Cairns School of Arts

Cairns School of Arts is located on Lake Street and features two stories of reinforced concrete built in the early 1900s. The building now contains retail shops on the ground floor and the Cairns Museum upstairs, which opened after major renovations were completed.

The original institution opened in October 1885 as a wooden structure on Shields Street. It later moved to its current location on Lake Street, where the reinforced concrete building was constructed in 1907.

For many decades, this site was where residents gathered for learning and community events. The spaces continue to serve as a meeting point where visitors can engage with the local heritage today.

Access is available from Lake Street, where the main entrance serves both the retail level and the museum upstairs. The museum provides clear information about navigating the building and understanding what is on display.

The building was among the first to use reinforced concrete construction in Queensland, a building method that was quite rare in the region at that time. This innovative approach allowed the structure to stand for more than a century.

Location: Queensland

GPS coordinates: -16.92200,145.77530

Latest update: December 14, 2025 16:47