The accomplishments of northern Australian aviation pioneer Rex Budd will be recognised on Saturday, December 19, from 10am, with the Rex Budd Memorial Park being officially opened at the Mareeba Airport.
Mr Budd served two operational tours of duty in Vietnam between 1968 and 1970. After returning home from Vietnam Rex started his own helicopter mustering business based in Mareeba after he recognised that the skills of people who worked in the bush and understood stock were critical to the industry, claiming it was easier to teach a stockman to fly a helicopter than to teach a helicopter pilot to become a stockman.
Rex Robert Budd died on November 4, 2010 after a short battle with cancer.
North Australian Rural Services’ director Chris Atkinson said the purpose of the grounds is to recognise Mr Budd’s contribution to aviation and his influence on so many in the northern rural sector.
“Along with being a highly decorated Australian Serviceman, Rex was one of the first people to introduce the idea of helicopter mustering in the rural sector and he forged a niche industry in north Queensland while fostering leading aviation entrepreneurs across the nation Australia,” Mr Atkinson said.
“The Mareeba Shire Council contributed an area adjacent to Mr Budd’s hangar, to be used for the park, while FNQDocs kindly sponsored the concept, with many pastoralists, businesses and friends of Rex privately donating towards the project,” he said.
“We now have this wonderful community facility. We thank the many people who in their own way have contributed to the development of this park with the purpose of recognising a great man.
