A maritime cultural precinct for the Douglas Shire
LIPS is leading a community-driven project to honour and celebrate Port Douglas's significant and unique maritime heritage on the Dixon Inlet waterfront.
"A vibrant waterfront cultural precinct that celebrates, showcases, and sustains the region's maritime cultures, industries, heritage, and unique world heritage environment."
"To preserve and showcase Port Douglas' evolving maritime history, culture, skills, and identity, and inspire future generations to value and maintain associated traditions."
"To create a waterfront cultural facility that values, preserves, and showcases Port Douglas' diverse maritime cultures, histories, industries, and environment."
The Port Douglas Maritime Cultural Precinct Project aspires to reinvigorate the Dixon Inlet waterfront and create a unique cultural precinct set within World Heritage Listed reef and rainforest environments.
LIPS members and the LIPS Maritime Heritage Working Group have collaborated with Dr Jo Wills, Senior Museum Development Officer at Queensland Museum (Tropics), to develop a strategy for a maritime cultural precinct in Port Douglas.
Port Douglas is home to people who value its unique environment and lifestyle, and attracts tourists from around the world who seek creative, restorative, and transformational experiences. By showcasing the region's maritime culture and history, promoting engagement in maritime activities, and reinvigorating sustainable maritime industries, this project offers the chance to create engaging experiences and educational opportunities for both tourists and residents.
The project offers locals a place to preserve and celebrate culture and history; visitors an understanding of the region's dynamic maritime culture and environment; and businesses a new education-based attraction that promotes the region.
Stage 1 objectives
The Strategic Plan sets out ten objectives to activate the Maritime Precinct project. Stage 1 focuses on governance, community engagement, and preserving stories and collections.
Governance
A functional, formalised committee able to make decisions, apply for funding and undertake activities.
Council engagement
Raise awareness and support for the project within Douglas Shire Council.
Community engagement
Build a supportive local community around the project's vision and mission.
First Nations engagement
Develop a strong relationship with Kuku Yalanji, Kubirriwarra Yalanji and Yirrganydji Traditional Custodians.
Waterfront venue
A concept integrating commercial fishing, marine education and slipway into a cultural precinct at Dixie's Park.
Strategic collection
An ethical collection strategy to preserve significant items and stories from the Port Douglas region.
Collection storage
A safe, secure storage facility to house collections for maintenance, cleaning and management.
Maritime stories
An oral history project that records and preserves Port Douglas' maritime traditions before they are lost.
Display concept
An inspiring curatorial concept for engaging museum displays that attracts visitors and funding.
Grants & funding
Sourcing funding through DSC, QM MDO, Regional Arts Services Network and other providers.
What this project makes possible
World Heritage setting
Operating within two unique World Heritage Listed environments — reef and rainforest.
Education tourism
Creating engaging educational tourism experiences for Port Douglas visitors and residents.
Oral history archive
Recording and preserving Port Douglas maritime traditions and stories from older residents before they are lost.
1928 GBR Expedition
Sharing the story of the Low Isles Expedition and its lasting impact on coral reef science worldwide.
Creative partnerships
Partnering with local creatives and artists to form a broader cultural precinct along Dixon Inlet.
Waterfront activation
A concept for a purpose-built cultural facility on the Port Douglas waterfront at Dixie's Park.
First Nations' voices
Working collaboratively with Traditional Custodians to identify safe, creative pathways for inclusion.
Heritage collection
Locating, digitising, and creating a climate-safe environment for preserving heritage collections.
Do you have a piece of Port Douglas maritime history?
The working group is building a strategic collection to preserve significant items and stories from the Port Douglas region. If you have objects, photographs, documents or oral histories that relate to the region's maritime past, we'd love to hear from you.
Download the printable artefact donation form, complete it and send it to us — or contact us directly to discuss your item before submitting.
We're interested in items relating to:
Get involved in the Maritime Precinct Project
Whether you have a story to share, an artefact to donate, or would like to join the working group — we'd love to hear from you. This is a community-led project and every contribution matters.