February 18, 2013
Goomeri Show Society could be forgiven for thinking that life’s a beach … first, the roof of their pavilion was ripped off by a freak storm, then a one metre wall of water rushed through the building during the Australia Day weekend floods.
So naturally, their thoughts turned to cricket. Beach cricket.
In an attempt to raise some much-needed funds ahead of its 74th annual show on March 23, the Show Society held its second annual Beach Cricket carnival in the cattle arena at the showgrounds on Saturday.
Four teams of six-a-side competed for the coveted trophy: Powers Transport (Kilkivan); Goomeri Golf Club; Stanton Fuel Supplies (Goomeri), and BGA AgriServices (Goomeri).
There were special rules, which included spectators winning prizes for taking catches in the outer.
The eventual winners were Powers Transport, who overcame last year’s victors Stanton Fuel Supplies in the final.
But the real winner was the Goomeri Show Society, which raised about $2500 from the day.
Organiser Andrew Holden said this money would enable the society to hire a mechanical bull to provide entertainment at this year’s pared-down Goomeri Show.
He said he was particularly grateful to the groups who had assisted on the day, including Goomeri Lions who donated all the takings from their chip van, and Jumping Jokers Castle Hire, from Wondai, who donated the hire of a jumping castle for the kids.
Pam Brunjes, from the Show Society, said Mother Nature had thrown a major spanner into the works for the 2013 show.
The roof of the show pavilion was bent back and badly damaged during a storm about three months ago. While the insurance companies were still assessing this damage, the Australia Day weekend floods arrived to finish off the job.
“The pavilion has been condemned,” Pam told southburnett.com.au.
With no pavilion available, there will be no pavilion exhibits so many of the traditional show “sections”, including woodturning, needlework and handicraft, fine arts, photography, scrapbooking, building blocks, and culinary, will not be contested this year.
However the Show Society will award a special prize for the best photograph of the recent floods. Photos of the flood should be brought to the makeshift Secretary’s Office (wherever it may be) before 4:00pm on the Show Saturday.
And the Dark Rich Fruit Cake Competition – a Goomeri favourite – will still go ahead, and for probably the first time ever, will be judged on Saturday morning.
The Farm Produce and Horticulture sections will also go ahead as will all the ring events, stud and prime beef cattle, sideshow alley and a championship dog show.
Weather permitting, the planned lucerne hay competition and auction will be on again, too.
The show will finish with a fireworks display.
The Show Society has decided that entry to this year’s show will be “by donation only” to enable everyone who has been affected by the floods to have some fun without much cost.
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