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Martin Place, near Castlereagh Street …

Cyclone Leonta hit Townsville on 9 March 1903. Very destructive winds caused significant damage to a number of buildings. The grammar school was largely destroyed and one of the General Hospital's main wards collapsed. The cyclone caused 14 deaths. Nine people died in the hospital. Two people were found dead in destroyed houses, and another at Stanton Hill. There were two deaths in Charters Towers when Leonta moved further inland. The damage in 1903 was estimated at approximately £250,000. Tropical cyclone Leonta during March 1903 recurved over Townsville where the barometer dropped to 965 hectopascals. The winds reached hurricane force (average speed 64 knots or more) when the winds were mostly from the south-west of south-south-west. The most damage came from the severe wind gusts with flying roofing iron, buildings blown over and verandas wrenched away. It was almost midday on Monday, when the wind attained hurricane force, and it caused tremendous destruction and serious loss of life. The storm centre must have passed very close to North Ward, for it was this section of the city which suffered most. The greatest disaster of all was the collapse of one of the main wards of the General Hospital. Source: knowledge.aidr.org.au/resources/cyclone-cyclone-leonta-qu...

School House at Townsville Grammar School is a heritage-listed school building at Paxton Street, North Ward, City of Townsville, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Tunbridge & Tunbridge and built from 1903 to 1904. Townsville Grammar School opened in 1888 as a boys' school, but the school has accepted female students since 1893 when Mary Foley applied for admission. There was much debate over the admission of girls, with some parents considering them to be a disruptive influence on the boys' academic studies and that their admission would require expenditure on building modifications. However, others saw the financial benefit of their admission in a time of economic depression, when declining student numbers threatened the loss of their annual Queensland Government endowment. Like other schools in Townsville, Townsville Grammar was commandeered during the Second World War. The RAAF took over the buildings and grounds in February 1942 and its No.3 Fighter Sector HQ, which monitored and identified aircraft in the region and initiated air-raid warnings, were stationed at the school. Aerials and wires were visible on the roofs of the buildings, and huts were set up on the ovals to house members of the WAAAF. Meanwhile, the School moved into premises at Rosslea until January 1945, and did not regain full use of the whole grounds until later that year. Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_House,_Townsville_Grammar_Sc...