Tamborine Mountain planetarium: TM Universe reveal plan for new tourist attraction

Progress is being made quickly on a starry-eyed science centre proposed for the Gold Coast hinterland, with new artist impressions released and a huge chunk of the money needed raised. TAKE A LOOK AT THE DESIGN

THE Tamborine Mountain space race has rocketed ahead with more than $200,000 raised for the development of an observatory and science centre in the hinterland.

Initial designs have been drawn up for the proposed science and space centre TM UNIVERSE, announced by the Tamborine Mountain Social enterprise group in October.

Management committee member Michael Hopkins said the support for the centre had been “phenomenal,” having raised over a quarter of the money needed in a few weeks.

Artist impressions of the proposed TM Universe, a one-of-a-kind science and space centre. Designed by: Clark+Granger

“We are really pleased but not surprised the community has been so supportive,” Mr Hopkins said.

“Tamborine locals usually pull together, and this type of project lends itself to the community.

“In addition to the $200,000 in donations and investment we have also sold around 160 bricks as part of our fundraising effort at $200 each.”

Local architecture firm Clark+Granger have since drafted artist impressions for the project. 

Artist impressions of the proposed TM Universe, a one-of-a-kind science and space centre.

Mr Hopkins said the committee hoped to open the centre on September 24, 2023, the date the NASA spacecraft OSIRIS-REx will return to earth after travelling to a nearby asteroid.

“It is a specific date but when the craft left was when the idea for the centre first came about, so we thought it was only right to aim for its return date,” he said.

Artist impressions of the proposed TM Universe, a one-of-a-kind science and space centre.

OCTOBER: TM Universe reveal plan for new science centre 

THE sky is the limit for a new starry-eyed project to be built on the Gold Coast, according to the local start-up behind the plan.

TM Universe, a Tamborine Mountain social enterprise group, has revealed its vision to build a one-of-a-kind science and space centre in the hinterland.

Draft plans for the Tamborine Mountain Universe site, a new tourist attraction proposed for the hinterland.

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The plan, which has the backing of the Tamborine Chamber of Commerce, will include a state-of-the-art planetarium, an interpretative centre with interactive displays and an observatory with the original telescope used in a former observatory on the mountain.

A futuristic steel-clad globe design, which has been rendered as a virtual reality walk-through for investors, was inspired by a similar project in Gwacheon, South Korea.

Indigenous Astronomy, Australian Space Research and Life in the Universe will be the main themes for the project, which will feature the “Cosmic Sphere’’ globe structure – a first for the Southern Hemisphere.

A render of the Gwangju space centre design which has inspired the Mount Tamborine build.

The group has already secured four acres of land (1.6ha) with tourism development approval in Long Road, Mount Tamborine, near the area’s glow-worm caves.

TM Universe president Jaap Vogel, a scientist specialising in artificial intelligence, said investors were needed – including members of the public who could “buy a brick’’ for $200 to help with fundraising for the project.

“We have been working on these plans for the past four years. Now we are at the stage where we are looking for others to invest,” he said.

The group began working on the plans in April 2017 after Vanessa Stanley and her husband, rocket scientist Dr. Ross Paul who has since died, donated the former Tamborine Mountain telescope from the Arthur Page Observatory back to the community.

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The Tamborine Mountain Universe logo, for the proposed space attraction. Picture: Supplied.

The couple had salvaged the equipment from a storage shed years earlier. It has been the biggest amateur telescope in the southern hemisphere.

Mr Vogel said the telescope became the “seed’’ for the science and space centre idea.

“It has taken a long time to find the location and fundraise but we are now at the point where we have a prospectus for investors,’’ he said.

“We have architects, accountants and other professionals volunteering their time to get this off the ground.

“This will run as a social enterprise (and) as a not for profit. We hope to eventually have grants and funding to have the project completed in two to three years.”

Although international tourism had been impacted by COVID-19, the group said domestic visitor numbers on the mountain had picked up.

“Tamborine Mountain Universe will have a real science base, but can still be a major drawcard to serve as an addition to the theme parks and other attractions on the Gold Coast,” Mr Vogel said.

Originally published as Tamborine Mountain planetarium: TM Universe reveal plan for new tourist attraction