A fully immersive exhibition showcasing the past, present and future of Qantas will tour four capital cities from this June.
First announced last year, Qantas has today revealed the exhibition titled Qantas Centenary – 100 Years of the Spirit of Australia will start in the same state as the national carrier – opening on 27 June at Brisbane’s Queensland Museum until 16 November 2020, the date of the 100-year anniversary.
The touring exhibition will be at the State Library of NSW in Sydney from December 2020 to April 2021, at Scienceworks Museum in Melbourne from June to August 2021 before its final display in Perth in December 2021 to February 2022.
The all-ages exhibition brings to life the story of Qantas through previously unseen artefacts, life-sized replicas and interactive installations. Visitors will also experience a behind-the-scenes look into Qantas’s present-day operations and a sneak preview of the future of aviation, all with free entry.
The design of the exhibition has been crafted around six themes – Origins, Wings to the World, Social Spirit, Challenges, Innovation and People of Qantas – and retells the biggest stories in the history of the airline through multimedia displays.
Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said the exhibition would celebrate the contribution of the national carrier and its people to the nation itself.
“The story of Qantas is the story of modern Australia and the Centenary Exhibition will showcase the national carrier’s history and role in Australia like never before,” said Mr Joyce.
“For almost 100 years, Qantas has been taking Australians to the world and visitors will be able to quite literally walk through this journey and immerse themselves in a century of their national carrier.
“Qantas is now, and has been for the past 100 years, at the global forefront of aviation. As much as this exhibition celebrates a century of Qantas history, it’s also about the future of aviation.
“Just like Qantas itself, the exhibition will begin in Queensland before taking 100 years of the Spirit of Australia across Sydney, Melbourne and Perth,” added Mr Joyce.
The exhibition has been developed over the past two years and created in conjunction with Freeman Ryan Design, a multi-disciplinary company specialising in design, innovation and creative direction for exhibitions.
Preview of exhibition highlights
- Scrapbooks of Fergus McMaster, Qantas co-founder.
- An interactive recreation of Qantas’ current Integrated Operations Centre.
- A futuristic aircraft seat made entirely of wool in collaboration with Woolmark and Qantas designer David Caon.
- A replica 747 First Class Lounge from the 1970s.
- A look at the effects of long-haul flight via an immersive interactive experience.
