Cairns Mineral & Lapidary Club

Cairns Mineral & Lapidary Club is dedicated to promoting the hobby of collecting, cutting, and polishing minerals and gemstones. We offer a range of activities including fossicking, gem identification, silver classes, as well as faceting and cabochon instruction. Our club is committed to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for individuals interested in the art of lapidary and mineralogy.

The formation of the club for “hobbyists who wish to collect, identify and cut minerals and gems in the Cairns District” was the first discussed at a meeting on September 4, 1961. Just one month later, on October 2, 1961 the group of hobbyists officially voted to name the new club “The Mineral and Lapidary Club of Cairns. ”According to the clubs constitution back in 1961, the clubs aims and objective included:

• To bring together all those interests in the collection and polishing of gems and minerals

• To provide the means of increasing and exchange of knowledge of gems and minerals and mounting.

• To conduct tours to mineral fields.

Throughout early 1962, regular field trips to areas including Wolfram Camp, Mt Molloy, Herbert and Mt Garnet enabled the club to have enough specimens to host its first display at the cairns show. The club also now holds an annual Gem Festival where club members are able to show and sell their specimens and creations.

The club continues to conduct field trips to places surrounding Cairns including: Innot Hot Springs (Mt Gibson for topaz, cassiterite and smoky quartz)Mt Surprise (O’Briens Creek for topaz, smoky quartz)Agate Creek (Past Georgetown for agate)Lava Plains (Sapphire)The interest and values that were put forward in those first meeting back in the early 1960s still thrives in the Cairns Mineral and Lapidary Club today.

The club moved into the purpose-built W. J. Fulton Memorial Building at 129 Mulgrave Rd in 1975 (image at top). Former Cairns mayor and federal MP, W J (Bill) Fulton, survived a land mine explosion as a Rat of Tobruk W J Fulton Memorial Building Sign