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P15595. Cairns Esplanade, c1970
The CHS Research Centre holds more than 60,000 items of personal, professional and Government papers and ephemera; books; unpublished reports; newspapers; photographs; journal articles and maps.
The Research Center is currently closed while the Society moves into the renovated School of Arts building. The Society will reopen, with the Cairns Museum, in July 2017. Sorry to say but from today Friday 04/05/17 we can no longer take online or email requests. We are moving our computers and server into the new Museum and will not be fully online till the new Museum opens early June..
The collection covers the area from Cardwell to Normanton and north to the Torres Strait, taking in most of the Wet Tropics, Cape York Peninsula and the eastern Gulf of Carpentaria. Cairns is a particular focus.
Items can be viewed on the premises and the entire collection is digitally catalogued and searchable by subject, as well as by author and title fields.
As yet the catalogue is not available online but our researchers are available to assist you search and discover the collection.
Email queries are welcome and our researchers can pull together materials from the collection, copy or digitise and send them if you are unable to visit in person.
Charges
- Entry to the Research Centre & onsite assistance: $5 (members free)
- Photocopying/Digital copies: 20c per A4 page
- Research (email or phone requests): $16.50 per hour (includes GST)
Donate material
The Society is always interested in hearing from people with original documents, diaries etc from Cairns and Far North Queensland. If you have an original item that you think we could be interested in, please use the research inquiry form below to make contact. We would love to hear from you!
P15815. Stockmen at Kowanyama, then called Mitchell River Mission, 1960s
P14921. Nelem Kris using a harpoon, 1963
P15920. Two young girls in swimming costumes relaxing on Cairns Beach, 1927
P15896. Cars and motorbikes on an outing at Rex Lookout Cook Highway, 1930s
P15946. Stephen Doblo and friend relaxing on veranda in squatters chairs with record player and drinks, Christmas 1927
P20735. Early computer use for registration operations at Cairns District office Department of Main Roads, June 1979
P17227. Crocodile shooter Dave Pickerell posing with crocodile, 1972
P16528. Spence Street with car on street near Bolands and Central Hotel, 1920s
P22145. Chinese National Club Picnic at Jungarra Freshwater Creek, 10 August 1930
P17681. Peter, John Kolasinac, and Tony - Yugoslav cane cutters carrying cut cane, early 1960s
P18520. Waterside workers loading bagged sugar onto ships at Cairns wharf, 1950s.
P24629. Spence St, Cairns looking south from Lake St. 1990s
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