Community & Business
1 July, 2026
Historic aircraft in big move
VOLUNTEERS, local businesses and emergency services combined recently to undertake the complex relocation of two historic military aircraft to the Far North Queensland Aviation Museum at Mareeba.
A section of the Kennedy Highway was closed in the early hours of 21 June to allow the operation to take place which involved moving an English Electric Canberra A84-210 and a de Havilland Vampire to the museum, along with a recently acquired 1942 WWII searchlight and numerous aircraft components and artefacts.
Planning for the move took months and involved extensive engineering preparation, transport planning, permit approvals and coordination with multiple agencies.
Saturday’s activities focused on the careful removal and loading of the Canberra’s wingtip tanks, nose and tail sections to prepare the aircraft for transport.
At approximately 4am on Sunday morning, the Canberra and Vampire began their journey to the museum under escort, with the relocation completed safely and efficiently.
Following only a short break, volunteers returned to the site at 8am and, by midday, the Canberra had already been unloaded and reassembled.
Far North Queensland Aviation Museum president Brendan Kent said the successful move represented a major milestone for aviation heritage preservation in the region.
“This operation demonstrates what can be achieved when volunteers, businesses and the community come together behind a shared vision,” he said.
“Relocating aircraft of this size and historical significance is no small undertaking, and the result is that these important pieces of Australia’s aviation heritage have been secured for future generations.”
The scale of the operation was significant. More than 172 man-hours were contributed by the Gregg Construction team alone across planning, permit approvals, preparation, loading, transport and unloading activities.
The move involved over $1.1 million worth of machinery and equipment, including heavy haulage vehicles, floats, support vehicles, traffic management resources, police escorts and lifting equipment. In total, almost 100 tyres were on the road during the relocation convoy.
The museum paid special tribute to Ken Gregg and the team at Gregg Construction, whose professionalism, attention to detail and generous support in providing transport equipment, logistics and permit coordination made the relocation possible.
Gregg Construction also covered the full costs associated with traffic control and police support. Combined with the donated labour, equipment and logistics resources, the company’s assistance-in-kind contribution totalled in excess of $15,000.
The museum also acknowledged Alan Martin for making the acquisition of the aircraft possible.
Queensland Police Service officers, traffic control crews and Mareeba Crane Hire all played important roles in ensuring the move was completed safely and efficiently.
The project involved approximately 18 volunteers on Saturday and 12 volunteers on Sunday and provided a unique opportunity for trainee engineers and aviation enthusiasts to gain hands-on experience during a rare large-scale aircraft engineering and relocation operation involving historic military aircraft.
Throughout the weekend, truckloads of aircraft parts and artefacts arrived at the museum, culminating in the relocation of the Canberra, Vampire and WWII searchlight to their new permanent home.
The museum’s next major development phase is now preparing to commence, with work progressing towards the construction of its new WWII Quonset Hut-style aviation heritage facility.
The project will provide significant additional space to preserve, restore and display the museum’s growing collection.
