Behind every milestone, celebration and unforgettable moment across the past 40 years at The Ville Resort-Casino are the people who made them possible.

Long before the resort-style suites, bougainvillea-framed poolside and skyline sunsets that define The Ville today, there were teams of passionate staff helping build something entirely new for Townsville - and for many of them, it quickly became far more than just a workplace.

As The Ville celebrates its ruby jubilee, four remarkable team members: Allan Carr, Tony Johnson, Kerry Beeston and Eric Gulson - are marking the milestone in the most extraordinary way possible: by celebrating 40 years of service alongside it. Together, their memories tell the story not only of a property evolving over four decades, but of friendships formed, careers shaped and a culture that has stood the test of time.

There’s a certain magic they all remember about those early days in 1986. Before the doors officially opened, anticipation rippled through the city. Offsite, staff trained and tested their skills while inside, final touches transformed the property into North Queensland’s newest destination.

For Kerry Beeston, who arrived from New Zealand after accepting an opportunity to help open the original Sheraton Breakwater Casino-Hotel, the atmosphere was electric from the moment she walked through the doors. “The place was buzzing with excitement and anticipation,” she recalls. “Every department had teams setting up bars, restaurants and rooms and fitting uniforms.”

Her first glimpse of the casino floor has never left her.

“It was vast, pink, red and empty,” she says with a laugh. “I often tell customers I’m older than the furniture.”

Then came opening night - a moment many describe as unlike anything Townsville had ever seen before. Champagne flowed, celebrities arrived and crowds packed shoulder-to-shoulder around gaming tables – dressed to the nines in ball gowns and suits.

“It had a Monte Carlo casino feel about it,” Beeston says. “Two Up was heaving and the cheering and chanting was deafening.”

Allan Carr remembers weaving through packed crowds while cheers erupted around the Craps tables, witnessing guests experience a casino for the very first time. For Tony Johnson, however, it was the legendary New Year’s Eve celebrations that truly captured the spirit of the era - casino staff in elaborate fancy dress, and one memorable year, an entire Two Up crew dressed as Elvis.

Of course, much has changed since those early years. The transition from Jupiters to The Ville marked a new era, while major investments transformed the property into the entertainment and hospitality precinct it is today. Technology reshaped gaming floors, new venues emerged and the precinct continued to evolve alongside Townsville itself.

But when these long-serving staff reflect on what has endured through every decade of change, the answer is unanimous: the people.

For Beeston, the heart of The Ville has always been its sense of connection - not only with guests, but with each other. She recalls staff rallying together after the 2019 floods, helping colleagues clean out flooded homes, and again after the Night of Noah in 1998, when casino dealers stepped in as makeshift waiters to serve stranded guests' breakfast.

“It’s a special place with a special team,” she says.

That same sense of belonging is what has inspired so many to stay. What began for Beeston as a stopover on a backpacking adventure became a life, a career and a home. Along the way, the role taught her resilience, patience and the importance of human connection.

“Players swing by my table to show me photos of their grandbabies or tell me about their holidays,” she says. “They want to connect. It’s the essence of hospitality.”

Forty years on, the stories shared by Allan, Tony, Kerry and Eric reveal something deeper than longevity. They speak to a workplace that has grown alongside its people, one built on opportunity, adaptability and genuine connection.

And while the skyline, branding and gaming floors may have changed over the decades, the spirit of The Ville remains exactly what it has always been: people creating memorable moments for people.

Discover the full range of birthday celebrations and offers at https://www.the-ville.com.au/turns-40/