Cairns Aquarium and Reef Research Centre, Cairns, Australia

Opened in 2017 the new $55 million dollar Cairns Aquarium and Reef Research Centre provides Queensland with a world class oceanarium, providing an intimate view into the freshwater and marine environments of North Queensland as well as a comprehensive display of the regions reptiles and insects. Home to over 15,000 animals, fish, plants, insects and other organisms this flagship tourist attraction showcases the habitats of NQ’s Wet Tropics from ‘Rainforest to Reef’ while being home to some of Queensland’s rarest species of fish, such as the Savannah Gulfs’ Freshwater Sawfish. This elusive predator inhabits the ‘River Monsters’ exhibit, a 400,000 litre underwater replication of Queensland’s Savannah Gulf freshwater rivers, it is also home to several species of freshwater stingrays and giant Barramundi.

ART’s Services included-

  • Complete design intent development and concept drawings of 53 aquarium and habitat exhibits.
  • 3D maquette scale models of artificial rock and reefscapes on all RC exhibits.
  • Complete construction of all artificial environments including reefscapes and corals, artificial rock, trees, logs and murals on all RC and cylinder exhibits including the; 400,000 litre ‘River Monsters’ exhibit; the ‘Deep Reef’ exhibit a 300,000 litre, 10 metre deep, 8 metre wide reef drop aquarium and the 1.8 million litre Coral Sea Oceanarium.