Community rallies behind beloved Gympie museum

Almost $2000 has been raised to help this local tourist attraction stay open.

Gympie Bone Museum owner Jaimie Cook.

The local community has rallied behind a GoFundMe fundraiser for the Gympie Bone Museum which was hit hard by COVID-19 closures.

Museum owner Jaimie Cook started the campaign on Sunday and has already raised more than $1500, which will go towards keeping the doors open and relocating to a bigger venue.

Owner Jaimie Cook with one of the museum’s largest specimens which will be displayed easier at the new location.

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Mr Cook said the museum had outgrown the current space at Mary Street and he was negotiating a move to Surface Hill Church.

The Gympie Bone Museum is popular attraction among school kids and tourists.

He said the museum received council funding last year to build some larger specimens but the new animals could not be displayed properly at the current location.

“We have the opportunity to move to the historic Surface Hill Church, just up the road, this will give us more exposure, more room, more scope to run events and more parking.

The museum has been offered a permanent space at the Surface Hill Uniting Church site.

“Compulsory closure of the museum in March due to COVID-19 has really knocked our income about and will make it hard to afford the move.

“Every donation will help. Thank you in advance for your contribution to this cause that means so much to us.”

The Gympie Bone Museum is Australia’s only museum dedicated to modern bones and a popular tourist and school holiday attraction in the region.

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