Commonwealth delegate tour organiser Andrew Gilmour and his wife Mary travelled from Scotland for the RASC Conference; they were two of the 90 people who enjoyed a camp oven dinner at Nanango on Thursday night
Champion camp oven cooks Terry and Leagh Leahy prepared a delicious chicken stew and dessert for the crowd

October 19, 2014

The South Burnett played host to a busload of dignitaries from all over the Commonwealth on Thursday night as part of the lead-up to the 26th Royal Agricultural Society of the Commonwealth (RASC) conference.

The RASC conference will be held in Brisbane from October 20-25, where it will be officially opened by RASC president Princess Anne.

As part of the week leading up to it, delegates from show societies all over the Commonwealth spent last week touring south-east Queensland.

On Thursday night it was the South Burnett’s turn.

Officials from all the South Burnett’s show societies gathered at Nanango Showgrounds to treat the visitors to a camp oven dinner and dessert, prepared by Boondooma’s champion camp oven cooks Terry and Leagh Leahy.

Over dinner, they shared information about what it’s like to run agricultural shows everywhere from Zambia to Canada, and the UK through to Australia; the common problems show societies face; and the important role shows continue to play in agricultural communities across the world.

The guests were welcomed by Cr Kathy Duff, who was deputising for South Burnett Mayor Wayne Kratzmann.

Cr Duff recounted her own long association with the Proston Show Society as both an exhibitor, a competitor and a member of the Show Society.

She said her experiences had convinced her of the important role show societies played – and continued to play – in community life.

About 90 people sat in on the dinner and the conversations that followed before the guests embarked on their bus for an overnight stop in Kingaroy.

On Friday, they returned to Brisbane via Maleny after a tour of Clovely Estate at Moffatdale.

Commonwealth delegates Matambula Mwale, from Zambia, left, and Julian Taylor, from Norfolk, right, discussed show society issues will Cliff Seiler and Ros Tigell, centre, from the South Burnett Show Society over dinner