Cairns Museum

You are invited to attend the official opening of Decades of Dedication: CAFNEC's Legacy of Environmental Stewardship. Date: Saturday 12 September 2026 Time: 2.30pm to 4.30pm Location: Cairns Museum Guests are invited to arrive from 2.30pm to view the exhibition ahead of formal proceedings, commencing at 3.00pm. This free, invitation-only event marks the opening of a community exhibition exploring 45 years of environmental advocacy in far north Queensland. Through photographs, campaign material, maps, newsletters, archival documents, objects and audiovisual material, the exhibition traces the work of CAFNEC and the many people, member groups, Traditional Owners and allied organisations connected with its history. From campaigns concerning the Wet Tropics, Cape York and the Great Barrier Reef to creative public advocacy and changing technologies, it explores what becomes possible when communities organise, persist and act together. Light refreshments will be provided, with drinks available for purchase from the cash bar and tea and coffee available for a gold coin donation. Please RSVP by Friday 11 September for catering purposes. We look forward to sharing this occasion with you.

Suitable for children aged 5-12 years Get ready to discover some of the tiny creatures that share our tropical backyard! Bugs in the Backyard is an exciting, interactive school holiday session where kids can learn about the bugs in their very own tropical backyard, make a DIY Bug Collector and Bug Bookmark, and find out how to observe and take photographs with a phone camera. The 90-minute session is designed to be flexible. We begin with approximately 45 minutes of supervised activities, before kids can continue creating or head off to explore the Museum, hunting for bugs, butterflies and other critters along the way. The program connects with our Ground Floor Gallery exhibition, CAFNEC’s Legacy of Environmental Stewardship, exploring 45 years of environmental advocacy in Far North Queensland. 🗓 Tuesday 22 September 🗓 Tuesday 29 September 🕥 10:30am – 12:00pm 🎟 $7 per child or free for Members Ages 5–12 (parent supervision required) All materials supplied

This is a free public event - bookings are required to assist with seating and catering. As part of the Cairns 150 celebrations, the Cairns Historical Society and Cairns Museum are presenting a series of free public lectures throughout 2026. Held every second month, each lecture afternoon features two talks exploring key moments, people and themes from Cairns and Far North Queensland’s history. LECTURE #1 Recent Archaeological Investigations of Chinese Gold Mining Communities in the North Dr Kevin Rains Discovered in 1868, the Ravenswood Goldfield offers valuable insights into Chinese life and activity on Far North Queensland goldfields. Drawing on recent archaeological investigations, this lecture examines Chinese homesteads, market gardens and commercial sites, and traces the connections between Ravenswood and northern ports such as Cooktown and Cairns through patterns of migration and enterprise. LECTURE #2 Architecture of Cairns Roger Mainwood In the final lecture of the C150 Public Lecture Series, prominent Cairns architect Roger Mainwood explores the architectural development of the city. Drawing on decades of professional experience and a deep appreciation of Cairns’ built environment, this lecture examines how design, function and heritage have shaped the city’s architectural identity. ABOUT THE SPEAKERS Dr Kevin Rains is a historical archaeologist and heritage manager with extensive experience delivering heritage projects across large-scale infrastructure developments. He holds a PhD from the University of Queensland, with research focused on the overseas Chinese social landscape of early Cooktown. Roger Mainwood is Director of TPG Architects and has led or contributed to numerous local and state heritage projects, including the Tanks Arts Centre, the conversion of Wharf Shed 3 into the Cairns Cruise Liner Terminal, and the refurbishment and adaptation of the School of Arts Building into the Cairns Museum.

Led by Dr Jan Wegner (historian and Society Secretary), volunteer Barb Kelly, and Sarah Morgan (Exhibitions Curator), the workshop will guide participants through the full oral history process: from researching your subject and developing thoughtful interview questions, to recording technique, ethical considerations such as informed consent, and working with narrators to review transcripts before they enter the record. Importantly, the participants will also learn how digital recordings and transcripts are stored, catalogued, and preserved; work that is increasingly vital for the Society and for our wider community's heritage. Voices that might otherwise be lost become part of a permanent, accessible archive for researchers and future generations. Whether you're an experienced or new volunteer who is curious, or has a family member whose memories you think should be preserved, these workshops are designed to build real, practical skills you can take into your community, capturing the stories that official records so often leave out. We look forward to learning together. Oral History Workshop When: Saturday 31st October 2026 from 10:30am to 12:00pm. Where: Cairns Museum, 105 Lake Street, Cairns.