unique and colourful history, and is often referred to as the historic golden city.
Situated near the Burdekin River, Charters Towers has a rich mining, pastoral and World War II heritage that can be enjoyed by visitors today through the unique 'Ghosts of Gold' experience. Charters Towers maintains a range of heritage listed buildings giving the town a lot of charm. You can tour the Venus Battery and explore the Towers Hill World War II bunkers to savour the history of the city that was once referred to as 'The World'!

By road, Charters Towers is a 90 minute drive from Townsville, a 5 and a half hour drive from Cairns and a 15 hour drive from Brisbane. There are also direct flights from Townsville to Charters Towers.

• Zara Clark Museum

  phone: +61 7 4787 3672
  address: 36 Mosman St
  Delve into the time when Charters Towers was the second biggest city in Queensland during its first gold rush. Historical artefacts, photographs and memorabilia are all on display.

• Centenary Park

  phone: +61 7 4761 5533
  address: Cnr of Hackett Terrace and Dalrymple Road
  Within the park there is a "Gold Discovery Monument", which features a number of sculptures by Queensland artist Hugh Anderson. There is also a children's playground and "Liberty Swing".

• Butler's Cottage

  phone: +61 7 4761 5533
  address: Ravenswood
  This well-preserved cottage gives you a glimpse into how the inhabitants of Charters Towers lived during the late 19th century.

• WWII Bunkers

  phone: +61 7 4761 5533
  address: Towers Hill
  Altogether there are 29 concrete bunkers built during the Second World War peppered around Towers Hill. The bunkers were used to hide and store explosives and ammunition, with none of them facing each other so that an accident in one of them wouldn't set off a chain reaction. Two of the bunkers now have an interaction video and audio feature, so you can learn more about this period of Charters Towers' history.

• Young's Block Fossicking Area

  phone: +61 7 4761 5533
  Fossick for gold and strike it rich. This area had a significant level of gold mining and production in its heyday. The easiest ways to discover fine alluvial gold are by panning or dry blowing (when there is not much water during the dry period). Note that you must have a fossicking licence.

• World Theatre

  phone: +61 7 4761 5430
  address: 82 - 90 Mosman St
  Watch movies, live artistic performances and shows. Go and see the art and sculpture gallery inside too.

• Catch & Cook Seafood & Burger Bar

  phone: +61 7 4787 2990
  address: 162 Gill St
  Fish 'n' chips, many types of burgers, fried snacks, cold drinks and desserts.

• Gold City Chinese Restaurant

  phone: +61 7 4787 2414
  address: 118 Gill St
  Buffet-style Chinese. The flavours are catered to Western tastes and are a bit bland if you are looking an authentic experience.

• Civic Club

  phone: +61 7 4787 1096
  address: 36 Ryan St
  Heritage-listed clubhouse. Have a drink and then play a game of billiards on a table that's over 100 years old.

• Towers Heritage Lodge Motel

  phone: +61 7 4787 4088
  address: 79-97 Flinders Highway
  Has 25 rooms ranging from motel rooms to self contained apartments. Large garden area with kids playground, BBQ, pool and more.

• Cattleman's Rest Motor Inn and Steakhouse

  phone: +61 7 47873555
  address: 1 Bridge St
  38 ground floor air-conditioned rooms comprising of Single Suites, Double / Twin Suites, 2 Bedroom Family Rooms, Executive Suites. Onsite a Licensed 'Steakhouse Restaurant' and Cocktail Bar, pool with spa, conference facilities, undercover parking and tour bookings can be arranged.