June 6, 2016
A capacity crowd packed the Blackbutt Showgrounds on Saturday night to see country music legend Chad Morgan perform as part of the town’s Queensland Week celebrations.
The “Sheik of Scrubby Creek” was born in Wondai 83 years ago but now lives in Caboolture.
He is still touring his show throughout Australia. After Saturday night’s performance his troupe was planning to travel to Horsham in Victoria, then on to Mt Gambier, and then to Adelaide to fulfil other concert bookings, manager Chad Morgan Jnr said.
The main pavilion was filled with long-time fans as well as a large contingent of youngsters who had come along with their parents for a fun night out.
Gas heaters kept the audience warm, and the Showgrounds’ canteen and bar ensured they were well-fed and watered, too.
Chad performed with Gold Coast couple Glynnis and Ian Muir, who have been supporting his act for more than five years.
When Chad opened the show with his signature “The Sheik Of Scrubby Creek” he was greeted with rapturous applause.
The concert concluded a full day of activities at the Showground that had kicked off with a free community breakfast, followed by a car boot sale and an Indigenous art workshop.
While coastal residents struggled with unseasonal weather conditions that produced flash flooding and led to traffic chaos in some areas, Blackbutt – like the rest of the South Burnett – escaped the wild weekend storms relatively unscathed.
The heaviest rains fell in Blackbutt, Benarkin and Taromeo between 4:00am and 7:00am on Saturday, local residents told southburnett.com.au.
By the time the 8:00am breakfast got underway, things had begun to dry out and the events proceeded largely as planned.
Bloomin’ Beautiful Blackbutt Avocado Festival chairman Jeff Connor said the community celebrations had gone very well, all things considered.
The wet weather had prevented four Brisbane exhibitors from attending the car boot sale, but it had been well patronised all the same.
Avocado rolling and gumboot tossing competitions had also proven popular.
Bloomin’ Beautiful project officer Melanie Doheny said that in future, some of the town’s traditional community breakfasts – such as the one held every Australia Day – might switch to lunches instead.
She said lunches seemed to suit Timbertowns residents better, especially those with young children.
But she also thought the Queensland Week celebrations had been well received despite the overcast skies, and was now looking forward to September’s Avocado Festival, which will celebrate the town’s biggest industry.
The Queensland Week Family Fun Day was jointly sponsored by the Bloomin’ Beautiful Blackbutt Avocado Festival, Artslink Queensland, the Australian Government’s Regional Arts Fund and Horsetrax Oz.
This year’s Bloomin’ Beautiful Blackbutt Avocado Festival will be held on September 10-11, and more information can be found on the Festival’s website
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And Earlier In The Day …
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[Photos: southburnett.com.au and Melanie Doheny]
