Cairns Historical Society in Cairns, Queensland, Australia | Non-profit organisation

Cairns Historical Society

Locality: Cairns, Queensland, Australia

Phone: +61 7 4051 5582

Address: School of Arts Building Corner Lake St and Shields St 4870 Cairns, QLD, Australia

Website: http://www.cairnsmuseum.org.au

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• Non-profit organisation
• Community museum

25.01.2022 75 years ago today people in Cairns listened as their Prime Minister Ben Chifley told them that the war was over. It marked the end of six years of war - the loss of life, the daily grind of censorship, shortages and sacrifices for the war effort. Locals took to the streets to celebrate and a young soldier called Bruce Downie took his camera. These are our favourites. #lestweforget #ww2history #peace #cairns

24.01.2022 Tinaroo Dam Construction began in 1953 and on 3 October 1958 Premier Nicklin officially released the first water from the dam. ... #Cairnsmuseum #CairnsHistoricalSociety #LakeTinaroo #TinarooDam #HistoricalCairns #TropicalNorthQueensland #ThisIsQueensland #Australia

23.01.2022 The second permanent gallery at Cairns Museum gives you insights on OLD CAIRNS: Swamps, sweat and sugar. How a port town was imposed on a steamy tropical landscape and the industries that made it prosper. ... #cairnsmuseum #cairnshistoricalsociety #culturalocal #cairnsculture #theheartofcairns #cairns #cairnslife #lifeinthetropics #northqueensland #thisisqueensland #shieldsstreet #thingstodoincairns #cairnshighlights #whattodoincairns #highlightsofcairns #canetoads See more

23.01.2022 Who’s up for a rather fancy round of tennis? Image of people playing tennis at Rossville Tennis Club, c1914 ... #cairnsmuseum #cairnshistoricalsociety #culturalocal #cairnsculture #theheartofcairns #cairns #cairnslife #lifeinthetropics #northqueensland #thisisqueensland #shieldsstreet #thingstodoincairns #cairnshighlights #whattodoincairns #highlightsofcairns #vintagetennis See more

22.01.2022 Watch Melanie our Collections Manager prepare one of the specimens for our exciting new temporary exhibit ‘Toad vs Beetle: Clash in the Cane’, which is now open and available for viewing to visitors of the Museum. This cane toad specimen is on loan from Sugar Research Australia, Meringa and has been nick-named Helga :) In this quick video Melanie mixes a preserving solution so that our special specimen Helga can be admired in all of her cane toad glory - we’d like to give a ...big shoutout to wet specimen specialist and natural specimens conservator Sheldon Teare from the Australian Museum for exhibition advice, the Herbarium at JCU for loaning the giant glass bath and Sugar Research Australia, Meringa. #CairnsMuseum #ToadVsBeetle #CairnsHistoricalsociety #CulturaLocal #CairnsCulture #fnqlife #cairnslife #lifeinthetropics #thisisqueensland #thingstodoincairns #cairnshighlights #whattodoincairns #highlightsofcairns #bestofcairns

22.01.2022 Got the super sewing team Jenny and Dorothy making some you-know-what, just in case . Tropical themed of course!

22.01.2022 Dray Wheel! Large, strong timber wheels, bound with iron bands, were once commonly seen in Far North Queensland, as horse-drawn drays or bullock wagons moved freight between Cairns on the coast and the timber and mining towns of the Tablelands. This fine example was came from the Atherton Tablelands in the late 1950s, and was donated to the Cairns Historical Society in 1978. It is now on display in the Old Cairns gallery of the Cairns Museum.

21.01.2022 19 September is the 99th anniversary of the disastrous explosion at Mt Mulligan coal mine. These photos are a small sample of the many relevant photos in CHS image collection. 1 - Mt Mulligan's rail ambulance, the only transport to Mareeba hospital at time of disaster ... 2 - Mt Mulligan Township about 1915 3 - Mt Mulligan township site of Mt Mulligan hotel with timber stumps and rock wall kerbing 2013 4 - Grave of George Doran James and George Robert James aged 17 years - father and son killed in mine explosion Mt Mulligan cemetery 1921 #cairnsmuseum #cairnshistoricalsociety #culturalocal #cairnsculture #theheartofcairns #cairns #cairnslife #lifeinthetropics #northqueensland #thisisqueensland #shieldsstreet #thingstodoincairns #cairnshighlights #whattodoincairns #highlightsofcairns See more

21.01.2022 There are four permanent galleries to be discovered at Cairns Museum - Gallery 1 is about CAIRNS OVER TIME: Here you will find the story of Cairns told through the lives of locals, including Cairns Traditional Owners. It's the tales of our city the good, the bad and the downright troppo. ... #VintageAustralia #cairnsmuseum #cairnshistoricalsociety #cairnshistory #highlightsofcairns #cairnshighlights #bestofcairns #thingstodoincairnswithkids See more

21.01.2022 Have you been to one of these establishments in the past? Then you might be able to help the Historical Society: We have some beautiful Christmas menus in our collection that we would love to know more about. If you ate at any of these hotels on Christmas Day, or have any memories of these establishments you’d like to share, then we’d love to hear from you! Central Hotel Cairns, 1947... The Courthouse Hotel Cairns, 1952 Hides Hotel Cairns, 1956 Imperial Hotel Cairns, 1967 Hides Hotel Cairns, 1979 Image: Imperial Hotel by John Ah You, 1939 #Cairnsmuseum #HidesHotelCairns #ImperialHotelCairns #TheCourthouseHotelCairns #CentralHotelCairns #ChristmasinCairns #CairnsHistoricalSociety See more

20.01.2022 Illuminated manuscript! This beautiful hand-painted, leather bound manuscript was commissioned by the Ratepayers of the Shire of Cairns in 1911, as a gift of gratitude to their hardworking and entrepreneurial civic leader, W. J. (Willlie) Munro. Sadly, he died suddenly in 1912 and never received the gift. It was instead presented to his grieving family in this unusual Arts and Crafts style pewter casket.

19.01.2022 The fourth of our permanent galleries zooms in on CHANGING CAIRNS: The transformation of a small tropical port to an international tourist city. How travellers have found their way here and how locals have changed their town. ... #cairnsmuseum #cairnshistoricalsociety #culturalocal #cairnsculture #theheartofcairns #cairns #cairnslife #lifeinthetropics #northqueensland #thisisqueensland #shieldsstreet #thingstodoincairns #cairnshighlights #whattodoincairns #highlightsofcairns #canetoads See more

18.01.2022 Did you know the Cairns Historical Society has a range of local history publications, research and thematic papers for sale? Visit our website for more info or send us a message - we are happy to respond to any queries. https://www.cairnsmuseum.org.au/histor/society-publications... #cairnsmuseum #cairnshistoricalsociety #culturalocal #cairnsculture #theheartofcairns #cairns #cairnslife #lifeinthetropics #northqueensland #thisisqueensland #shieldsstreet #thingstodoincairns #cairnshighlights #whattodoincairns #highlightsofcairns See more

18.01.2022 We are nearly ready for the next exhibition! Thanks to our dedicated volunteers for all of your sewing, framing and stinger suit fitting skills! We couldn’t put the show together without you ‘Safe in the Water: Celebrating 70 years of Surf Life Saving North Queensland’ opens on the 21st of September.

18.01.2022 Rare labelled bottle of Dr Koch’s Fever Mixture This glass medicine bottle contained Dr Koch’s Fever Mixture, a tonic made in part of quinine and lemon juice that was said to cure malaria. The doctor who created the tonic, Dr Koch, was a German physician who moved to Cairns in 1882 and took a particular interest in the rampant malaria plaguing in the town. The mixture was sold exclusively through Craig’s Chemist on Abbott Street for 4 shillings, right through to the 1940s. After his death in 1901, a monument was erected in Dr Koch’s honour in Abbott Street, to celebrate his contribution to public health in Cairns.

17.01.2022 Reminder: The Historical Society needs your help! We have some beautiful Christmas menus in our collection that we would love to know more about. If you ate at any of these hotels on Christmas Day, or have any memories of these establishments you’d like to share, then we’d love to hear from you! Central Hotel Cairns, 1947... The Courthouse Hotel Cairns, 1952 Hides Hotel Cairns, 1956 Imperial Hotel Cairns, 1967 Hides Hotel Cairns, 1979 Image: Central Hotel Postcard 1911 #Cairnsmuseum #HidesHotelCairns #ImperialHotelCairns #TheCourthouseHotelCairns #CentralHotelCairns #ChristmasinCairns #CairnsHistoricalSociety See more

16.01.2022 OK sleuths - what is it? You have until 5pm ... @Mulgrave Settlers Museum @Douglas Shire Historical Society Cultural Services @CADCAI @ARC @Disability Services Inc. @Tropic Now @Eggplant & Poppy Shields Street Cairns ABC Far North

16.01.2022 July is traditionally the time for the annual Cairns Show. With the current Cov id19 situation we thought we would bring you a snapshot of some past show photos from the image collection of Cairns Historical Society. A special thank you to all the people who have donated their photos to help us preserve the history of Far North Queensland and to our volunteers who process the photos. Our photo database is searchable at the Historical Society research centre- currently by ...appointment due to Cov id19 restrictions. Look here for the story of the Cairns Show: https://cairnsshow.com.au/history-cairns-show/ #CairnsShow #cairnshistoricalsociety #cairnsmuseum #cairnshistory #highlightsofcairns #cairnshighlights #bestofcairns

14.01.2022 On 21 June 1980 Cairns Mayor Ron Davis officially opened the Cairns Museum. He is pictured with Les Sim then President of Cairns Historical Society, which continues to own and operate the present Cairns Museum at the School of Arts Building. ... #cairnshistoricalsociety #cairnsmuseum #cairnshistory #highlightsofcairns #cairnshighlights #bestofcairns See more

12.01.2022 The Cairns Historical Society makes the history of Far North Queensland accessible for current and future generations. The Society operates the Cairns Museum, the CHS Research Centre and the History on the Move School Trailer program. It also manages a nationally significant collection of over 60,000 individual items for you to explore and discover. ... #cairnsmuseum #cairnshistoricalsociety #culturalocal #cairnsculture #theheartofcairns #cairns #cairnslife #lifeinthetropics #northqueensland #thisisqueensland #shieldsstreet #thingstodoincairns #cairnshighlights #whattodoincairns #highlightsofcairns See more

10.01.2022 What has changed in 100 years - the same topics continue to be discussed. Newspaper Clippings: Cairns Post April 24th & 25th, 1914 ... #cairnshistoricalsociety #cairnsmuseum #shieldsstreet #cairnsculture #cairns #cairnslife #ThisIsCairns #CairnsAnyday #theheartofcairns #highlightsofcairns #cairnshighlights See more

09.01.2022 Taking care of business! Thank you to our beautiful volunteer Lei Lei for trying your hands at a new skill - encapsulating maps with Mylar. This technique of encapsulation is used at many international collecting institutions and now this technique is being taught and used in our precious map collection right here in Cairns. Thanks Lei Lei for your hard work and skilled hands! Contact our collections manager Melanie if you want to know more or drop in to our research centre to see our map collection in person.

08.01.2022 The Historical Society needs your help! We have some beautiful Christmas menus in our collection that we would love to know more about. If you ate at any of these hotels on Christmas Day, or have any memories of these establishments you’d like to share, then we’d love to hear from you! Central Hotel Cairns, 1947... The Courthouse Hotel Cairns, 1952 Hides Hotel Cairns, 1956 Imperial Hotel Cairns, 1967 Hides Hotel Cairns, 1979 Image: Imperial Hotel Christmas Dinnner Menu 1967 #Cairnsmuseum #HidesHotelCairns #ImperialHotelCairns #TheCourthouseHotelCairns #CentralHotelCairns #ChristmasinCairns #CairnsHistoricalSociety See more

08.01.2022 Saltwater Crocodile Head! This fantastic taxidermy saltwater crocodile head is from a large crocodile shot by Vince Vlasoff, back in the 1950s. At time crocodile hunting was legal and Vince Vlasoff, with wife Olive and guide Toby Flinders, pioneered safari-style hunting trips up Cape York. Vince made a decent living off the sale of the crocodile skins. Shooting crocodiles was banned in Queensland in 1974. This object is on display in the Cairns Museum courtesy of Nilla Vlaso...ff. Historic Image caption (when you click on it): Olive and Vince Vlasoff with the skin of a 15 foot crocodile, Cairns c1961. CHS Collection, P07228

07.01.2022 What Spence Street near Bolands and Central Hotel looked like 100 years ago ... #cairnsmuseum #cairnshistoricalsociety #culturalocal #cairnsculture #theheartofcairns #cairns #cairnslife #lifeinthetropics #northqueensland #thisisqueensland #shieldsstreet #thingstodoincairns #cairnshighlights #whattodoincairns #highlightsofcairns See more

06.01.2022 Sieving starch paste! We had a bit of fun at CHS learning how to make conservation grade adhesives using traditional tools and materials. Our collection manager Melanie is also a trained paper conservator and showed the volunteers how to use a norikashi (sieve) and norioke to make Jin shofu - paper paste. We then used the paste to start our paper repairs of some beautiful old newspapers from the collection. A little bit of Japanese history and tradition right here in Cairns!

04.01.2022 This petite, handmade jacket was owned by 16 year-old Maria Conterino in 1953. Maria wore this jacket when travelling with her mother, Sebastiana, from Italy to Australia on the SS Sydney. Between 1949 and 1959 over 200,000 Italians immigrated to and settled in Australia, including Maria and her mother. Following Maria and Sebastiana’s arrival in Brisbane, they travelled to Far North Queensland where they settled with family. Jacket on display in the Cairns Museum, courtesy of the Klaassen family.

03.01.2022 Who remembers computers like these? Early computer use for registration operations at Cairns District office Department of Main Roads, June 1979 ... #cairnsmuseum #cairnshistoricalsociety #culturalocal #cairnsculture #theheartofcairns #cairns #cairnslife #lifeinthetropics #northqueensland #thisisqueensland #shieldsstreet #thingstodoincairns #cairnshighlights #whattodoincairns #highlightsofcairns See more

02.01.2022 Loading the star toad for our new exhibition. Watch our collections manager Melanie prepare a wet specimen for our upcoming exhibition ‘Toad vs Beetle: Clash in the Cane’. This specimen was kindly contributed by Sugar Research Australia.

02.01.2022 Our talented volunteer, Lauren, is working away at fine paper repairs on an original limited print run newspaper from Cairns. Lauren is using conservation papers and adhesives to repair this broadsheet of the Trinity Times from 1906.

01.01.2022 Trinity Bay Dredge Cairns Harbour Board’s new dredge ‘Trinity Bay’ arrived from Germany in March 1913. She served as a dredge for 40 years before her retirement in 1974. In 1976 she became a floating restaurant moored in the inlet. This venture eventually failed and in November 1981 the dredge was towed out to sea and sunk as target practice for the RAAF. Her wreckage lies in 60 metres of water between Flynn & Euston reefs. Cairns Historical Society has many photos a...nd lots of information about the dredge. 1. Land reclamation works Cairns City area 1920 note wharf sheds on right 2. Dredge model Cairns Museum 1981- P Landy chief engineer on ‘Trinity Bay’ & Les Sim President CHS 3. Floating restaurant 1978 4. Dredge 1960s 5. Dredge operating beside Port Douglas wharf c1930 6. The final moments 1981 #trinitybaydredge #cairnsharbourbridge #cairnshistoricalsociety #trinitybay #floatingrestaurant #portdouglaswharf #cairnsmuseum #australianhistory #thisisqueensland See more

01.01.2022 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 - that’s a whole lot to discover. Come visit and have a look for yourselves. Image of the Cairns Esplanade, c1970, courtesy of Cairns Historical Society ... #cairnsmuseum #cairnshistoricalsociety #culturalocal #cairnsculture #theheartofcairns #cairns #cairnslife #lifeinthetropics #northqueensland #thisisqueensland #shieldsstreet #thingstodoincairns #cairnshighlights #whattodoincairns #highlightsofcairns See more

01.01.2022 OK sleuths - what is it? You have until 5pm ... Mulgrave Settlers Museum Douglas Shire Historical Society Cultural Services CADCAI ARC Disability Services Inc. Tropic Now Eggplant & Poppy Shields Street Cairns ABC Far NorthNorth