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John Oxley Library Community History Award
About the award
Awarded annually for outstanding contributions by community organisations or groups in the preservation, recording and sharing of Queensland history. This Award celebrates the people involved in projects that help Queenslanders better connect with their stories, both past and present.
The successful recipient will receive a one-off gift of $5000.
Nominations Open Year-Round - submit your nomination for the John Oxley Library Community History Award using the online form below.
The successful recipient for 2025 is listed below. We are accepting nominations for the 2026 John Oxley Library Community History Award, nominations close July / August 2025.
Supported by the Queensland Library Foundation.
Ann Kruger and Tiffany Turnour from the Cairns & District Chinese Association, recipients of the 2025 John Oxley Library Community History Award.
Guidelines for entry
Read the guidelines for selection criteria and information on how to prepare your nomination.
2025 John Oxley Library Community History Award
The 2025 John Oxley Library Community History Award was awarded to Cairns and District Chinese Association Inc. - Heritage Team.
The Lit Sung Goong collection of religious artifacts, once dispersed after the temple’s demolition in 1966, began to reassemble over time through generous donations and loans to the Cairns Historical Society. In 2003, CADCAI (Chinese Australian Development and Cultural Association Inc.) assumed custodianship of the collection. Since then, CADCAI's Heritage Team has diligently preserved this significant collection, which captures the cultural and historical legacy of the early Chinese community in Cairns.
In 2025, after 23 years of dedicated work by CADCAI, the collection—deemed of national museum-standard significance—will be fully accessible to the public with the opening of Stage 1 of the Chinese Cultural Centre in Cairns, funded by CADCAI. This monumental achievement reflects years of cataloging, conservation, research, and limited public viewings due to space restrictions.
At the heart of the Heritage Team are Heritage Coordinator Mary Low and Volunteer Conservator Jacky Tam. Mary leads fundraising efforts, promotes the collection, and coordinates a team of passionate volunteers, while Jacky contributes his conservation expertise, including the careful restoration of the temple’s altar and transcription of Chinese script. Both are devoted to preserving and sharing the cultural and heritage significance of the collection with the broader community.
Watch the announcement of the 2025 John Oxley Library Community History Award at the Queensland Memory Awards (05.37).
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