The Australian Festival of Chamber Music’s history revealed in Townsville as festival plans to relocate to Cairns
With much of North Queensland disappointed the Australian Festival of Chamber music is leaving the city, the Bulletin looks back at where it all went wrong with the concert hall. SEE THE TIMELINE.
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The Australian Chamber Music Festival, a Townsville institution that brought together lovers of music and those wanting to expand their musical palates, is departing for Cairns in 2026.
Racking up thirty years, hundreds of performances and thousands of attendees across locations in Townsville, the festival brought in tourism and economic growth for the city.
Using venues such as the Civic Theatre, St James Cathedral and Queen’s Gardens, the event was much-loved by the community.
Now, many community leaders and musicians fear what the loss of the festival could mean for Townsville arts growth and infrastructure.
1991: Festival kicks off
Founded by Professor Theodore Kuchar along with then-JCU vice chancellor Professor Ray Golding, the festival put Townsville on the map in the world of chamber music.
Mr Kuchar served as the artistic director until 2006, the event quickly gained traction as a festival with a unique tropical location and top-tier performances.
Mayor at the time, Tony Mooney, said it was an opportunity to gain “national and world recognition” for the city.
Mr Kuchar said at the time that one year ago, the concept behind The Australian Festival of Chamber Music remained a dream, but a dream which was gathering energy and momentum from the moment it was suggested.
Early 2000s:
Discussions began about the need for a dedicated concert hall in Townsville to support the growing cultural scene, including the Australian Festival of Chamber Music.
2006: New artistic director
Renowned Australian pianist Piers Lane took over as artistic director, as the festival continued to grow and attract international artists and visitors from across Australia and the globe.
2009:
The Townsville City Council conducted feasibility studies to explore the potential for a new concert hall. The studies highlighted the benefits such a venue could bring to the region, including economic and cultural advantages.
2010:
The festival celebrated its 20th anniversary, marking two decades of bringing world-class chamber music to North Queensland. This milestone was celebrated with special performances and events.
2012:
Community support for the concert hall project grew, with local arts organisations and residents advocating for the development of a purpose-built venue.
2015:
Townsville Community Music Centre president Simon McConnell, alongside the Barrier Reef Orchestra, Townsville Eisteddfod, Australian Concerto and Vocal Competition pushed for the $75m Townsville Performing Arts Centre (TPAC) proposal to become a reality.
The proposal included an 800-seat concert hall, 200-seat drama theatre, a 2000-capacity amphitheatre, foyers to host up to 1000 people and an 800 capacity carpark.
The Queensland government expressed interest in supporting the project, recognising the potential for a concert hall to enhance Townsville’s cultural offerings and attract more visitors.
December 2016:
The Townsville City Deal – a 15 year program to boost the investments and liveability in the city – is signed off with money allocated and then earmarked for a concert hall.
2017:
Kathryn Stott, an acclaimed British pianist, was appointed as the new artistic director. Her tenure brought fresh perspectives and innovative programming to the festival.
2018: Plans for the concert hall were included in Townsville’s long-term cultural strategy, with the aim of securing funding and finalising a suitable location for the venue. She takes over the position in 2018.
2020:
The COVID-19 pandemic posed significant challenges, leading to the postponing of the festival for the first time in its history.
2021:
The festival marked its 30th anniversary.
MP Phillip Thompson pledged $100m towards building a new concert hall, which was signed off by all three levels of the government, with $2m to go towards developing a business case.
April, 2022:
AECOM was announced as the winner of the tender to develop a $2m business case for a new concert hall in Townsville.
It is expected to be finalised in June 2023.
February 2023:
Australian Festival of Chamber Music Deputy Chair Jane Seawright said at the time they were awaiting the outcome of the scoping study and business case.
“We understand that a number of sites have been considered, and we are looking forward to working with key stakeholders to have this very important project realised for Townsville and northern Australia,” Ms Seawright said.
Mayor at the time Jenny Hill intended to seek clarity on the project when she visited Canberra in March and said her personal opinion, Dean Park was the ideal location for the concert hall.
April, 2023:
An online poll in April 2023 asked Townsville Bulletin readers for the ideal location for the concert hall.
The Townsville Civic Theatre precinct finished at top of the tally with 59 per cent of the vote – nearly triple the next highest option at Dean Park with 22 per cent of the vote.
In a tie for third, with seven per cent were the two options along The Strand, the Hive development, or across the road from Enterprise House and the former Townsville Bowls Club were located.
June, 2023:
The Queensland government put forth $50m for the proposed concert hall, in addition to the $100m set aside by the federal government.
September 2023:
The Townsville Concert Hall business case is finalised, but is not released to the public.
August 2024:
Money outlined in the city deal plan for the concert hall is diverted to be used for the Reef HQ refurbishment, after a majority vote from the Townsville City Council. Liam Mooney and Brady Ellis voted against the decision to do so.
The council made its decision after councillors were told that the costs of the $98m concert hall had increased, which would have been passed onto ratepayers without any further funding commitments from the state and federal governments.
This was met with anger from Townsville’s music community, who protested the decision at the 2024 Bush Summit, where it was backed by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
“We had $100m before the money was taken away, so we are back to square one in a sense,” artistic director Ricardo Peach said.
Deputy chair of the AFCM Jane Seawright said Townsville needed two venues to meet the demand of arts lovers who they say were missing out on world-class entertainment throughout the year.
“We really need two venues, the Civic Theatre has served us very well for many years, but we lose a lot of touring acts because they just can’t get in, it’s completely used,” she said.
At the time Mr Thompson blasted the move, calling it “an atrocious political sellout”, saying “the people of Townsville have been screwed over today” and called for the business case to be published.
January, 2025:
The Business Case is released to the public.
After advocates for a Civic Theatre upgrade revealed they were disappointed with the report, the Australian Festival of Chamber Music team said there was a need for upgrades to the theatre and a new facility.
The report, conducted by AECOM, listed The Hive as the best option, saying “while all sites assessed can achieve the ultimate and intended goals of development, the preferred site for the construction of the concert hall is The Hive – followed by The Strand as an alternative site- due to the higher capacity to generate the magnitude of non-use benefits that could be achieved through development on these two sites.”
February 2025:
Townsville Community Music Centre president Simon McConnell said the report was a “complete waste of money and time”.
“It has delayed any discussion or progress towards addressing our theatre needs for 2 and a half years and made no useful contribution,” he said.
Executive director of the Australian Festival of Chamber music Ricardo Peach said the released business report into the concert hall was a “very comprehensive” document, which highlighted the necessity of two venues to attract touring acts and boost the local economy.
February 26, 2025:
AFCM announces they have secured $525,000 in funding to expand their pathways program from the Ian Potter Foundation.
June 12, 2025:
Founder Theodore Kuchar speaks out on the decision by the Townsville City Council to reallocate Federal funding from a planned concert hall to revamping the city’s aquarium.
Now the artistic director of the Great Barrier Reef Orchestra, he said the decision was a lost opportunity for a major ongoing economic boost for the region and could have given the city greater prestige.
“I think it’s important to realise that when the Australian Festival of Chamber movement was conceived in 1991 it was seen as a catalyst which was meant to initiate the change of image, cultivate economic interest in Townsville and subsequently in the region of North Queensland,” he said.
June 16, 2025:
The festival announces it will be relocating to Cairns in 2026, with organiser citing issues such as lack of infrastructure.
The Pathways Program will remain in Townsville.
Despite breaking attendance records in 2024, organisers say Cairns offers better arts infrastructure and a better layout within which to create a festival hub.
Chair of the festival Mary Jo Capps said the festival had been the “heart and soul” of Townsville for three decades and wanted to“ make clear” how grateful she is to the city.
June 16, 2025:
Mr Thompson slammed the Townsville City Council for displaying “poor civic leadership” after the Australian Festival Chamber of Music announced plans to move northward.
Mr Thompson said the loss of the festival was a “devastating blow” to the region.
June 18, 2025
In the city for the Townsville Bulletin’s Future Townsville event, Premier David Crisafulli said while he was happy the event remained in North Queensland, the festival had a “special attachment” to the people of Townsville.
A former Townsville councillor Mr Crisafulli, who revealed on Wednesday that he was still a Townsville ratepayer, said the AFCM was a “great point of difference” for the city.
“It was also a great way for Townsville to show the depth of offering that it has.”
“[Townsville City Council have] got their priorities, it’s a matter for them, but I can tell you as someone who was involved in it many years ago, it’s a festival worth backing.”
During the event, chair of the Port of Townsville Ann Sherry said in regards to the festival, that we may end up with a “great concert hall” at some point but we just need “a venue” that does that job.
“The opportunity for us here is to stop talking in pockets. There is so much here that’s positive,” she said.
Mr Kuchar speaks out again, saying those who had worked to support and invest in the festival would be “rolling in their graves”.
“They put the festival in their wills when they died, because of the importance it played to Townsville, the city which made their businesses thrive, that gave them the life it did.
On the move to Cairns, Mr Kuchar said he wished the festival luck in its soon-to-be new home.
“I don’t like to see anything fail,” he said. “I’m very positive when I say that Cairns is a beautiful place. I love Cairns. If it succeeds, as it did in Townsville, it has every possibility in the world to succeed in Cairns.”
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