Take-Off! Burnie’s Paper Plane Festival


Originally scheduled for 2020 (but grounded due to COVID), the paper plane project Take-Off! finally had lift off in 2023.

Take-Off! involved a suite of activities presented by the Burnie Arts Council, sponsored by the Bank of Us via their Bank of Useful ideas initiative. The idea grew from Burnie’s papermaking past, but through STEAM inspired and explored a shared creative future.

The 2023 revival involved the Burnie Arts Council partnering with the Children’s University and Montello Primary School’s award-winning STEM teacher, Daniel Edwards.

Two after-school workshops were held at the University of Tasmania’s Cradle Coast Campus. Students had the option of participating in STEM-based plane making activities, or rolling up their sleeves in the arts space where flight and flying inspired the creation of some colourful and wonderous flying ‘machines.’

Throughout the activities, there were many opportunities to discuss the impact of physical variables on the aeronautics of the planes.

A free screening of the Australian film Paper Planes was held at Metro Cinemas.

Bank of us CEO Paul Ranson said the bank was proud to be involved with the project as part of its commitment to support Tasmanian communities. “As a customer owned bank, we want to make a difference to the health and wellbeing of our community, this is a fantastic project that brings together creativity, design and history.”

The culmination of the project was an open day at the Wynyard Aero Club. The students not only got to talk to real pilots, tour the hangers and learn about plane maintenance - some fortunate participants actually got to fly in the planes!

Burnie City Councillor Chris Lynch also officiated in a monster fly-off before a well-deserved BBQ lunch.

Thank you to Belinda Chapman (Children’s University), Daniel Edwards (Montello Primary School), Kama Scott (Bank of Us), Gretta Kingston (pilot extraordinaire) and David McCarthy and the amazing crew at the Wynyard Aero Club for making this day of special memories.

All images by Grant Wells Photo