Queensland Museum & Community Collections

Last week I shared some highlights from my journey out west, showcasing some hotspots from Winton. This time, we’re on Iningai Country, in Longreach.

Stockman’s Hall of Fame

I love an audio tour – so experiencing the redeveloped spaces at the Stockman’s Hall of Fame was a must for my trip to Longreach. Walking through the space with the audio guide, you get the chance to explore what it must have been like to traverse the outback as a stockman or stockwoman (or even the local postman!) or be one of the Traditional Owners who were facing the onslaught of people travelling on their Country. Through collaboration with Dr Tauri Simone, Koa woman, academic and stockworker, and Iningai Traditional Owner Suzanne Thompson, the Hall of Fame redevelopment saw the theme of connection to country become more intertwined in the displays, as well as the stories of Aboriginal women who became head stockwomen and could outwork the men becoming a more prominent part of the exhibition. The museum also featured stories about how communities spent their downtime in the outback, at pubs and films and dances; explored the poetry and artistry that has come out of the outback over the years and delved into the history of the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

Qantas Founders Museum

I never thought i’d get to sit in the pilots seat of a decommissioned Qantas Jet, but here we are.

Sarah Johnson, the fantastic Senior Curator at Qantas Founders Museum took me on an incredible walk around of the facility, and became my personal photographer for the day. One of the key attractions she showed me was a repurposed passenger plane that was transitioned into a private jet, fit out with a double bed and a cocktail lounge.

I left the museum with one unanswered question: who do I talk to about the return of the bright yellow, tropical Qantas flight attendant uniform?

Longreach Powerhouse & Historical Museum

A special mention goes to the Longreach Powerhouse & Historical Museum, where you can listen to ‘Singing in the Rain’ on an incredible old record player; walk through the old Powerhouse to witness the machinery still on show (and if you’re lucky see the local Kookaburra family living in the roof); and explore the historic Nogo Cottage, part of the original homestead of Nogo Station built in 1918 which depicts family living conditions in Western Queensland between the 1930s and 1950s. I tried to find out the exact peach colour used to paint the exterior walls of the Cottage, but alas, no luck… A shout out to Tanya and Kath who showed me a whole range of quirky objects in the galleries, one being the ceremonial spade used by Queen Elizabeth in 1970 to plant a tree at the Longreach Civic Theatre.

Without delving into any more detail about the incredible people I got to talk to every day and the pros and cons of daily pub feeds, some snapshots of the trip include:

– Covering a distance of around 1500km
– Coming face to face with more than my fair share of brolga’s
– Seeing 20+ dinosaurs
– Tasting the iconic ‘Winton’ and ‘Longreach’ lagers
– Hearing an atrocious amount of snoring through motel walls
– Putting together a good collection of failed attempts at self-timed photos (#solotravel)
– Marveling at spectacular sunsets
– And meeting some of the most vibrant players in the cultural industry, based all the way out west.

An enormous thanks goes to the communities, volunteers, and museum teams who welcomed me into their spaces and showed me what they are passionate about. One of the best parts of being an MDO is getting to connect with the communities who make what we do possible.

And if you’ve made it this far, here’s an insight into what really fills up my camera roll: those divine western skies!

Until next time!