General News
18 September, 2026
How sweet it is
GORDONVALE could be the new home of the Australian Sugar Heritage Centre which has remained closed to the public since December 2023, when catastrophic flooding in the aftermath of Cyclone Jasper devastated the facility.
Now, following a shift in ownership of the sprawling 14,000sqm complex at Mourilyan, the Australian Sugar Industry Museum (ASIM) management committee is actively reviewing formal bids to re-home its extensive archive. The task marks the end of an era for Mourilyan.
Founded in 1977, the comprehensive heritage centre was once a major tourism drawcard. The site accommodated the regional art gallery, a conference room, a café, local Canegrowers offices and a post office.
Inside, its exhibition spaces meticulously tracked the pioneering history of sugar cane production.
Features included an authentic replica of cane barracks, historic stables, a traditional blacksmith shop and South Sea Islander involvement in the industry.
Two sites have been shortlisted for the collection –Gordonvale and Tully.
While the floodwaters forced the museum’s closure, the committee initially harboured hopes of a swift return.
But evaluating the significant scale of the damage led the committee to put the property and land up for sale.
A vital chapter in the recovery has now begun with the arrival of local brothers Louis and Adam Fichera, who recently purchased the complex. In a heartening show of community solidarity, the Fichera brothers have stepped up to actively assist the ASIM committee in their search for a suitable relocation venue.
Carolyn Jones, secretary of the ASIM management committee, revealed that two strong bids have emerged from nearby regional communities eager to absorb the collection.
“We have two good proposals for new venues for the collection: one at Tully, the other in Gordonvale,” Ms Jones said.
“It’s a very tough decision what’s going to happen there. The committee has to decide which way it’s going to go. But it will remain in Far North Queensland.”
The incoming operators do not intend to focus solely on sugar. Instead, the artefacts will likely anchor broader displays dedicated to the wider history of tropical agriculture.
The logistics of moving the collection remain staggering.
Alongside thousands of historic photographs, rare books and domestic artefacts, the museum houses massive vintage machinery.
This includes historic tractors, early harvesters, locomotives and the famous ‘big wheel’ – a massive flywheel from a 500-horsepower steam-driven crushing engine.
“I think we’ve got the ‘big wheel’ still sitting in the old complex at the moment,” Ms Jones said.
“It will go to storage shortly as well, where it will await until whichever group takes everything.”
While heavy machinery awaits extraction, administrative work continues behind the scenes. ASIM still owns and operates the Mourilyan Post Office on a day-to-day basis out of the complex.
“We’re in the process of selling that. It’s nearly finalised,” Ms Jones explained.
Once the post office sale concludes, the committee will formally choose between the Tully and Gordonvale proposals.
The association will then initiate steps to wind up the incorporated entity, a bureaucratic process expected to take up to two years.
Though an exact timeline for the public relaunch remains fluid, public interest remains incredibly strong. The move could be later this year or 2027.
