Tully Rallies For New Agricultural Heritage Home

Rob Magarey and William Moran outside the former Tully Visitor Information Centre, which they hope will become the new home of the Wet Tropics Agricultural Heritage Centre. Photo credit: Helen Cook

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A determined group of Tully locals is working to bring an important piece of Far North Queensland’s agricultural history home, with plans for a new Wet Tropics Agricultural Heritage Centre right on the Bruce Highway at the turn-off to town.

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The community-led project would bring the former Tully Visitor Information Centre – originally the Tully Sugar Recreation Hall – back to life, creating a home for significant parts of the former Australian Sugar Heritage Centre collection while telling the broader story of the sugar, banana, timber and cattle industries.

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“This is about our community’s heritage,” said committee member William Moran, whose family has farmed in the area for more than 100 years. “We’re all reliant on agriculture.”

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The idea has been gathering momentum for more than a year, prompted by the closure of the Australian Sugar Heritage Centre at Mourilyan following flooding associated with Cyclone Jasper in December 2023. Its collection includes locomotives, tractors, harvesters, photographs, documents and other artefacts. With the property sold and the collection needing a new home, Tully locals saw an opportunity.

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Barry Barnes, who had been involved with the Mourilyan facility, was among those keen to find a new home for the Sugar Heritage Centre. Tully Sugar was an early supporter, offering land near the mill where the group initially considered building a large shed to house the collection. Then the former Visitor Information Centre became available.

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“We thought as a committee, what a golden opportunity,” William said. “It’s on the highway and there is space around it to build additional sheds.”

Committee chair Rob Magarey said the group has spent more than 12 months developing the proposal.

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“We’ve carefully considered what would make a really good heritage centre,” he said. “We’ve been negotiating with the Sugar Industry Museum Committee, finding out what they would require, and we’ve been establishing ourselves as a committee that would be worthy of running a museum.”

The core committee includes Rob, William, Barry Barnes and Andrew Apap, along with Emma Hennel from Tully Sugar and Patrick Bluett, Executive Officer of Cassowary Coast Tourism.

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“Once we get established, we’ll go out and ask for more people to come on board,” William said.

While the Mourilyan collection provides the starting point, the vision for the Heritage Centre is much broader.  

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“We want to bring our local industries together in a museum right here on the highway,” William said.

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Reopening the Visitor Information Centre is another important part of the plan, with former volunteers already indicating they would be willing to return. The centre could provide local information and bookings, encourage travellers to explore more of the Cassowary Coast and once again provide a booking point for Tully Sugar mill tours.

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“Ours is the only sugar mill in Australia that operates mill tours,” Rob said. “With the Visitor Information Centre now closed people probably drive on by because they think there’s no place to book.”

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William explained how the project would be developed in stages, beginning with the existing building.

“Phase two would be building another shed to house all this other gear,” William said. “Then, with the banana industry coming on board, we could create a dedicated space for a collection telling that industry’s story.”

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The committee is seeking commercial sponsors and local industry support, with the aim of having a paid person on site supported by volunteers.

“That way you’ve got someone here full-time, paid every day, and then your volunteers helping out,” William said. “That’s our plan.”

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The immediate hurdle in progressing that plan is securing the Visitor Information building and site, with Cassowary Coast Regional Council expected to consider the proposed lease at its October 29 meeting.

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If it gets the green light, William says the group is ready to move.

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“We could open the doors in early November,” he said.

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For now, the committee is asking the community to help get the proposal over the line by making its support known ahead of the Council meeting.

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“Talk to your local councillors,” William said, “and let them know how great this Heritage Centre will be, not just for Tully but for the whole of the Cassowary Coast.”  

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