Pimlico, Hyde Park or Gulliver? Choosing an Inner Townsville Suburb

You've narrowed your Townsville search to the inner south-west — close to the CBD, the Mater and the schools, without paying beachfront prices. Then the listings start mixing up Pimlico, Hyde Park and Gulliver: three suburbs that sit side by side and look much the same on a map, but live quite differently. Pick the wrong one and you can end up in a townhouse when you wanted a yard, or across town from the school you were counting on.

This guide puts the three next to each other using 2021 Census figures and real distances measured from French Street, so you can work out which one suits the way you live.

Where Pimlico, Hyde Park and Gulliver Sit in Townsville

The three suburbs run in a line west of the CBD. Hyde Park is the eastern end, bounded by Woolcock Street to the north and Charters Towers Road to the east, with Hermit Park beside it. Pimlico sits in the middle, between Hyde Park and Gulliver, with Woolcock Street along its northern edge too. Gulliver is the western end, with Currajong to the north, Vincent to the west and Aitkenvale to the south.

They're all small. Pimlico covers about 1.2 square kilometres and Hyde Park about 1.1, which is part of why their names get used loosely. Castletown Shoppingworld, for example, sits on the corner of Woolcock Street and Kings Road, right where Pimlico meets Hyde Park, and both suburbs claim it as their local centre. Pimlico State High School carries Pimlico's name but is actually in Gulliver, on Fulham Road.

Pimlico, Hyde Park and Gulliver by the Numbers

Here's how the three compare on the Australian Bureau of Statistics' 2021 Census figures for each suburb:

The biggest difference is the housing. In Pimlico, fewer than half of homes are separate houses: nearly four in ten are semi-detached homes, townhouses or terraces, and another one in six is a flat or unit. Gulliver is the opposite, with almost nine in ten homes being separate houses. That flows straight through to who lives there. Pimlico is majority renters, while Gulliver has the highest share of owners, with about two-thirds of homes either owned outright or being paid off.

Pimlico residents are also less tied to the car. About one in six Pimlico homes had no car at the 2021 Census, roughly double Gulliver's rate, and a slightly higher share of Pimlico workers walked or rode to work. The rents in the table are 2021 medians and have risen since, so use them to compare the suburbs with each other, not as today's prices.

(Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 Census QuickStats for the suburbs of Pimlico, Hyde Park and Gulliver. Hyde Park's figures are from the same Census; its car figure wasn't available.)

Distances From French Street, Pimlico

To make the comparison concrete, we measured how far everyday destinations are from French Street Centre at 28 French Street, Pimlico. These are straight-line distances taken from map coordinates on 1 November 2026, so the drive or walk will be a little longer.

The pattern is clear: from the middle of Pimlico, a supermarket, a primary school, a high school and a major private hospital are all within about a kilometre. That's the main reason the area appeals to healthcare staff on shifts, families with school-age children and people who'd rather not drive for every errand.

Pimlico, Townsville: Best for Renters, Shift Workers and Convenience

Pimlico's big advantage is what's inside or right on its borders. The Mater Hospital — Townsville's largest private hospital — is on Fulham Road in the south of the suburb, Castletown is on its northern edge, and Anderson Gardens, with its well-known pandanus and palm collections, sits at its southern end. Pimlico has no schools of its own, but Hermit Park State School and Pimlico State High are each about a kilometre from French Street.

The housing is a mix of older Queenslanders and newer townhouses and units, which is why so many homes are rented. That suits Mater staff, students and smaller households well. The trade-off is space: older homes and townhouses often have little built-in storage, which our guide to moving to Pimlico or North Ward covers in detail. For a fuller picture of the suburb itself, see our local's guide to Pimlico.

Hyde Park, Townsville: Small, Central and Close to the Shops

Hyde Park is the smallest of the three, with about 1,400 residents. It has the most shopping within reach: Castletown Shoppingworld and the Hyde Park Centre are both on Woolcock Street. It also has two schools — Hermit Park State School, a state primary school on the corner of Surrey and Sussex Streets, and St Margaret Mary's College, a Catholic secondary school for girls on Crowle Street. There's no state high school in Hyde Park, so families usually look to Pimlico State High or Townsville State High.

Its housing sits between the other two: about two-thirds separate houses, with the rest mostly semi-detached homes, and about half of all homes rented. Being at the eastern end, it's also the closest of the three to the CBD and to Charters Towers Road.

Gulliver, Townsville: The Family-House Suburb

Gulliver is the largest of the three by population and the most suburban in feel. Almost nine in ten homes are separate houses, households are a little bigger, and it has the highest rate of home ownership. Two schools are inside its borders: Pimlico State High School on Fulham Road and Currajong State School, a state primary school on Palmerston Street. Queensland Pathways State College also has a campus on Desailly Street, within the TAFE Queensland site.

The trade-off is that Gulliver is more car-dependent. More of its workers drive, fewer walk, and its main shopping is in neighbouring suburbs rather than on its own streets. For families who want a house and a yard within reach of both a primary and a high school, though, it's hard to beat.

How to Choose Between Pimlico, Hyde Park and Gulliver

1. Start with your daily trip. If you work at the Mater, Pimlico puts you a short walk or ride away. For Townsville University Hospital in Douglas, all three are a similar drive.
2. Check school catchments, not suburb names. State school enrolment depends on catchment boundaries, which don't follow suburb lines. The Queensland Department of Education publishes catchment maps for every state school.
3. Decide house or townhouse first. If you want a separate house and a yard, Gulliver has by far the most. If a townhouse or unit suits you, Pimlico has the widest choice.
4. Think about storage. Older Queenslanders and townhouses often have small laundries, single carports and few built-in robes. Plan where the outdoor gear, tools and spare furniture will go before you sign.
5. Visit at different times. Streets near Castletown, the Mater and the schools are busier at school drop-off, shift changes and weekend shopping times. Drive past in the morning and evening before deciding.
6. Walk the area. Pimlico and Hyde Park are flat and compact, so check how much you could genuinely do on foot. That's a big part of what makes them appealing.

Everyday Services Near Pimlico

Whichever of the three you choose, Pimlico's everyday services are close by. Castletown has the supermarkets and big retailers. French Street Centre, a short walk from the Mater, has Chez Belle Skin Care, Liddy's Hair Design, Hawaii Massage Clinic and Finch & Finch Accountants, with free parking at the door — our guide to what's at French Street Centre covers all of them. French Street Self Storage is at the rear of the Centre; all of its units are currently leased, so check back for future availability.

Frequently Asked Questions