QANTAS FOUNDERS MUSEUM IMMERSIVE MUSEUM TOUR

Welcome to the Museum Tour 

Delve behind the scenes and unearth the often-untold stories of trial and triumph hidden in the history of one of the world’s most iconic airlines. This audio-guided tour escorts you on an enlightening journey of discovery as you explore the main museum floor and National heritage listed hangar of the Qantas Founders Museum in the outback town of Longreach – the birthplace of Australian aviation.

Established in 1996, the Qantas Founders Museum showcases the rich heritage of our national airline, from its fledgling beginnings in 1920, to its soaring success today as one of the world’s most celebrated airlines. Through a mix of static displays and interactive exhibits, you will be introduced to ‘the originals’ – the airline’s founders whose bold ambitions and big dreams inspired a nation to soar to exhilarating new heights. 

This multi award-winning attraction is a ‘must visit’ on your itinerary when adventuring in the Queensland outback. Explore an impressive collection of aviation artefacts such as historic aircraft, engines, uniforms, and memorabilia. Multi-sensory story-telling techniques and hand-on, interactive exhibits complement the extensive collection, delivering an enticing blend of enlightening education and fun for all ages and abilities. Learn fascinating facts dating back to the airline’s infancy, and be inspired by the ingenuity and tenacity of the airline’s founding fathers, whose legacy helped forge the future of this legendary Aussie icon. 

Your museum entry ticket includes a self-paced, self-guided exploration of the museum’s main exhibition space, as well as the National Heritage Listed Hangar (to your right on entry). You may also opt to further elevate your experience with a range of unique and unforgettable guided experience add-ons. For further details please speak to our friendly staff or check out our museum’s Overview audio guide available on our website at qfom.com.au. 

If you haven’t done so already, purchase your tickets and prepare to take off on an enthralling journey into Australia’s proud aviation past at the Qantas Founders Museum. 

Brief Orientation 

Stepping inside the main building at the Qantas Founders Museum, you’ll be greeted by our welcoming team at the reception area, to your right on entry. They are here to help with ticketing sales and enquiries, check-in for pre-booked experiences, and can offer an overview of the museum’s many features. If you need anything during your time here, our knowledgeable and obliging staff at the reception desk will endeavour to assist wherever possible. 

To your right on entry, you’ll find the gift shop and award-winning café. Our popular eatery offers mains, lighter meals and convenient grab-and-go options, as well as coffee and cake to refuel your energy. Our gift shop presents a curated range of items for sale, including Qantas merchandise, model planes and unique mementos of your visit to the birthplace of Qantas – the home of Australian aviation.

Museum exhibits are spread throughout the main museum floor, with the full-scale Avro 504K aircraft centrally located in the rectangular room. This audio guide presents an engaging introduction to a range of exhibits found within. However, it cannot possibly cover everything, so please take your time perusing the comprehensive collection at your leisure. If you need assistance locating a particular display mentioned in this audio guide, please ask our friendly museum staff who will be happy to assist. 

Full-Scale Avro 504K Aircraft 

As you enter the main hall of the museum, a full-scale replica of the Avro 504K aircraft commands your attention. Prominently positioned in the centre of the main hall, this historic plane replica is elevated on a round plinth, serving as an eye-catching introduction to your museum tour. 

The stunning centrepiece is one of only two high-quality replicas of this model in existence. It was built by Qantas engineers and apprentices from the original aircraft plans and presents an accurate resemblance of the very first Qantas aircraft in operation. The original version of this dual-winged plane, powered by a 100 horse-power Sunbeam Dyak engine, was used by the airline for the first five years. Its cockpit was modified to accommodate up to two passengers, in addition to the pilot. However, in time, demand outgrew carrying capacity, and the original Avro 504K was replaced with larger aircraft which could carry more passengers. The original plane was sold in 1926, and the other remaining replica now graces the Qantas Head Office in Mascot, Sydney. 

The aircraft rests on the round plinth in a horizontal position, as if landed. The simplistic, vintage design (compared to modern-day aircraft) suggests a much bumpier ride than we are accustomed to these days. The streamlined body of the plane is painted green with the word ‘Avro’ boldly written in white writing. Parallel double wings extend across body, and quite primitive looking landing wheels support the frame. 

‘Meet The Originals’ – Hudson Fysh 

Inspired by dreams of flight from an early age, Hudson Fysh used his determination and attention to detail to transform a lofty idea into a globally acclaimed airline.

Wilmot Hudson Fysh was born in Tasmania in 1895. While having a generally happy childhood, his early memories were marred by his parents’ divorce and the failure of his father’s business. Painfully shy, he described himself as a child feeling ‘looked down on, sensitive and socially lost’. These lingering feelings of inadequacy continued to haunt him throughout his career, despite his outstanding achievements as a successful entrepreneur and prominent public figure. 

 Fysh’s courage was clearly demonstrated early in life, as he bravely fought alongside his comrades in Gallipoli in 1915. Later, he went on to join the Australian Flying Corps as an observer and gunner, where he was teamed up with the intrepid pilot Paul McGinness. Paul’s skill and daring nature and Fysh’s calculated courage would later prove a winning combination when laying foundations for the birth and evolution of QANTAS. 

Fysh went on to receive the Distinguished Flying Cross for bravery, and trained as a pilot in 1918, fulfilling his childhood dreams of taking flight. Following the War in 1919, McGinness suggested the pair enter the Great Air Race from London to Australia. Months later, in the harsh Aussie outback, McGinness proposed the idea of establishing their own airline, and Fysh embraced the idea with enthusiasm.

In 1923, one year after the inaugural Charleville to Cloncurry airmail flight, Fysh married Nell Dove, and her intelligence and support proved crucial to his burgeoning success. Despite being a reserved family man uncomfortable with the limelight, Fysh had an illustrious career spanning an unbroken 46 years of service to the airline. He was knighted in 1953, and retired on 30 June 1966 as Founder, Manager, Managing Director and Chairman of QANTAS. Fysh passed away in 1979, aged 79, leaving behind a legacy as one of the founding fathers of Australia’s aviation industry.

‘Meet The Originals’ – Paul McGinness 

QANTAS would never have happened without Paul Joseph McGinness. A brave young visionary with restless intelligence and an insatiable thirst for adventure, Paul was the original brainchild behind the birth of one of the world’s most iconic commercial airlines. 

Starting out as a young soldier in the Middle East during the Great War, McGinness’s bravery was acknowledged at an early age, when he received his Distinguished Conduct Medal in Gallipoli in 1915. Hudson Fysh, Qantas’s co-founder, also fought in that same battle, but the two did not meet until both served in Palestine. 

Recognising the potential of the aviation industry during its infancy, Paul transferred to the Australian Flying Corps in 1916, where he served his country as a pilot, and became renowned for his skill and daring spirit. Here, a life-changing alliance was forged with Hudson Fysh, who flew alongside him on many dangerous missions. In fact, on their first flight together, they shot down an enemy plane while McGinness flew them upside-down at the top of a loop, later earning them both a Distinguished Flying Cross for bravery. 

Back in Australia in 1919, McGinness and Fysh were hired to build landing strips across Australia’s north for contestants in the Great Air Race from London to Sydney, eventually ending in Melbourne. Traversing the rugged outback in a Model T Ford, the seeds were planted for their vision of an air service, and the concept of QANTAS was born. In the airline’s earliest days, Paul was in his element, garnishing support across western Queensland and winning the Charleville to Cloncurry airmail service contract in 1922. By doing so, Paul’s high-flying ambition to transition from the military to a career in civil aviation took wing. 

However, as QANTAS became more established and settled into a more routine existence, Paul’s unquenchable thirst for adventure called him to pursue new endeavours. After piloting the inaugural mail flight, Paul departed the company to chase new dreams. 

Fysh described McGinness as “the bravest of the brave, full of the spirit of adventure and never admitting any obstacle.” His bold and groundbreaking initiative as a key player in establishing this global leading airline is an enduring testament to his foresight, energy and unshakable resolve. 

‘Meet The Originals’ – Fergus McMaster 

Let us introduce you to another elite member of ‘The Originals’ – Fergus McMaster. With his strong personality, boundless energy and grassroots understanding of the tyranny of distance, McMaster was a brilliant Chairman of QANTAS from its earliest days to it emergence as an internationally respected airline. 

Born in Rockhampton in 1879, McMaster grew to have a reputation as a strict, upright Scotsman, a big man in the cattle industry and a formidable force to be reckoned with. From shearing sheep on his Winton property to standing toe to toe with argumentative Prime Ministers, McMaster brought a wealth of skills and experience to the QANTAS leadership team.

During the Great War, McMaster was repeatedly rejected from enlisting to fight due to his protected occupation as a grazier. On his fourth attempt he was eventually accepted and served as part of the Australian Imperial Force in London. After World War I, he slowly made his way back to Australia via Europe, Scotland, Ireland and the United States. Through his international travels he experienced flying and gained a broader view of the world. 

On a dusty Cloncurry street, the travel-savvy McMaster had a life-changing encounter with the daring and determined Paul McGinness, who shared his vision for the establishment of a regional airline. From his first-hand experience of living in Queensland’s remote central west, McMaster had an acute understanding of the many challenges associated with life in the outback. As early as 1922, at the time of its first airmail service, McMaster had the foresight to recognise that QANTAS had the potential to grow and become global. 

During the mid-1920’s, he demonstrated the value of air travel, utilising aircraft for diverse purposes ranging from electioneering for a local candidate to searching for suitable agistment during a devastating drought. 

In 1928, the winning combination of McMaster’s political prowess and Fysh’s attention to detail saw an extension of the Charleville to Cloncurry air route to Brisbane, finally opening up a route to the Queensland coast. He also recognised the need to expand overseas in the early 1930’s and oversaw the taxing transition from QANTAS, to Qantas Empire Airways. In 1941, McMaster was knighted for his extraordinary services to Australian aviation, and in 1947, he retired as QANTAS Chairman, following a long and celebrated career. 

‘Meet The Originals’ – Arthur Baird 

Mechanical genius Arthur Baird set the standard for QANTAS engineering excellence. The crucial role he played repairing, redesigning and building aircraft literally enabled the airline to take off and soar to new heights.

Baird began his career after graduating from the former ‘Working Man’s College’ (now known as the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology) in 1909 with the highest marks ever recorded. In World War I Baird served with the Australian Flying Corps and was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal in Palestine. It was here that he first met McGinness and Fysh, who would ultimately become an intrinsic part of his future direction. 

After hearing their idea to start an airline, he closed his business in Victoria and joined Fysh and McGinness on this new business venture. Upon joining QANTAS, his mechanical genius was immediately recognised, as he demonstrated his exception ingenuity building and adapting aircraft and equipment to cope with the harsh Aussie outback climate and conditions. Many of these challenges were caused by the extreme heat, which created extreme air turbulence, warped wooden aircraft frames, strained engines and made radiators boil. His astounding problem-solving skills, discipline and strong work ethic set standards of engineering excellence which still resonate to this day, establishing the airline as a global leader in safety and innovation. 

A reserved man with a dry sense of humour, Baird was held in very high regard in the widest circles, particularly by the over 400 apprentices he trained during his 28 years with QANTAS. He instilled in his staff a strong sense of responsibility. When an apprentice had finished servicing a plane, Baird ordered them to take a test flight with him. Talk about putting their skills to the test!

As an engineer and an accomplished pilot who flew for the airline when necessary, Baird was an invaluable asset to the founding QANTAS team. His ability to detect, diagnose and fix any fault in plane engines was legendary!

The Building of QANTAS - ‘The Big Trip’ 

As many visionaries will attest, the road to success is rarely smooth. The creation of Australia’s own globally acclaimed airline was no exception. In fact, the birth of QANTAS began with a rather bumpy ride – literally!

In 1919, Paul McGinness and Hudson Fysh, with the support of comrade Arthur Baird, were preparing to compete in the Great Air Race from London to Sydney. However, with the passing of their financial sponsor, Sir Samuel McCaughey, their plans were thwarted, and Baird returned to Victoria. 

Soon after this disappointing turn of events, McGinness and Fysh were employed to use their wartime aviation experience to set up landing strips for race contestants on the Darwin to Longreach leg of the race. On August 18 1919, Fysh and McGinness collected their special Model T Ford and mechanic George Gorham in Longreach, and set out on an epic 2,200-kilometre trek across sparsely populated northern Australia. Two days later they arrived in Cloncurry, marking out a landing area that would be used by Fysh some three years later for the inaugural QANTAS Charleville to Cloncurry Airmail flight. 

The journey onwards to Darwin was arduous, owing to the rough and boggy terrain, profound lack of roads, and many rivers and creeks without bridge crossings. By the time they reached the tiny town of Borroloola in the Northern Territory where they’d lugged some supplies, the Ford had a damaged radiator, no fan, bent axles and radius rods, but somehow it kept going. As they braved the trials and challenges of overland travel, Fysh and McGinness came to realise how air travel could transform the country.

On October 8, after 51 gruelling days of travel, the team boarded the train Leaping Lena, for the final stretch to Darwin. McGinness and Gorham then headed home, while Fysh selected and built Darwin’s first landing ground. Meanwhile, back in Cloncurry one hot Sunday afternoon, McGinness had a fortuitous meeting with Fergus McMaster, an influential grazier who was impressed by McGinness’s resourcefulness in helping him fix his broken-down car. Within months, McMaster became one of QANTAS’s biggest supporters and powerbrokers. 

Fysh and McGinness reunited in Cloncurry to plan their emerging airline, and the dream for the foundation of the Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services began to take flight. 

Creating The Company 

McMaster never forgot his first meeting with McGinness. On 20 June 1920, he sat at the elegant Gresham Hotel in Brisbane with McGinness and Fysh to register their newfound company and airline, but it was some months after that they settled on a name.

Shareholders first invested largely out of post-war patriotic sentiment, and the hope that these aeroplanes might serve a useful purpose in overcoming the tyranny of distance acutely felt in the remote Outback. The people of the central west owned QANTAS and a board was duly approved with local representation. 

On 10 February 1921, the first QANTAS board meeting was held at the Winton Club. Following this meeting, the decision was made to move operations to Longreach, as it was closer to the railhead and offered easier access for passengers and spare parts. McGinness and Fysh received their commercial pilots licenses, and the hunt for investors and passengers really took off!

During 1921, the fledgling QANTAS struggled financially to get off the ground. The 6,850 pounds of capital that launched the company was simply not enough, and air taxi trips at two shillings per mile or 10-minute joy flights at three guineas per passenger weren’t going to keep QANTAS in the air for long. McGinness and Fysh undertook some daring publicity stunts to secure additional investment and business, including ‘barnstorming’ - the bold act of flying and performing stunts to demonstrate skill and attract potential customers.  But barnstorming and charter flights simply weren’t enough, and on 13 August 1921, the board decided to promote the idea of a regular airmail and passenger service from Charleville to Cloncurry. The hope was that it would be subsidised by the Federal Government and give QANTAS a reliable income. 

Qantas’s First Fleet 

In August 1920, soon after first registering the company, McGinness and Fysh arrived in Sydney to purchase aircraft for the first QANTAS fleet. Despite fears they’d overheat in the outback, they set out to acquire two Avro 504K aircraft like the one displayed in the centre of this museum. Only one was available, which they bought immediately. 

For their second plane, they boldly ordered an untested Avro Triplane. It would not be ready for months, but it was thought to be well worth waiting for. This aircraft was revolutionary for its time, capable of carrying four passengers in an enclosed cabin!

Charles Knight, a Longreach stock agent also in Sydney at the time, had just purchased Bristol BE2E – another World War One fighter, but could not fly it home himself. Hudson Fysh and Arthur Baird flew it home for him. Despite encountering a storm along the way, they completed the 1920-kilometre journey back to Winton in 17 hours and 35 minutes flying time, receiving a hearty welcome on arrival.

Knight subsequently sold his BE2E aircraft to QANTAS, rounding out their first fleet.

Aircraft in the 1920’s offered a few less creature comforts than we’re accustomed to these days. Planes were so noisy that some passengers were temporarily deaf after landing. Engines often sprayed oil on passengers, forced landings were common, there were no toilets onboard, and in-flight dining was unheard of. 

In February 1921, the much-awaited Avro Triplane was tested and proved to be a complete failure, costing QANTAS dearly. The aircraft cabin later became relegated for use as a chook pen in Longreach!

Winning The Cloncurry Tender 

Following the board’s decision to pursue opportunities for a regular airmail and passenger service in the region, Fysh flew to Charleville, Cunnamulla and Cloncurry to whip up community interest and support and gather new shareholders. The people of central west Queensland immediately saw that this battle for regional air services was also theirs, and they eagerly responded with financial, political and social support for the idea. 

Paul McGinness then travelled to Melbourne to seek out willing political allies and, finding support, sent an urgent telegram to Fysh requesting McMaster’s immediate attendance. McMaster subsequently put forward a successful case to Colonel Brinsmead, first Controller of Civil Aviation at the time. 

After some very heated political debate with the hot-tempered Prime Minister Billy Hughes, the Federal Government finally acted on QANTAS’s advice and called for tenders for a Charleville to Cloncurry service – a contract the struggling QANTAS badly needed. The government decided the service needed new planes, and QANTAS obliged. Finally, on February 2, 1922, QANTAS was awarded the airmail contract, securing the future of the burgeoning airline.  

On 2 November 1922, the first airmail service departed from Charleville, piloted by Paul McGinness, with Arthur Baird aboard as engineer. They safely arrived in Longreach and were enthusiastically greeted by a large crowd. The following day, the QANTAS crew were joined by their first paying passenger, the 86-year-old Alexander Kennedy. As they took off, the fiercely enthusiastic Kennedy shouted, ‘Be damned to the doubters!’.  QANTAS had finally found its wings!

Building Airliners in Longreach 

By late 1924 QANTAS planes were more reliable than ever. The new DH50 captured attention with its enclosed cabin for four, eliminating the need for passengers to wear goggles.

The plane performed so well QANTAS decided to build their own in Longreach under licence from De Havilland. This radical undertaking was a first in Australia and another example of how the airline led the evolution of the aviation industry in this country. QANTAS made small modifications to the planes to withstand outback conditions. This included larger radiators and double wheels to deal with outback mud.

All metal parts came from the UK, linen for wings from Ireland, glue known as dope from England, wood from Oregon and Maple from Queensland for propellers. The heritage-listed hangar behind the museum became a fully-fledged plane-building workshop. 

Blueprints were spread out on long trestles. Jigs were set up for making the fuselage and wing framework. Hudson Fysh recalled, “Saws buzzed, shavings flew and floated through the doors of the breezy hangar, and the pungent smell of dope (glue) from the canvas screened doping area pervaded the whole place on days when temperature and humidity allowed its application.”

Arthur Baird’s wind-up gramophone provided accompanying music, as did Bill Stone, an excellent patternmaker who used tack-hammers to perform a xylophone solo on the rib work of an uncovered wing. By now, metal parts were beginning to replace wood and this period was close to the last hurrah for woodworkers in the industry.

The first De Havilland DH-50 took six months to build, and its test pilot was Baird himself. A full-scale reproduction of this aircraft is on display in our heritage hangar. Other aircraft were also built in the hangar.

De Havilland then released the DH61, but this model was too big for QANTAS to build, thus ending QANTAS’s fleeting period of making their own aircraft.

Wings To The World 

In 1931, the Depression in Australia was biting hard. Australia’s leading airlines of the day – QANTAS, West Australian Airlines (WAA) and Australian National Airlines (ANA) – were locked in a fierce battle for survival, as the Government threatened to cut aviation subsidies and the competition for business became brutal. 

The British Government had proposed an airmail service between London and Singapore, and this announcement further stirred the national competition, as each airline scrambled to secure the contract. In a desperate and bold tactical manoeuvre, Fysh forged an Australian alliance with Britain’s Imperial Airways in the boardrooms of London. The new company, QANTAS Empire Airways Limited, was registered in Brisbane on January 18, 1934. On April 19 that same year, Prime Minister Joseph Lyons announced the newly named QANTAS Empire Airways as the winner of the tender for flights between London and Singapore, cementing QANTAS’s reputation as one of the world’s best airlines. 

From this point on QANTAS continued to build its legacy and soar to new heights. With the introduction of its international services, it moved its headquarters to Sydney. In 1943, its Catalina and Empire flying boats enabled the introduction of the longest non-stop air route in the world at the time, flying non-stop from Perth to Ceylon in Sri Lanka. Known as the ‘Double Sunrise’, this route facilitating the top-secret movement of passengers and mail to England despite the Second World War and the occupation of Singapore by the Japanese.  The airline also played a crucial role in present-day Papua New Guinea, ferrying soldiers and equipment in and out of battle zones. 

After the Second World War, QANTAS continued to grow, progressing to the Constellation and Super Constellation in 1954 and the ‘jet age’ of the Boeing 707 and 747 in the 60’s and 70’s. On 1 August 1967, the word ‘Empire’ was dropped from the name, and the airline became known as QANTAS Airways, or simply QANTAS to the millions of ordinary Australians who embrace the airline as their own. 

More Amazing Aviation Artefacts 

Spread throughout the museum you will also find a fascinating collection of other Outback stories and aviation artefacts that are sure to capture your attention and inspire your imagination. 

The museum features some awesome hands-on exhibits, including plane simulators that allow you to have a taste of flying. Interactive elements such as touch tables beckon you on an intriguing journey through the pages of history, and AV and video presentations tell behind-the-scenes tales of the characters and events that helped shape the past and forge the future of QANTAS and Australia’s aviation industry. 

Amidst the museum collection you’ll also find some full-scale engines on display, ranging from the DC3, Super Constellation, 707 and Rolls Royce 747. These exhibits offer fascinating insights into the mechanics that helped propel QANTAS along its journey of growth and innovation. 

A collection of QANTAS Cabin Crew and Ground Staff uniforms presents an intriguing glimpse into the evolution of flight fashion over the decades. Redesigned ten times throughout its 100+ year history, QANTAS uniforms have been created in close collaboration with top-notch fashion designers such as Emilio Pucci, Yves Saint Laurent, George Gross, Harry Who, Peter Morrissey and Balarinji. Qantas Founders Museum has uniforms from the 1940s to mid-2000s in its expansive collection. 

There’s also a prized collection of vintage travel posters, travel bags and aviation-inspired works of art to peruse. 

The Heritage-Listed Hangar 

This guided audio tour also invites you to explore the National Heritage Listed Qantas Hangar, erected in 1922 during the airline's infancy. The hangar is up the path on the right as you leave the museum hall. 

This hallowed hangar bore witness to countless historic moments in Qantas and Australia’s aviation history. It’s preserved heritage evokes a sense of pride in the pioneering spirit, innovation, courage, and determination that defined the airline’s evolution. 

As you enter the hangar, consider pausing to absorb the significance of this sacred aviation space. Close your eyes and take a moment to imagine the reverberating sounds of careful construction and plane engine’s roaring to life in what was once Arthur Baird’s workshop. You can almost sense the nervous energy and excitement that would have been felt by QANTAS founding fathers as they stood in this space, preparing for the launch of pioneering flights that would ultimately connect the vast expanse of the Australian Outback with the big wide world. This lingering legacy is enough to inspire the dreamer in all of us!

In this historic hangar you’ll also find full-scale replicas of two models of aircraft built here in the 1920’s. The DeHavilland DH50 (named Iris) accurately replicates the first purpose-designed airliner used by QANTAS in 1924. Until that time, the QANTAS fleet had consisted of converted military aeroplanes. This four-passenger aircraft was the first in the fleet to have a fully enclosed cabin, which significantly improved passenger comfort. 7 DH-50s were constructed in this heritage-listed hangar between 1926 to 1929. In May 1928, the first DH-50 became the first flying doctor aircraft.

The other aircraft, named Apollo, is a replica of the De Havilland DH61 Giant Moth. Two of this model aircraft were introduced to the fleet when QANTAS expanded its Cloncurry to Charleville service through to Brisbane in April 1929. These new aeroplanes could carry eight passengers, but QANTAS removed the front seat and replaced it with a toilet making it the first airliner in Australia to be able to boast such convenience. Unfortunately, the engines fitted to these two Giant Moths proved unreliable, resulting in many forced landings, and the eventual replacement of the planes in 1935.

Accessibility 

The Qantas Founders Museum is located at Hudson Fysh Drive, Longreach, in the heart of the Queensland Outback. It’s approximately 1200 kilometres drive north-west of the capital city of Brisbane, and about a seven-and-a-half-hour drive west of Rockhampton. Regular flights are available with QantasLink and Rex Airlines. The Spirit of the Outback, operated by Queensland Rail, offers long-distance rail journeys from Brisbane to Longreach and return twice weekly. Greyhound Australia offers long-distance coach services to the town. While there is no public transport in Longreach, a local taxi does service the area. Please call (07) 4658 0900 for bookings. 

The Longreach Visitor Information Centre can provide valuable insights on accommodation, attractions and road conditions in the area, and can assist with travel bookings to ensure a seamless travel experience. Please visit experiencelongreach.com.au or call (07) 4658 4141.

Accessible car parking is provided within 10 metres of the museum entrance. The Museum itself is all on one level and is wheelchair accessible, with wide doorways and space within to manoeuvre with ease. Accessible bathrooms with braille signage are available at both the front and rear of the building. Please note that access to aircraft on tours of the Airpark and within the historic hangar is only available via stairs. The Museum underwent an accessibility audit in late 2023 and is currently working on implementing recommendations to further improve accessibility.

Tactile indicators are present at the front door to assist with navigating to the entrance, and registered service dogs are welcome. A grassy area suitable for their toileting is available adjacent to the front entry. 

A quiet area near the front entry keeps in mind the comfort of guests with sensory sensitivities. 

Trained staff are at hand to assist with any accessibility requirements. If you have any questions ahead of your visit, please feel free to contact our friendly team on (07) 4658 3737.