The Jack Barnes Boardwalk refurbishment was a project by Cairns Airport; partnering with the traditional custodians and Jack Barnes family to revive a local icon.
About the Project
The Client
The Jack Barnes Boardwalk is an integral mangrove ecosystem, located on Cairns Airport land.
This unique ecosystem has several important functions, including environmental preservation, cultural significance for Indigenous peoples, educational opportunities and tourism purposes. Cairns Airport places high value on the boardwalk as a popular destination for visitors to explore, discover and study mangrove ecosystems.
The Jack Barnes Boardwalk was opened in 1988 and named after the late Dr. Jack Barnes, a Cairns physician and toxicologist renowned for his research on box jellyfish and Irukandji syndrome. Due to its deteriorating condition, the boardwalk was closed to the public in 2019 for safety reasons. Following uproar from the Cairns community, the Cairns Airport stepped up to rebuild the structure, collaborating with traditional landowners from Dawul Wuru Aboriginal Corporation to ensure that the area’s cultural and environmental significance was taken into consideration during the rebuild process.
To showcase this important work and its impact on Indigenous groups, the local Cairns community and the mangrove ecosystem, Cairns Airport enlisted the services of Bang Media to create a video documenting the refurbishment process.
The Bang Media videographers were determined to accurately capture the restoration process for the client, making multiple visits to the site over a period of several months. This allowed them to capture ongoing b-roll footage of the contractors working on the boardwalk and conduct interviews with key stakeholders involved with the project.
The end result at project completion was an inspiring mini-documentary that captured the significance of the upgrade. The final deliverable was shared on Cairns Airport’s social media pages and their website to share the emotional story behind the rebuild and to promote the reopening of the Jack Barnes Boardwalk to the public.
Project Summary
An informative video to capture the history of the Jack Barnes Boardwalk and the impact the refurbishment will have on the community of Cairns
Services Provided
• Storyboarding
• Videography
• Interviews & Direction
• Sound Design
• Video Editing
