Some Barraba Show memories

  History Notes

 Show time is fast approaching with our society sorting a few photos for the pavilion, so go along and see if you can recognize yourself or perhaps your parents who took part in the various shows performed by Barraba residents in the middle to late last century.

I doubt if anyone can match Bill Rumsby's record attendance at the show, although there would be some who would come close. Many of the older generation worked on the same section in the pavilion year after year - you almost had to leave the district to retire!

I remember one of our elder stewards in the cooking section noting that one entry had seven pikelets on a "plate of six pikelets". She quickly ate one pikelet before the judge got to that class, and saved a disqualification!

There was always a lot of competition in sewing, knitting, jams and preserves with some competitors winning year after year while others worked to defeat these clever craftswomen. Champion photo was always a good local challenge as well.

Also, in the mid 1900's there was a professional photographer wandering around taking family photos and a few of these still exist - I wonder if anyone can produce one!!

Presidents of the Barraba Show last century stayed in the position for their allotted time before handing over to their vice-president, who had probably held their position for the same time as their serving President. This was the era of Robert McDouall, Laurie White, and Rupert Richardson and, like Bill Rumsby, I remember them well. But, I have missed at least ten years of shows over that time. Does anyone remember one wet show when Rupert appeared in the pavilion, on the first morning of the show, covered in mud! Virginia to the rescue and he appeared a few hours later all cleaned up.

Time has changed our show and its exhibitions but we all need to support our hard-working show committee and come to see the 2024 show this weekend.

Returning to history, the meeting this week went well, with some discussion on activities for this year. All being well the markets will be back in March, so come along and have a chat and support our stall holders.

This weekend the Dean Room shelves are being renovated to make a more usable space for the family history files and society records. Hopefully it will be easier to find the correct file for family researchers.