Queens Gardens is the surviving 10 acres (4.0 ha) remnant of Townsville's former 100 acres (40 ha) Botanical Gardens Reserve (Queens Park) proclaimed on 14 June 1870.

Nineteenth century gazetted botanic gardens were more commonly known as Queens Parks, named in commemoration of Queen Victoria who reigned as Monarch of the British Empire from 1836 to 1901.
These places attracted strong public patronage and each was considered the premium park of a town.
The first Queens Park was a section of the Brisbane Botanic Gardens.
A subsequent botanic garden at Ipswich was called Queens Park.

From its beginning the gardens at Townsville have evolved in area, planning and design, as well as through their plant collection and community use.
Initially the reserve was established to serve and support the role specific to Botanic Gardens across the country, which focused on botany as science, economic botany, education of the public about plants and horticulture and ornamental botany.
The first of these functions for botanic gardens was a response to increasing nineteenth century interest in a scientific understanding of the natural world, where widespread enthusiasm for plant identification and cultivation had developed after the industrial revolution.
Economic botany refers to the cultivation of plants within the botanic garden's exotic environment with a view to contributing to the economy of the local region and the colony as a whole, and involved acclimatising, cultivating and testing plants of commercial value.
Ornamental botany recognised that human perspectives on nature were not totally focused on use, but also on the more aesthetic qualities of horticulture.

By the end of the nineteenth century, an international network of regional botanic gardens was established, extending throughout the British Empire, and with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew as the key centre for botanical information and collections.
Gardens were established in most major towns in Queensland, with Townsville's Botanic Gardens being included on an 1868 survey plan.

However, the size of the original reserve in Townsville and its proximity to the city centre resulted in town planning leases and excising of reserve land to accommodate public recreation and institutions.
The first successful incursion into the reserve was made by the Townsville Cricket Club, which applied for space in the northeast corner of the Gardens to build a pitch.
A major division of the Garden Reserve took place in 1886 when the Trustees of the Townsville Grammar School were granted 10 acres (4.0 ha) on Paxton Street.
In exchange, the Minister of Lands accepted the 25-acre (10 ha) Norman Reserve, a Reserve for Grammar School Purposes, in the name of the Botanical Gardens Trustees.
The Norman Reserve, which was located nearby on Kissing Point, was never utilised as a Botanical Reserve and was included in the Reserve for Defence Purposes established on Kissing Point in 1889.

In the same year that the Botanic Gardens was gazetted as a park (1887), Burke Street was extended through the Reserve to Paxton Street.
Significant incursions into the reserve included a Gaol Reserve and Reserve for a Lunatic Reception House in the southeast corner (1885) and a reserve for sport and recreation (12 acres (4.9 ha) in 1899).
By 1915 the Reserve was reduced to 35 acres (14 ha), with leases being issued to the Croquet Club (1924).
The final carving up of the Botanical Gardens took place in 1948 when part of the reserve was leased to the Townsville Bowling Club and part excised as a recreation reserve.
The Botanical Gardens was thus reduced to 10 acres (4.0 ha), its present size.

The Townsville Municipal Council initially received no government funding for the gardens and did little towards getting them established.
Funding continued to be a problem even after 1878 when William Anderson was appointed as the first "curator and practical gardener".
Anderson resided on site in a cottage constructed for his appointment until he retired in 1934.
At this time, a new cottage was built and the original cottage was
Queens Gardens is the surviving 10 acres (4.0 ha) remnant of Townsville's former 100 acres (40 ha) Botanical Gardens Reserve (Queens Park) proclaimed on 14 June 1870.
Nineteenth century gazetted botanic gardens were more commonly known as Queens Parks, named in commemoration of Queen Victoria who reigned as Monarch of the British Empire from 1836 to 1901. These places attracted strong public patronage and each was considered the premium park of a town. The first Queens Park was a section of the Brisbane Botanic Gardens. A subsequent botanic garden at Ipswich was called Queens Park.
From its beginning the gardens at Townsville have evolved in area, planning and design, as well as through their plant collection and community use. Initially the reserve was established to serve and support the role specific to Botanic Gardens across the country, which focused on botany as science, economic botany, education of the public about plants and horticulture and ornamental botany. The first of these functions for botanic gardens was a response to increasing nineteenth century interest in a scientific understanding of the natural world, where widespread enthusiasm for plant identification and cultivation had developed after the industrial revolution. Economic botany refers to the cultivation of plants within the botanic garden's exotic environment with a view to contributing to the economy of the local region and the colony as a whole, and involved acclimatising, cultivating and testing plants of commercial value. Ornamental botany recognised that human perspectives on nature were not totally focused on use, but also on the more aesthetic qualities of horticulture.
By the end of the nineteenth century, an international network of regional botanic gardens was established, extending throughout the British Empire, and with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew as the key centre for botanical information and collections. Gardens were established in most major towns in Queensland, with Townsville's Botanic Gardens being included on an 1868 survey plan.
However, the size of the original reserve in Townsville and its proximity to the city centre resulted in town planning leases and excising of reserve land to accommodate public recreation and institutions. The first successful incursion into the reserve was made by the Townsville Cricket Club, which applied for space in the northeast corner of the Gardens to build a pitch. A major division of the Garden Reserve took place in 1886 when the Trustees of the Townsville Grammar School were granted 10 acres (4.0 ha) on Paxton Street. In exchange, the Minister of Lands accepted the 25-acre (10 ha) Norman Reserve, a Reserve for Grammar School Purposes, in the name of the Botanical Gardens Trustees. The Norman Reserve, which was located nearby on Kissing Point, was never utilised as a Botanical Reserve and was included in the Reserve for Defence Purposes established on Kissing Point in 1889.
In the same year that the Botanic Gardens was gazetted as a park (1887), Burke Street was extended through the Reserve to Paxton Street. Significant incursions into the reserve included a Gaol Reserve and Reserve for a Lunatic Reception House in the southeast corner (1885) and a reserve for sport and recreation (12 acres (4.9 ha) in 1899). By 1915 the Reserve was reduced to 35 acres (14 ha), with leases being issued to the Croquet Club (1924). The final carving up of the Botanical Gardens took place in 1948 when part of the reserve was leased to the Townsville Bowling Club and part excised as a recreation reserve. The Botanical Gardens was thus reduced to 10 acres (4.0 ha), its present size.
The Townsville Municipal Council initially received no government funding for the gardens and did little towards getting them established. Funding continued to be a problem even after 1878 when William Anderson was appointed as the first "curator and practical gardener". Anderson resided on site in a cottage constructed for his appointment until he retired in 1934. At this time, a new cottage was built and the original cottage was 
Queens Gardens, Townsville