SUBURB REVIEW: Rowes Bay

It is only a stone’s throw away from Townsville City and is home to luxury properties, biodiverse wetlands, a bush nursery and even a golf course.

Rowes Bay is a small community of 573 people kissed by 10km of Cleveland Bay Beach and sweeping views of Magnetic Island.

The suburb covers approximately 2.8 square kilometres and is surrounded by the Town Common and Townsville Airport.

It was named after Charles Seville Rowe who was one of the first settlers at Cleveland Bay and has also been known as Rose Bay and Ross Bay pre-WWII.

A drive down the main artery of Rowes Bay will reveal a trove of shops, green spaces and community facilities including Bolton Clarke Residential Aged Care, Soroptimist Park and Big4 Holiday Parks.

The Queensland Police Service Academy is also situated in Rowes Bay after commencing training in 1996.

Janice Gallagher Real Estate Principal Owner

Janice Gallagher is currently advertising a Rowes Bay beachside property for sale.

The 524sqm home perched on 805sqm of land boasts four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a heated pool with jets and a large entertainer’s patio.

Ms Gallagher said the laid-back lifestyle of Rowes Bay made the suburb a hot commodity with a diverse demographic of buyers.

“People just love beachfront because they love the sea breezes and sea views not to mention you have the walking track along the water and it’s only five minutes to the city,” she said.

“I have had very strong interest in 48 Palm Street with a few new people to town, people from down south as well as professionals and medical personnel.”

She said real estate in the inner-city suburb was always “highly sought after”.

“You are in very good company when you buy in Rowes Bay” she said.

“Houses don’t come up very often in that position and everything sells that gets listed there.”

Only just last year North Queensland Cowboys football icon Johnathan Thurston sold his home at Rowes Bay after purchasing the property in 2021 for $4.5m from golfing legend Greg Norman.

Belrowes By The Bay owner Kerry Santariga has worked in the corner store for nine years after her husband purchased the business. Ms Santariga said she loved the positive vibe of Rowes Bay and counts many of her customers as friends.

“I just love this community because all the locals are so loyal to the business and are always up for a chat and that is what we are all about,” she said.

“The motto for the store is ‘where friends meet’ so people come in and out of the store and say hi to each other and they have that connection which I love.

“People keep coming back because we care about people and I know over 90 per cent of our customer’s names because I have been training my brain for nine years,” she said.