Known as the tourist ‘capital’ of the Far North and one of Australia’s most popular travellers’ destinations, Cairns is not only the home of stretching beaches, rainforests, the Great Barrier Reef, and some pretty amazing coastal scenery, it’s also home to F.N.Q. Tattoo. Run by Duane Cash, with a staff of 6 other tattooists, and 2 body piercers, this studio is producing some pretty amazing art work. F.N.Q. is open 7 days a week and 13 hours a day with 2 shifts (10am-6pm and 3pm – 11pm) operating to cater for the large number of tourists travelling through Cairns.
Tattoos Down Under was lucky enough to catch up with Duane for a bit of Q & A and found out that he opened his first tattoo studio at the tender age of 17!
How long have you been in the tattoo industry?
I have always had an interest in tattooing, my great uncle, George Cash started tattooing while he was in the service during World War II. After that he opened a shop behind the Shamrock Hotel in Mackay and worked there for many years. During this time he gave my Dad some machines etc and taught him the basics. By the time I was around Dad had stopped tattooing so when I was 14 I went and visited Uncle George, but he had just sold everything. He put me onto an old mate of his, Dennis Starr, and I ended up meeting him when he opened up a shop in Cairns in 1982. By the time I was 14 I had already been playing around with some boob guns and as I got along with Dennis pretty well, he told me to ‘hang around’ and see what happens. Sure enough I was tattooing out of that shop before I knew it. After about 18 months Dennis left town and left me with some machines, designs and colour. I worked a as a storeman, bobcat driver, and on a prawn trawler(I’ll stick to tattooing!) to save money and opened my first shop at the age of 17 and haven’t looked back! I have had 8 different studios in Cairns over the years. I have also worked at Second Skin in Townsville (Les Bowen Snr) while he was in the USA and did a week with Paul Braniff at Skin FX during Schoolies week. I am also a member of the P.T.A.A. and National Association.
I have always had an interest in tattooing, my great uncle, George Cash started tattooing while he was in the service during World War II. After that he opened a shop behind the Shamrock Hotel in Mackay and worked there for many years. During this time he gave my Dad some machines etc and taught him the basics. By the time I was around Dad had stopped tattooing so when I was 14 I went and visited Uncle George, but he had just sold everything. He put me onto an old mate of his, Dennis Starr, and I ended up meeting him when he opened up a shop in Cairns in 1982. By the time I was 14 I had already been playing around with some boob guns and as I got along with Dennis pretty well, he told me to ‘hang around’ and see what happens. Sure enough I was tattooing out of that shop before I knew it. After about 18 months Dennis left town and left me with some machines, designs and colour. I worked a as a storeman, bobcat driver, and on a prawn trawler(I’ll stick to tattooing!) to save money and opened my first shop at the age of 17 and haven’t looked back! I have had 8 different studios in Cairns over the years. I have also worked at Second Skin in Townsville (Les Bowen Snr) while he was in the USA and did a week with Paul Braniff at Skin FX during Schoolies week. I am also a member of the P.T.A.A. and National Association.