18+ Independent guide. Not operated by or affiliated with The Ville Resort-Casino.

Sir Leslie Thiess Drive, Townsville QLD 4810

Breakwater GuideThe Ville, Townsville, unofficial

Forty years on the breakwater

From North Queensland's first casino to a tropical resort precinct: the main dates, with sources.

  1. 1986Opens in June as the Sheraton Breakwater Casino, the first casino in North Queensland, on the newly built breakwater at the eastern end of the Townsville waterfront.
  2. Later yearsTrades as Jupiters Townsville (Jupiters Hotel and Casino), part of the Jupiters casino brand. Public sources do not give a single date for the change of name.
  3. 2014The Morris Group, the family company of Chris Morris, buys the property, according to the hotel. Some records name Colonial Leisure Group as owner. The resort is renamed The Ville.
  4. 2018A $45 million redevelopment is completed, relaunching the property with resort-style accommodation, new dining and the Splash infinity pool.
  5. 2020sThe group opens Ardo next door, described as an $80 million five-star hotel, and invests in Pelorus Private Island and Orpheus Island Lodge on the Great Barrier Reef.
  6. 2026The Ville celebrates its 40th anniversary in June, a "ruby jubilee" in the hotel's words, with more than 1,000 local staff.
The Ville tower seen from the Magnetic Island ferry across the breakwater
The tower from the water. Photo: Ridiculopathy, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Townsville marina with Castle Hill behind the city
The marina and Castle Hill, the view that has framed the resort since 1986. Photo: Greditdesu, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Sources and gaps

This timeline is based on the hotel's 40th anniversary announcement published on the-ville.com.au in May 2026 and on the public encyclopedia entry for the resort. Where the two differ, such as the exact first name of the casino and the name of the owning company, we have noted it. If you have documents that fill a gap, write to us.