The National Trust of Australia (Queensland) is being accused of turning its back on the rich history of south-eastern Cape York by reducing the Cooktown Museum’s operating hours to just 12 per week. Photo: Cape York Weekly.
A war of words has erupted over a decision by the operator of the Cooktown Museum to leave the facility open for just 12 hours each week.
The museum is run by the National Trust of Australian (Queensland), and is now only open from 10:30am-2:30pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, despite Cooktown being in the middle of peak tourist season.
The Cooktown Chamber of Commerce and Tourism has slammed the move, with secretary Bill Peck describing it as “extremely disappointing” for both locals and visitors.
“The history is one of our key attractions, and a lot more people than you realise are interested in the history, and interested in seeing it,” he said.
“When we have the museum and history centre and Waalmbal Birri [Heritage and Culture Centre], it’s a great sort of threesome; take out the museum, and you’ve taken out about 50 per cent of the spectacle.”
Mr Peck added he believed having the reduced hours over consecutive days also risked Cooktown missing out on some history-loving visitors opening their wallets in the town.
“The other mistake is that Cooktown’s not a weekend destination,” he said.
“People are here constantly through the week, and they spend two or three days here; that could be Monday to Thursday, or it could be Thursday to Saturday.
“So, a lot of those people are missing out on seeing the museum because it’s not open when they’re here.”
In a statement, the Trust said it acknowledged the concerns of the Cooktown community, but that it had no intention of reversing the decision.
“The decision to revise the opening hours at Cooktown Museum was made after careful consideration of visitor numbers, staffing resources, and the need to ensure long-term sustainability,” the statement reads.
“This change was informed by on-the-ground insights, attendance data, and operational performance trends, and followed discussions that have already been held with Cook Shire Council and the Cooktown Chamber of Commerce.
“While we understand the concerns of local businesses and tourism operators, we must balance community expectations with the operational realities of running a not-for-profit organisation and the importance of aligning hours with demand to remain financially sustainable.”
However, Cook Shire Mayor Robyn Holmes disputed the Trust’s claims and said the council had not been consulted.
“We weren’t consulted on the change,” she said.
“The National Trust says it was an operational decision.
“We’re disappointed the museum’s hours were cut right at the start of tourist season; it’s a key part of our history, and the largest bricks-and-mortar attraction we have in Cook Shire; any reduction in services can impact local businesses and the economy.
“We’d welcome the National Trust sitting down with us to find ways to keep the museum more accessible during our busiest months.”
Minister for the Environment and Tourism Andrew Powell urged the Trust to engage with the council and tourism operators to come up with a solution to better respond to the needs of the Cooktown community.
“We appreciate the hard work of their (the Trust’s) staff and volunteers in preserving and highlighting Queensland’s natural and cultural heritage,” he said.
“We encourage them to liaise with the regional tourism organisation, Tourism Tropical North Queensland, and the local council to highlight the importance of visitor access to significant heritage assets like the Cooktown Museum.”
Not the sort of welcome visitors looking to explore the region’s rich history are wanting to be greeted with when they arrive at the Cooktown Museum. Photo: Cape York Weekly.
