These include: exhibition halls, 1901 grandstand, show ring, poultry and livestock pavilions, a dairy, stabling and marshalling areas, gates, turnstiles, and Curley Bell stands.

Before a suitable site could be secured, the first Townsville Show was held in 1880 with agricultural and pastoral products displayed in the Botanical Gardens reserve and industrial and horticultural exhibits at the School of Arts.

In January 1881, a deed of grant was issued to the Association trustees for 10 acres (4.04 ha) of Crown Land to be reserved for a showground on Flinders Street West, later known as Ingham Road.

Prominent North Queensland pastoralists and agriculturalists used the venue to showcase their horses, promote their interest in breeding stock and encourage future growth in the region.

In addition to stud stock, exhibitions reflected the major influence of wool, timber reserves, coffee, horticulture and minerals indicative of the pastoral, agricultural, and mining industries throughout the region.

It also provided an outlet where the products of women's labour associated within the domestic environment were exhibited including displays of cookery, needlework, millinery, arts and taxonomy.

Events attracted both professional and amateur participants and contributors travelled from west beyond Hughenden to take advantage of the opportunity to restock provisions, network and get together.

This, combined with a devastating drought in North Queensland, impacted so greatly on the regional community that the Show was cancelled for the next two years due to lack of funds as well as exhibits.

The Tunbridge brothers (Walter Howard and Oliver Allan) had entered into partnership in Townsville in 1887, and soon developed a substantial North Queensland architectural practice with offices in Charters Towers and later Rockhampton.

The official party and record crowd of over 3500 people were entertained by a display of horse events staged by station owners taking the prime opportunity to show their purpose bred remounts with a view of securing trade overseas.

The special relationship between the Defence Force and TPA & I Association was reinforced through Memorial Day sports and demobilisation events in support of the returned local men who had fought during World War I.

The new Drill hall was constructed around 1919 within the former defence force reserve of four acres to be used "... for horticulture, preserves, arts and crafts, children's section, caged birds and district exhibits".

The Depression also gave rise to other community activities staged at the Showground, including a soup kitchen to cater for the large number of itinerant workers or for those just down on their luck, and as a camp ground for the 9th and 49th Battalions' reunion held in conjunction with the 1933 Townsville Show week.

[1] An increase of grounds use led to improved event facilities with additional seating offering trackside viewing provided via a series of eight-tiered stands.

When WWII was proclaimed officially over, the Victory Parade procession marched from the central business district and ended at the Townsville Showground where sideshow entertainment was provided for the crowd.

The Townsville Show also encouraged regional charities and organisations such as the Queensland Bush Children's Fund, H.M. Prison Farm and Rural Youth Clubs to exhibit and raise money.

[1] Encompassing a total area of over 14.38 hectares, the Townsville showground comprises a collection of purpose-built buildings, yards, ticket booths, gates, turnstiles, additional seating and open space.

Timber buttresses provide additional strengthening to the high external walls which are clad in galvanised corrugated iron sheeting painted green.

The rebuilt western, northern and southern walls (post Cyclone Althea) are constructed with steel columns, recycled timber purlins and painted corrugated galvanised sheet cladding.

[1] Located on the corner of Ingham Road and Parkes Street, the main entrance gates are constructed of welded steel bars in decorative geometric design incorporating the Townsville Pastoral Association logo.

[1] The ticket booth has a hipped corrugated steel sheeted roof supported on a timbered framed building and clad with chamber board wall.

[1] The timber-framed building clad with weatherboards has a gabled roof, sheeted with corrugated steel and supported on concrete piers topped with termite caps.

One drain begins at the base of Castle Hill and runs on a north–south axis to traverse a portion of the Show ring from behind the poultry pavilion and exiting into the large stormwater canal near the cattle yards.

Both buildings are of similar rural vernacular construction with inner and outer bush timber pole columns supporting a gable roof of corrugated galvanised steel sheeting on sawn hardwood rafters and beams and are painted white internally.

The shorter building has an overhead deck constructed at approx 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) height on hardwood joists and pine flooring on both sides of a central way.

The gable end, southern sidewall and rear wall are clad in corrugated galvanised steel whilst the northern side of the building is open.

[1] Timber framed separate male and female toilet and shower facilities sheeted with painted corrugated galvanised steel to skillion roof and walls.

These include: exhibition halls, grandstands, the Curley Bell stands, show ring, poultry and livestock facilities, dairy sheds, stabling and marshalling areas, as well as gates and turnstiles.

The place has a strong social significance for generations of Townsville and North Queensland families who have attended the annual pastoral and agricultural exhibitions since 1882.

[1] The place is important as one of the few venues where the products of women's and children's labour associated with the domestic and educational environments has been exhibited regularly since the late nineteenth century.