Child Care Thursday Island

Needs Analysis

Thursday Island 4875 is served by 8 child care centres for an estimated 241 children under 5 — around 3.7 children per long day care place. See how local fees, occupancy and supply gaps compare with Rest of Qld.

Updated October 7, 2026 8 Centres Pop: 2,850
Centres map & directory

Child care centres

Explore centres on the map, filter by type, then review the directory below.

Id Name Type Places Approval Distance (Km) Day Rate Availability

* Click centres on the map for more detail and custom analysis options.

Local supply snapshot

Key metrics

Thursday Island compared with Rest of Qld

LDC Providers
LDC Providers
1
925
LDC Places
Total LDC Places
65
76,819
Population
Total Population
2,850
2,871,768
Per Place
Persons Per Place
43.8
-
Avg Age
Avg Centre Age
14.8 yrs
12 yrs
0-4 Pop
Population 0-4
241
152,778
Kids Per Place
0-4 Per LDC Place
3.71
2
Workforce
Workforce Impact
Standard
Standard
School Att
School Attendance
1,385
-
School Per LDC
School Per LDC Place
21.31
5.8
Avg Fee
Avg LDC Fee ($/day)
$-
$154
Other
Other Places (PSK/OOSH)
79
-

SOURCE: ACECQA, StartingBlocks, ABS data analysed by AreaSearch
Last updated:

Approvals Pipeline Childcare development approvals near Thursday Island

Childcare development applications on record across the wider SA3 region, from lodgement through to determination. Project-by-project detail — addresses, proposed places and status, drawn from council DA / planning registers — is in the full approvals register on this page.

Development approvals is a new addition to AreaSearch. We’re actively expanding council coverage and refining the dataset — details and statuses for some councils may be partial. Check back regularly for the latest pipeline.
Childcare approvals
0
Across the SA3 region
Proposed places
0
Where disclosed
Under assessment
0
Awaiting determination
Determined
0
Approved or decided

No childcare development applications on record for this catchment yet. Use Notify me above to get an email when new approvals appear. Data is drawn from council DA / planning registers.

SOURCE: Planning portals and council registers, compiled by AreaSearch. Distance & bearing measured from the suburb midpoint.

Thursday Island Child Care FAQ
What is the Child Care supply composition of Thursday Island?
As of our last update on October 7, 2026, there are 8 child care centres in Thursday Island. Of these, a single centre provides Long Day Care admissions with 65 places, 3 centres provide Preschool/Kindergarten offering 79 places, and 4 centres provide other child care services. The area is also serviced by 4 schools, collectively accommodating 1,385 enrolments.
What population do these centres in Thursday Island service?
AreaSearch's latest population estimate for Thursday Island as at August 2026 stands at a total of 2,850 people, of this 241 are estimated to be children under five years of age.
Why do your population numbers differ from Census figures for Thursday Island?
Some areas have changed considerably since the 2021 Census was undertaken. At the 2021 Census Thursday Island was assessed as having 2,805 people with 216 of these (7.7%) being children under 5yo. Thursday Island has seen 35 new addresses added since this time, which, combined with broader ABS population estimates for resident population, leads us to estimate that Thursday Island has experienced population growth of approximately 45 people from the 2021 Census.
How does the ratio of children per LDC place in Thursday Island compare to those in Rest of Qld?
In Thursday Island, our latest analysis shows there are 3.7 resident children under 5yo per LDC place. This figure is significantly higher than the 2 children per place across Rest of Qld.
How do childcare fees in Thursday Island relate to those in Rest of Qld?
Childcare fees in Thursday Island average $, which is not directly comparable the regional average of $154 in Rest of Qld.
How does the ratio of school population per LDC place compare in Thursday Island and Rest of Qld?
In Thursday Island, there are 21.3 students per LDC place. This figure is significantly higher than the 5.8 students per LDC place in Rest of Qld.
What is the average age of Long Daycare Centres in Thursday Island?
The average LDC in Thursday Island was approved 14.8 years ago, while across Rest of Qld the typical centre approval is 12 years old.
Is the local workforce a significant driver of additional child care demand for Thursday Island?
Workforce activity is within the standard range and may moderately influence child care demand in this area.
Who would typically use analysis such as this?
Childcare operators, developers, investors and financiers would typically conduct a thorough child care supply and demand analysis (SDA) on Thursday Island before allocating the significant amount of capital required. Boundary-based analysis such as this is often used as an initial guide however, and analysis would be undertaken on the specific site adopting a radial, travel time, or custom catchment to take into account nearby competition and demand drivers that would influence a centre's performance.

Find & Assess a Centre

Search by name, postcode, or address to explore supply & demand for any child care or school catchment in Australia.

1
Search a centre
or location
2
Open the
catchment map
3
Run analysis
& get report
Explore More Nearby suburbs & deeper analysis