The Parkes Elvis Festival is held every year in the second week in January, coinciding with Elvis Presley’s birthday. The Festival continues to grow with hundreds of events, performances, workshops and displays across five fabulous, fun-filled days.
More information: https://www.parkeselvisfestival.com.au/
The Parkes Aviation Museum is located at the end of Muzycuk Drive at Parkes Airport. It is currently housed in a former RAAF hangar from the airport’s time as a World War Two air force base.Parkes has a long history in aviation, the first aircraft to land at Parkes was a Sopwith Camel piloted by aviation pioneer Sydney Pickles in 1919.
During WW2, Parkes airport became RAAF Base Parkes, accommodating No.1 Air Navigation School, No.2 Wireless Air Gunners School, No.8 Operational Training Unit and after the war No.87 SQN operated from Parkes. Did you know – former PM Gough Whitlam graduated from Parkes as a Flying Officer navigator?
Parkes Aero Club, formed in 1948, still operates from its historic ex-RAAF COMMCEN building.
Parkes has been used as a storage facility for the Historic Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) since 1975 and is currently being transformed into an aviation museum in its own right by a range of local and HARS volunteers. Information provided by: https://hars.org.au/
The Parkes Observatory hosts the 64-metre radio telescope, one of the telescopes comprising CSIRO’s Australia Telescope National Facility. An icon of Australian science, and made famous by the Australian film ‘The Dish’, the Parkes radio telescope has been in operation since 1961 and continues to be at the forefront of astronomical discovery. Astronomers from across Australia and around the world utilise the Parkes radio telescope to undertake world-class astronomical science.
Parkes Shire Council
Double story brick, large verandahs, cloisters. Retains original character. Ex convent, now run as a Bed and Breakfast establishment.
Parkes Shire Council
Victorian era mansion. Historic late 19thC home in suburban street of Parkes. Balmoral House – one of the oldest houses in Parkes, built from proceeds of the gold mining in the Parkes area, in the late 1800’s.
Parkes Shire Council
