Showtime memories

Our member Jim Parker recorded his memories of early years as a Committee man with the Wodonga Show. 

“The working bees were well catered for by Charlie Pollard (the first President) who would bring a number of big watermelons and divide them up amongst the workers.

All in all the committee members were a likeable bunch of fellows, all successful in life, where I was only a young bloke just turning 21 but treated as one of the men.

The President, Robert Richardson, was a real gentleman. He would never ask anyone to do something that he would not do himself. So long as you could hear “Bob” whistling, you knew things were going all right.

When the Show was in progress, the President would be around to see how things were going and see if anything was wanted.

Pens for the Sheep Section of the Show were gates taken off the calf yards in Elgin Street – these were tied together.

The Department of Agriculture used to send an exhibit to the Show, it would come in a goods train to the Goods Shed near the Carrier’s Arms, it would be taken up to the Showgrounds where the tent would be erected and the different exhibits displayed inside.

The Fat Cattle Section yards were made from stringing barb poles wired together and were situated east of the Grandstand.

Timber for roofing was from trees felled on the President’s property near the old rifle range, they were transported to Schubert’s saw mill where they were milled into timber of various sizes, members of the committee used to go to the mill for a working bee.

Timber was also obtained from Des Klinge’s property at Wodonga West, adjacent to the Felltimber Creek.”

The 1951 Annual Report stated in part “During the year improvements were made to the Cattle Pavilion to accommodate 200 cattle, and, though not enough to house all entries, proved a great boon and were greatly appreciated by exhibitors.”

The Wodonga Show has been an annual event since 1948, with one exception in 2015 when the grounds were booked out for the Ulysses Club AGM.