The Cassowary Trail (Cassowary Art Trail) is an initiative of Kuranda local, Jurg Jutzi. The Cassowary Art Trail raises public awareness of the endangered Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius) and the importance of the cassowary in the local indigenous culture by integrating indigenous artists into the project.
The project educates both the local community and tourists visiting the Cairns region, and encourages visitors to Far North Queensland to travel the region widely by providing a must-see feature.
The Cassowary Art Trail and the Big Cassowary are projects of Kuranda Conservation Community Nursery Inc. Through a Regional Arts Development Fund” (RADF) grant, we secured initial funding for the Cassowary Art Trail in 2022. The RADF is a partnership between the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland and other eligible local councils across the state to invest in local arts and cultural priorities.
Currently, there are 4 painted cassowaries situated around Kuranda, and another 3 painted cassowaries at various tourism locations around Tropical North Queensland. These beautiful cassowaries feature original designs by local artists, and are a pleasure to look at and take a photo with! Each statue also features fun facts about the cassowary and a QR code you can follow to learn more about the artist and their work.
The Big Cassowary in Centenary Park, Kuranda, is a new project for the Cassowary Trail and features a 4 metre high painted cassowary statue. The Big Cassowary is due for completion toward the end of 2026. To find out more about the Big Cassowary, click here.
For more information, visit the official Cassowary Trail website.
