The results are in from a poll to decide which cities have been the worst places in Australia this year. And some folks don’t like the result.
The Queensland city of Townsville has been dubbed Australia’s “supreme s***hole of the year” — stoking a strong reaction from some of its residents.
It topped a list in this year’s countdown run by the viral Facebook page S*** Towns of Australia, receiving the most votes from the group’s 500,000 followers.
Just over 36 per cent of voters listed Townsville as the worst city in the nation, with most blaming high levels of crime.
After a year of Covid-19 lockdowns, the entire state of NSW came in second, winning 30 per cent of votes.
In third place was the popular beachside suburb of Byron Bay, which received 20 per cent of votes, with Sydney’s Mount Druitt in fourth place.
Despite topping the list, some Townsville locals were quick to defend their home town, with one saying “it’s not as bad as what people make it out to be”.
“Townsville has a lot to offer. We have the biggest military base here in Australia. We also have a university to further people’s careers,” he said.
“There are also some nice beaches where you can camp. You are within an 80km radius to go see a rainforest.
“Property values are cheap compared to other places. There’s also a lot of work available if you are looking for a job.”
However, some residents actually agreed with the ignominious award — saying crime in the city is out of control.
“I would like to formally thank Annastacia (Palaczszuk), Scott (Morrison) and crew for their unfailing efforts in ignoring the crime situation in Townsville,” one resident said. “We could not have won this amazing award without their consistent neglect.”
“I love Townsville. Like genuinely have an affinity for the place,” said another Queenslander. “But far out, it is ALWAYS getting on the list for some gronk doing something stupid and getting arrested for it. So I would say that this is probably fair play.”
The S*** Towns of Australia website had this to say about Townsville:
“Townsville (or Towntown in English) was named after Robert Towns, a notorious slave trader who was well-known for the practice of ‘blackbirding’, which is Australian for abducting South Sea Islanders and forcing them to work on your sugar cane plantations. In true s*** town fashion, Townsville honoured their namesake with a bronze statue for his services to racism.
“Townsville has been dubbed the unofficial capital of the ‘Tropical North’ complete with all the horror that entails – oppressive heat, nightmarish disease, and wildlife that devours wayward tourists. And that’s just Flinders Street on a Friday night.
“Also nicknamed ‘Brownsville’ due to its arid climate rather than the complexion of its residents, Townsville has an annual rainfall comparable to the dustier parts of the Sahara, aside from the handful of days when it’s pelted with the sort of Biblical monsoons that would get Noah’s arsehole twitching.
“Unlike its neighbour Cairns, Townsville has not been overwhelmed by tourism – for good reason. Aside from being a Kmart Cairns, Townsville is known as a hotbed of youth crime and car theft, which makes it an ideal place to stop if you want an insurance payout. “Townsville is the only place in Australia where every high school has its own youth court, juvenile prison and parole office – the only reason they aren’t all packed is because no one goes to school. The city’s main tourist attraction is Reef HQ, the only living coral reef in captivity – in Townsville, even the reefs are in gaol.”
Logan, also in Queensland, took out the unwanted gong last year – the second time in a row, just beating Nimbin in NSW and Adelaide.
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