FNQ Aviation Museum construction up and away
Aviation Museum
Construction is underway on the Far North Queensland Aviation Museum’s Heritage Building Project after a sod-turning ceremony at Mareeba Airport on Monday, November 9. The museum has also secured a further $69,000 to safeguard the Second World War-era hangar as a commemorative space.
The volunteer-run museum will reconstruct the historic igloo hangar, which was relocated from Cairns, at its Mareeba Airport site. The first stage will provide a covered, open-air exhibition space for the museum’s growing collection of historic aircraft and aviation artefacts.
The museum secured $300,000 to deliver its Aviation Museum Varistor Centre in the first round of the State Government’s $20 million Regional Tourism Infrastructure Fund. The fund is part of Destination 2045 and supports new and expanded attractions that encourage visitors to spend more time in regional Queensland.
President of the FNQ Aviation Museum, Brendan Kent said the start of construction was the result of years of work by the museum’s volunteers.
“The start of site works is a milestone for the volunteers who have put years of work into bringing this historic Second World War building from Cairns to Mareeba. It’ll be great to see it standing again and serving a new purpose," he said.
“The first stage will give the museum a covered, open-air exhibition space to protect its aircraft and artefacts from the weather. It’ll also give families, school groups and visitors a place to get up close to the aircraft and discover the stories behind them.”
“I’m pleased the Queensland Government is supporting this project through the Regional Tourism Infrastructure Fund, alongside Bendigo Bank and local businesses. Together, they’re helping the museum preserve a piece of Far North Queensland’s wartime history and giving visitors another reason to spend time in Mareeba.”
Member for Cook David Kempton MP said the museum was an important cultural and tourism asset for Mareeba and the Tablelands region, with a remarkable story to tell about aviation in northern Australia.
“I have always had a passion for aviation, so it was a real pleasure to be there for the sod turning. The volunteers have put years into getting this old wartime hangar to Mareeba, and I am looking forward to seeing it standing again with aircraft under its roof,”Mr Kempton said.
“Right across Cook, aviation is part of everyday life. It keeps our communities connected, and it’s a big part of our history. This project helps tell the story of Mareeba’s role as a wartime aviation base. Once the visitor centre is complete kids from Mareeba and right across Cook will be able to stand beside one of these old aircraft and hear the stories of the people who flew them and worked on them.”
Mr Kempton said he called Mr Kent after the ceremony to share news of the additional $69,000 grant, awarded under Round 2 of the Queensland Government’s Honouring Our Veterans Grants Program for the Safeguarding the North Queensland WWII Igloo as a Commemorative Space project.
“It was great to be able to ring Brendan that afternoon and give him some more good news. I’m pleased our government is backing the people who are doing the work to preserve our history and give visitors another reason to come to Mareeba,” Mr Kempton said.
Mareeba Shire Mayor Angela Toppin said the project would help preserve an important part of the region’s history and build on the museum’s tourism potential.
“Seeing work get underway is a tremendous boost for the FNQ Aviation Museum and for the volunteers who have given so much of their time to bring this project to life. They’ve worked towards this for years, and it’s wonderful to see their efforts paying off,” Mayor Toppin said.
“This wartime hangar is an important historical asset for Far North Queensland. Rebuilding it here in Mareeba gives us a chance to preserve that history and share it with locals and visitors. The museum already gives people a reason to visit Mareeba, and the new exhibition space gives it even more scope to grow as a tourism attraction.”
