Reef HQ

The aquarium was built as a Bicentennial Commemorative project and is a part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA).

[1] In 2021, Reef HQ closed for refurbishment, but after a detailed inspection it was decided to demolish it entirely and built a new aquarium at the site, which is expected to open in 2026.

[5] Reef HQ Aquarium is located in the same complex as the Museum of Tropical Queensland and the Townsville Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Centre and an IMAX theatre in the Central Business District.

Unusually, the aquarium is open to the weather, receiving precipitation, sun- and moonlight, just like natural coral reefs.

The backdrop of this exhibit resembles a wreck, which could be taken as a replica of the world famous the SS Yongala (lying submerged south off the coast from Townsville).

Three of a series of five tropical aquariums mounted in a single large room aquarium, located at the entrance of Reef HQ