The City of Thuringowa (19°18′26″S 146°43′54″E / 19.30722°S 146.73167°E) was a city and local government area in North Queensland, Australia covering the northern and western parts of what is now Townsville. The suburb of Thuringowa Central is the main business centre in this area. Thuringowa was named after the German state of Thuringia where the shire's first chairman, John von Stieglitz originated. Prior to its proclamation as a city on 1 January 1986, Thuringowa was a large rural shire, almost surrounding the City of Townsville.