A show with the lot
A SUCCESSFUL little country show.
That is the Bass Coast Summer Agricultural Show at Wonthaggi in the words of Rosemary Loughnan, secretary of the organising committee.
But the Wonthaggi Show is anything but a little country show.
Visitors to the recreation reserve in Wonthaggi this Saturday will see a high standard of exhibition and a program packed with so much to see and do.
Each and every one of those visitors will come away thinking, that was anything but a little country show.
The Wonthaggi Show is unlike most other agricultural shows in that the town has the sea on one side and over half of the patrons on Saturday will be holidaymakers.
Mrs Loughnan said, “They expect to be entertained.”
And entertainment there will be truck loads of.
While cakes, flower arrangements, horses, cattle and poultry all occupy a central place in any agricultural show, this is a show that offers something to everyone, regardless of age, sex or interests.
Reflecting the show’s proximity to the sea, there is Seaweed Sally’s watery display of live and preserved rock pool creatures found at local beaches. Seaweed Sally is marine biologist and her display is not to be missed.
There are 500 entries in the photography exhibition.
All are by amateurs and the competition stipulates that, to ensure the playing field is level, there can be no manipulation of the original image.
For city kids there is the chance to pat that giant of the equine world, the Clydesdale, and see up close what provided the power on the farm prior to the motorised tractor.
The entertainment area has a fabulous program from 11am until 3.30pm featuring everything from motocross stunt performers, a medieval society parade, a kelpie show and a performance by the Bass Coast Pickers to the hilarity of magician, comedian and musician Mat Woodrow.
It’s all brought together by master of ceremonies, the highly talented Geoffrey W. Graham, an Australian in the mould of Banjo Paterson, the bush bard.
“This is a really well balanced show,” Mrs Loughnan said.
It wouldn’t be a show without Tubby the robot and he will be entertaining people all over the show grounds.
It is 40 years since what is now the Bass Coast Summer Agricultural Show became a feature of Wonthaggi’s annual calendar which was previously run at Dalyston.
The show is dependent on sponsors whose backing will be clear to see on show day, but Bass Coast Shire is the biggest supporter to put its interest and weight behind the show.
Given the show is put together by a small band of dedicated people, it is no small wonder that it continues to materialise.
As Mrs Loughnan said, “The biggest threat to the show is the lack of people prepared to put their hands up to help out.”
The curiously named fly ball event is actually more like a relay race for dogs and exciting to watch.
Some of the country’s best woodchoppers will be on display. There will be alpacas and pigs, medieval street theatre, vintage cars, clowns and stilt walkers, Doug Goodman’s interactive one man band and of course the sideshow with all the rides, the fairy floss and the show bags.
Have you ever seen sponge cakes like those at the Wonthaggi Show?
Surely, there is something in the air around here!
Supreme beef: Scott Pugh, left, and handler Ryan Bajada with Greg and Leigh Price of Trafalgar’s supreme beef exhibit, Debonair Juliet, at the 2015 Bass Coast Summer Agricultural Show.
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Posted by Sarah Vella on Jan 5 2016. Filed under Rural News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry
