Tambo township turns 150 this year and to celebrate the community is co-curating an exhibition of significant objects at the Grassland Art Gallery. This is the first time local history has been displayed at the gallery.

Plans for the exhibition are well underway with community members sharing some of their prize possessions and stories shedding light on remarkable events, notable people and what it is like living in the oldest town in the west. And here’s a sneak peek at just two of the items on display!

Predominantly established as a pastoral area a set of records from a nearby property, Cheero Downs, will be included in the exhibition. This set of records is an excellent example of how properties in the district were managed. The collection ranges from a bank book to rainfall charts.

One notable event included in the exhibition is the first recorded QANTAS plane crash which killed all three occupants. On 24 March 1927 the DH9C G-AUED was on a regular mail route between Charleville and Mt Isa with Tambo as its second destination. Mystery surrounds why the crash occurred but it was determined the plane had landed at a nearby station to undertake repairs. The men onboard were buried at the Tambo cemetery.

Significantly Tambo: Celebrating 150 Years of Tambo Township will be officially opened at the 150 celebrations on 26 June 2013.

Funded by the Blackall-Tambo Regional Council and the Australian Government’s ‘Your Community Heritage’ program, the exhibition is being assisted by Queensland Museum’s Museum Development Officer program.