Hall Of Fame Longreach

herbie · Guru

Hall Of Fame Longreach

villatranquilla · Guru

saw both (Qantas and Hall of Fame) last year and personally preferred Qantas - a shame for Longreach if it goes under as it is a drawcard for people to stay in the town. The place was packed in August with caravan parks full and 80 vans in the free camp each night. It is expensive though and would be considered as a 'once of' by many.

-- Edited by villatranquilla on Wednesday 24th of April 2013 10:02:20 AM

Duh · Guru

There were a couple of things written on the displays that were historically incorrect when I was there, I pointed that out to the staff there and contacted the place later by email but they did not seem too concerned, pity as visitors paricularly overseas visitors take them as gospel.....

We did the Quantas one as well, but only paid for the general entry, the static plane tour was just too expensive as someone has already mentioned.

Some pics at the SHF, including the male toilet doors...

-- Edited by Duh on Wednesday 24th of April 2013 11:41:36 AM

brickies · Guru

I think the problems is there is a lot of grey nomads out that way but most don't wont to pay money to see anything , Lots that I talk to and tell them about place to look at the first response is does it cost and when you say yes they say we don't pay to see anything .

pauline · Guru

We were happy to pay to see the Hall of Fame, fantastic place.............but I refused to pay the asking price for the Qantas exhibit, would have cost $120.00 for the 2 of us if I remember correctly to have a look through the plane.

Onedodger · Guru

I like many other Grey Nomads have been to Longreach many times.

When we visited the Hall of fame it was great however I would not keep seeing it each time I visited.

And I also did the whole tour of Quantas and it was definitely exxy and a once only visit.

There is also a great tour by air from the airport via a helicopter when the season is in full swing plus a river tour for those that are interested.

Now we stay a couple of days stock up on supplies etc then move on.

I must say that Longreach has spoiled the free camp by not allowing camping along the River Upstream from the present site.

Yes I have heard the stories and frankly they are exaggerated beyond belief.

On our last visit we went along the river where we used to camp for a days fishing and noted the rubbish that is accumulating from the day trippers and the evening grog parties.

I personally would like to see camping allowed along the river again with a time limit of perhaps a week.

Just My thoughts.

-- Edited by Onedodger on Wednesday 24th of April 2013 03:29:43 PM

spida · Guru

I worked at the Hall of Fame for a month as a volunteer and loved it. Parked behind the Art Gallery and got free power and water. It is advertised under 'volunteering' on this site.
I was not aware at the time of financial troubles but do know that they get no gov. money unless they are successful in applying for grants.
The Outback show was excellent but Luke finished in Oct. so dont know if he has been replaced. Cannot comment re price as I did everything free. I know the hall was closed until March.
I gather the place is managed by a Trust based in Brisbane - some mutterings about the need for the locals to be more in control.

Duh · Guru

These are a few shots of the bloke doing the live show out the rear of the SHF, can't recall his name now;

gwb · Senior Member

Being the Curator at the Caboolture Historical Village I too was saddened by the predicament that the Hall of Fame has found itself in. Money is certainly a problem for any volunteer run organisation. We have to continually evolve to keep the Village appealing so that we can offer at least some new exhibits every couple of years as they can get stale.
Geoff

gold dandelion · Senior Member

I am a bit like villatranquilla, I reckon the Qantas museum was way better and well worth it. I thought the hall of fame was an outlet for R.M.Williams, they should get them to help out, though the state of origin for the cowboys and girls was on when we were there.

Willow · Veteran Member

When we visited Longreach last we stopped at Ilfracombe and thoroughly enjoyed the free displays of old machinery and everyday items.
At Longreach we visited the Hall of Fame which took about half an hour. The displays were not a patch on Ilfracombe and we left feeling terribly ripped off especially as we were not told about the live show. ( only found out about it months later)
We then went to the Qantas turnout and waited in the queue 45 mins to enter. Along with 11 others we left in disgust.
At the free camp were 36 caravans many of which had gensets running while motorcross bikes raced around stirring up the dust. We moved further out of town to the Darr River and found there the ultimate outback campsite.
Next day we went back to Ilfracombe to see bits of the display we missed previously.
Longreach was the biggest let down of that otherwise fantastic trip.

Duh · Guru

Wombat 280 wrote:
I found Longreach a very interesting place and the bloke who showed us around was called Rusty Gate Not sure it it was his red hair or his surname Gate

He owns that big stockman's store in town where all the leather and hat stuff is sold, Kinnon & Co. Also had a small cinema in it for old Ozzie movies. Out the back he had the stables and his replica Cobb and Co stagecoach, we went on his stage coach tour which went over part of the bush track Cobb and Co route......he was quite a character. I heard he was at the SHF for awhile too. The tour was not cheap but as a one off in a lifetime we decided to take it, loved every minute of it too. Tip, try to ride with the Coach driver, very dusty inside and on the back....

He told us that when he gets some overseas tourists he tells them his blue heeler can tell the date, when they look at him in amazement he lifts his dogs tail and points to his bum and says "date"......

He is shown in one of the pic's here;

http://www.kinnonandco.com.au/OurExperiences

-- Edited by Duh on Thursday 25th of April 2013 09:39:12 PM

herbie · Guru

gold dandelion wrote:
I am a bit like villatranquilla, I reckon the Qantas museum was way better and well worth it. I thought the hall of fame was an outlet for R.M.Williams, they should get them to help out, though the state of origin for the cowboys and girls was on when we were there.

I think RM Williams is the biggest $$$$ contribuiting towards the hall of fame ,but they are pulling $$$ out.

Dougwe · Chief one feather

I was there few weeks ago and not feeling 100% but did see the SHF but thought there are similar pioneer settlement displays around but would like to go back for the dinner and night show and also the river cruise but both would be better with someone and not solo, spose I could take Gene.

Wombat 280 · Guru

Like almost heritage displays they have a limited life span to those who can't relate to those item playing apart in their lives. In years to come it will be displays of IPads and I mac's and TV sets and CD's. We live in a throw away society of plastics that nothing holds a child's imagination anymore so they don't take in the history around them. I found Longreach a very interesting place and the bloke who showed us around was called Rusty Gate Not sure it it was his red hair or his surname Gate

pauline · Guru

When we went, hubby could have spent days there...........he was a young drover and worked on properties for years so was very intersting to him, me I enjoyed what I saw but could not relate to it as he could, so does make me wonder whether these places will survive in the future.

herbie · Guru

Duh wrote:
Wombat 280 wrote:
I found Longreach a very interesting place and the bloke who showed us around was called Rusty Gate Not sure it it was his red hair or his surname Gate
He owns that big stockman's store in town where all the leather and hat stuff is sold, Kinnon & Co. Also had a small cinema in it for old Ozzie movies. Out the back he had the stables and his replica Cobb and Co stagecoach, we went on his stage coach tour which went over part of the bush track Cobb and Co route......he was quite a character. I heard he was at the SHF for awhile too. The tour was not cheap but as a one off in a lifetime we decided to take it, loved every minute of it too. Tip, try to ride with the Coach driver, very dusty inside and on the back....
He told us that when he gets some overseas tourists he tells them his blue heeler can tell the date, when they look at him in amazement he lifts his dogs tail and points to his bum and says "date"......
He is shown in one of the pic's here;
http://www.kinnonandco.com.au/OurExperiences

-- Edited by Duh on Thursday 25th of April 2013 09:39:12 PM
Next time i head out there to see my son i will call in and have a gander at it all.Have been on the rive cruise and enjoyed that.Son and his wife will be moving from Longreach near end of year due to her getting a drs position back in Rockhampton. He is a chemist so he is looking at buying into a chemist shop up there with another guy he went to uni with. So better head back out there while they are still there.