COUNTDOWN TO THE CAIRNS MUSEUM

Three years after we closed the doors for the final time, building work is set to commence on the $1.6 million redevelopment of the Cairns Museum.

The renewed Museum will be the feature attraction of the renovated Cairns School of Arts. The Museum will contain four permanent and one temporary gallery, showcasing displays and storylines of the unqiue history of Cairns, created by a team of professional curators and designers, backed by local volunteers.

Getting up close and personal with a preserved saltie; learning about Cairns’ Traditional Owners; pilfering a tropical Christmas recipe; singing the warfies lament; having a yarn with a local guide and dreaming about fluorescent souvenir coral are just some of the things visitors might expect to do at the new Cairns Museum.

The countdown to the new Museum commenced this month with the Society announcing the contract for the construction of the Museum had been awarded to the Cairns office of Hutchinson Builders. The project is funded by the Cairns Regional Council.

Society President Clive Skarott says the signing of the contract is great news for Cairns.

“This signing will mean work is going to commence immediately on building displays for the refurbished Museum,” said Mr Skarott.

“The story of Cairns has been the missing piece of the Cairns cultural offering for the last three years and we are very excited to be once again sharing our story with locals, tourists and schools through the Cairns Museum,” he said.

The Cairns Historical Society will continue to operate the Museum and the Society’s Research Centre, including books, photographs, maps and journals will also be available to the public at the School of Arts.

See how the Cairns Post covered our announcement