Port Douglas Museums and Art Galleries

(Port Douglas, Far North Queensland - QLD, Australia)



Picture of local tour officePort Douglas is certainly not a town known for its museums, although there are a number of options if you are a history buff in search of information about the past. Located on Wharf Street is the Court House Museum, which is close to the waterfront and housed within a historical timber building dating back to the late 1870s.

Fully restored in the early part of the 1990s by the Douglas Shire Historical Society, the Court House Museum of Port Douglas opened its doors to members of the public in 1997 and is today manned by a staff of volunteers. One of the most interesting exhibits here concentrates on the controversial murder trail of Ellen Thompson, who in 1887 become the only woman ever to be legally hanged in Queensland after being charged with the murder of her husband.


For art galleries, take a stroll along Macrossan Street or around the marina, where you will be able to purchase some splendid landscape paintings created by Aussie artists from all over Queensland. The Marina Gallery is of note and stands alongside jewellers, fashion boutiques and surfwear shops.

Cairns Historical Society Museum photograph

Court House Museum / Douglas Shire Historical Society Museum

Address: Wharf Street, Port Douglas, Queensland (QLD), Australia, AU
Tel: +61 07 4098 4900
Open hours: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday - 10:00 to 15:00
Admission: nominal charge


Nearby museums and galleries include the following selection:

Daintree Entomological Museum and Gallery

Address: 176 Turpentine Road, Cape Tribulation, Queensland (QLD), Australia, AU
Tel: +61 07 4098 9045

Beck Aviation and Military Museum

Address: Kennedy Highway, Mareeba, Queensland (QLD), Australia, AU
Tel: +61 07 4092 3979

Cairns Historical Society Museum

Address: School of Arts Building, Corner of Lake Street and Shields Street, City Place, Cairns, Queensland (QLD), Australia, AU
Tel: +61 07 4051 5582

Cairns Regional Gallery

Address: Corner of Abbott Street and Shields Street, Cairns, Queensland (QLD), 4870, Australia, AU
Tel: +61 07 4031 6865