Published Friday, 08 June, 2007 at 03:17 PM
JOINT STATEMENT
Premier and Minister for Trade
The Honourable Peter Beattie
Minister for Child Safety
The Honourable Desley Boyle
Queensland Government spends $300,000 on DUYFKEN in boost for Cairns
Premier Peter Beattie and Member for Cairns Desley Boyle today announced State government funding of $300,000 to help secure Cairns as the home base for replica ship and tourism attraction the Duyfken.
The Queensland Government has joined forces with Cairns Port Authority, Cairns City Council and the Duyfken Foundation on this initiative.
Premier Peter Beattie said: "What a lot of people don't know is that the Duyfken landed in Australia more than 100 years before Captain Cook sailed down the east coast in the Endeavour.
"In fact it was in 1606 that Dutch navigators from a tiny wooden ship stepped ashore on Queensland soil on the western side of Cape York.
"That tiny ship, the Duyfken has now been reproduced at a life-size scale complete with all its original details. The captain Willem Janszoon was the first European to map and record Australia.
"The Foundation responsible for this magnificent piece of craftsmanship is based in Fremantle, and has been touring the ship to a range of Australian ports since its completion in 2000.
"But this ship’s strongest Australian links are to Queensland and particularly Far North Queensland – where Duyfken Point remains as testament to that first arrival in 1606.
"We want to keep this magnificent replica in Queensland waters as a sea going vessel for as long as possible if not forever and that's why the Queensland Government will be contributing $100,000 each year for the next three years,"
Member for Cairns Desley Boyle said: "The ship has recently returned to Brisbane from Hobart and Sydney where it was a centrepiece at this year’s Sydney to Hobart Yacht race. It has been moored at the Maritime Museum at South Bank, Brisbane since early May.
"Today it departs for Cairns where it will begin its new life as part of the city’s booming maritime tourism industry.
"My congratulations to Mayor Kevin Byrne who has played a leadership role on this project.
"For the people of Cairns this vessel showcases a fascinating part of the region's history and should also serve as a drawcard to broaden the tourism options to keep people in the city.
"The Duyfken will be based in Cairns for the peak tourism months and then with the onset of the cyclone season it will return south and play a similar tourism role in Moreton Bay and other ports," Ms Boyle said.
Meidia Contact:
Premiers Office: 07 3224 4500
Ministers Office: 07 3224 7477
The Queensland Government has joined forces with Cairns Port Authority, Cairns City Council and the Duyfken Foundation on this initiative.
Premier Peter Beattie said: "What a lot of people don't know is that the Duyfken landed in Australia more than 100 years before Captain Cook sailed down the east coast in the Endeavour.
"In fact it was in 1606 that Dutch navigators from a tiny wooden ship stepped ashore on Queensland soil on the western side of Cape York.
"That tiny ship, the Duyfken has now been reproduced at a life-size scale complete with all its original details. The captain Willem Janszoon was the first European to map and record Australia.
"The Foundation responsible for this magnificent piece of craftsmanship is based in Fremantle, and has been touring the ship to a range of Australian ports since its completion in 2000.
"But this ship’s strongest Australian links are to Queensland and particularly Far North Queensland – where Duyfken Point remains as testament to that first arrival in 1606.
"We want to keep this magnificent replica in Queensland waters as a sea going vessel for as long as possible if not forever and that's why the Queensland Government will be contributing $100,000 each year for the next three years,"
Member for Cairns Desley Boyle said: "The ship has recently returned to Brisbane from Hobart and Sydney where it was a centrepiece at this year’s Sydney to Hobart Yacht race. It has been moored at the Maritime Museum at South Bank, Brisbane since early May.
"Today it departs for Cairns where it will begin its new life as part of the city’s booming maritime tourism industry.
"My congratulations to Mayor Kevin Byrne who has played a leadership role on this project.
"For the people of Cairns this vessel showcases a fascinating part of the region's history and should also serve as a drawcard to broaden the tourism options to keep people in the city.
"The Duyfken will be based in Cairns for the peak tourism months and then with the onset of the cyclone season it will return south and play a similar tourism role in Moreton Bay and other ports," Ms Boyle said.
Meidia Contact:
Premiers Office: 07 3224 4500
Ministers Office: 07 3224 7477