Friends of Cominos House Inc

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Friends of Cominos House Inc Conserving, managing, and hiring spaces, in one of Cairns City's oldest pioneering family homes

The following organisations have office accommodation within the Cominos building. Cairns and Far North Environment Centre:

- Campaigning for the FNQ environment

- Providing communication services for the region's environment movement.

- Sponsoring research on matters relating to the region's environment. Maintaining an accessible community library and resource centre with materials relating to environmental issues. Raising awareness and understanding of environmental issues to members and the wider community

The Visual Arts Association of Far North Queensland Inc

- consisting of a network of visual arts organisations and practicing artists across the region

- dedicated to the development of visual art and artists in the region

- promoting exhibitions, fostering awareness of the visual arts and facilitating arts events

- communicates, liaises, refers, and coordinate groups to raise visual arts issues, and stimulate open, frank discussion

Each organisation contributes to the management of Cominos House through the Management Committee, elected annually from the membership of Friends of Cominos House.

Check out this Cominos House photo from circa October 1988! We can see the ex-Mayor of Cairns, Keith Goodwin on the cu...
12/12/2025

Check out this Cominos House photo from circa October 1988!

We can see the ex-Mayor of Cairns, Keith Goodwin on the current site of Cominos House, pointing at Cominos House after it had been moved to its current location, but before it was restored and transformed into its current condition!

Is anyone able to identify any of the others here, pointing the way. Does anyone know any of them? Are any of them and/or their families still here in Cairns?

The general story behind this photo is that in July 1988, at a council meeting, a motion to restore the building was moved by Mayor Keith Goodwin, seconded by Alderman Rose Blank, and passed by Council with objects including:

1. To conserve this one of the oldest surviving houses in Cairns, previously owned by pioneering and respected Cairns families.

2. For there to be a Friends of Cominos House group of people who share a common interest in this house's conservation and were to form an Arts and Environment Centre to be known as Cominos House at the corner of Little and Greenslopes Streets, Cairns.

3. [... more]

It seems most appropriate and good, next year, as part of next years Cairns 150 year program of celebrations, for the Friends of Comions House and Council to maybe commemorate key initiatives of this kind:

- telling the story of Cominos House's survival into the present, and
- telling the story of the Friends of Cominos House's very beginnings

Please let us know if you know anything about the people in this photo and/or some of the story behind this photo!!

With many thanks to those who responded to the previous photo! See here a second photo of that 13 August 1989 public...
10/12/2025

With many thanks to those who responded to the previous photo!

See here a second photo of that 13 August 1989 public meeting convened by ex-mayor Keith Goodwin on the current Cominos House site to form the Friends of Cominos House, 36 years ago

FOCH can see at least two of the people here who were to become long term executive members of the Friends of Cominos House, but would again greatly appreciate any assistance identifying the many others who were present on that day!

As we face into the new Cairns 150 year celebrations ahead, FOCH is keen to track down to recall and remember as many as possible of those people (or their families) who were there in the beginning to assist restore our old 1880's Queenslandler into its current thriving, valued arts, environmment and community hub

Please have a look at this second photo and see if you can identify anyone from this photo, or maybe you might refer us to someone who might be able to identify people from this photo

[PS Note you can see the current Cominos House neighbors ie the Cairns Choral Society's hall in the background]

This is a call out to long-term Cairns community residents and/or local history buffs!You will see in this photo the ex-...
09/12/2025

This is a call out to long-term Cairns community residents and/or local history buffs!

You will see in this photo the ex-Mayor of Cairns, Keith Goodwin, (who was tragically killed in an accident in 1990) here convening a public meeting on the current Cominos House site on the 13 August 1989 to form the Friends of Cominos House.

This is a part of the Cominos House story, and it is a part of the current Friends of Cominos House charity's origin story at the beginnings of a Council-community partnership that almost lasted 36 years!

This is a call out to see if anyone out there was at that meeting, or if you know of anyone else who was there?

This is also a call out to see if you can identify anyone, or if you know someone who can identify anyone from this photo who was present at this meeting?

The Friends of Cominos House would like to track these people or their family members down.

The Friends of Cominos House believes that this kind of history should not be forgotten, but should rather be celebrated as we all move into the new year's Cairns 150 Years celebrations.

Attention all users of the Cominos House facilities1. FUTURE BOOKINGS?: you will find you CAN NOT presently book the ...
08/12/2025

Attention all users of the Cominos House facilities

1. FUTURE BOOKINGS?: you will find you CAN NOT presently book the Cominos House facilities (Rose Blank Gallery) beyond March 2026 here:
https://cafnec.org.au/cominos-house-bookings/

2. NEW MANAGMENT??: you will also see from the attached notice from Council that Council has yet to undertake an expression of interest process to install proposed new management

[it is still uncertain as to what the new management will look like though it may be a bad sign that current user groups can NOT book into the full year/s ahead, beyond March 2026!]

3. RENOVATIONS?: Council's has yet to undertake the required renovations of the the Cominos House local heritage building

[it is still not certain as to what the Council's proposed required renovations will be]

We bring this to your attention as:

- the Friends of Cominos House Inc (FOCH) is the registered charity responsible for ensuring your continuing, ongoing low cost access, use and enjoyment of Cominos House facilities into the future

- the Friends of Cominos House Inc (FOCH) facing into the new year ahead will be actively advocating for the Cairns Regional Council and Councillors to update you, consult you, and seek your agreement for any proposed changes to the management of the Cominos House facilities and your future access, use, and enjoyment

Keep following this page for more information, updates and discussion about all of the above as we all move into the new year ahead

With, otherwise, the best of seasons greetings!

Address

27 Greenslopes Street
Cairns, QLD
4870

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 10pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 10pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 10pm
Thursday 8:30am - 10pm
Friday 8:30am - 10pm
Saturday 8:30am - 10pm
Sunday 8:30pm - 10pm

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