Blazer caught a lift in the Grand Parade with the volunteers from the McEuen Rural Brigade
September 13, 2024
The annual Wondai Show is always the last held in the region … but at the same time, it’s also the first show every year!
The Wondai Show is held after the Ekka, which means that competition winners – such as 2024 Wondai Showgirl Sophie Wenck – will be competing against winners from next year’s Blackbutt, Kingaroy, Murgon, Nanango and Proston shows for a chance to represent the region at the 2025 Brisbane Exhibition.
Sophie was a special guest at the official opening of the Wondai Show on August 31.
Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington did the honours, alongside representatives from the South Burnett Regional Council and Federal Member for Flynn Colin Boyce.
A highlight of the ceremony was the presentation of a Life Membership badge to Show Society volunteer Lauren Perkins.
The Perkins family has been involved with the show for decades, and Lauren’s parents, Kevin and Jan, and brother Andrew are already Life Members.
Show Society secretary / treasurer Susan Hullock said a lot of people had told her the show had been great, but she believed it could have been even better with more helpers available.
“We just can’t get the volunteers,” she said. “It’s very easy to criticise when you don’t come along and help.”
Susan said the Society had been forced to raise the entry price this year to cover costs, but she still believed more than 2000 people had come through the gate with paid tickets.
“With all the free tickets, it was probably over 3000,” she said.
A convoy of gleaming Gleich Contracting trucks turned heads as they trundled into the showgrounds on Saturday morning for the truck show, but they were only a handful of the many vehicles on display.
Susan said the number of entries in the truck show were up on last year.
The Goomeri Chrome Bumpers car club also hosted a display of vehicles.
Susan said Saturday’s night rodeo had been popular.
“People also loved the tractor pull and the Aussie FMX bikes jumping over things,” Susan said.
But while entries in the slow-cooking competition were up, numbers in the cattle sections were down.
Lauren Perkins, second from right, was presented with a Life Membership at the official show opening … she’s pictured with her father and mother, Kevin and Jan Perkins, and brother Andrew (who are all Life Members, too) (Photo: Kathy Duff)At the official show opening … Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington, Cr Heath Sander, Cr Deb Dennien, Mayor Kathy Duff, 2024 South Burnett Showgirl Jasmine Thornes and Member for Flynn Colin Boyce (Photo: Kathy Duff)
Show Society Life Members Roy and Glenis Radunz were taking a break in the shade
Gwen Olm, from the Wondai Woodcrafters, was demonstrating pyrography
Retschlag’s classic 1963 Mack turned heads in the Grand Parade …… as did Yesberg Earthmoving’s KenworthShow Society Life Member Andrew Perkins with a German wagon which featured in Wondai Show’s Grand Parade … the wagon has been in the Cushnie area all its life
Geoff Rea, Tingoora, took out first prize in the Collector’s Corner with his Joseph Rodgers & Sons meat carving set
Libertarian Party candidate for the Senate Jim Willmott with South Burnett Mayor Kathy Duff
Bill Ross, from Wondai; Pat Polzin, Murgon; and Maree Porter, from Wheatlands, were catching up in the show pavilionOlivia Copier, from Wondai, with the Grand Champion in the poultry pavilion, an Old English Game ginger cock, shown by Michael and Gabby English, NanangoPoultry Chief Steward John Rutledge with Emily Rutledge and the Junior Champion of the Show, a blue Langshan bantam pulletDebbie Rutledge, from Wondai, with the Reserve Champion, a black Langshan pulletMark Birch and Janet and Terry Million were taking a break from their duties with the Wondai Town & District BandThe Wondai Town & District Band were entertaining patrons in the mounting yard areaWondai ALP Branch members Ivan Barnes and Norma Davis, from Proston, and Hec Dionysius, from Wondai, were flying the flag for Labor at the showThis Massey-Harris was giving all it had in the tractor pull demonstration …… but Kristy Green and this Fordson simply ate up the track …… as did the “Turbo Tornado” Fordson, despite all the exhaust smoke!Market stalls lined the area behind the main pavilion
Fantastic coverage of the Wondai Show. Great to see the old German wagon from Cushnie. Congrats to Lauren Perkins for joining mum Jan, dad Kev and brother Andrew with life membership.
Just wanted to advise, I think you have the name wrong in one of the photos. In the second photo after the article, you’ve listed that Sophie Wenck was in a photo, standing between Kathy Duff and Colin Boyce. The photo is actually of Jasmine Thornes, the 2024 South Burnett Sub Chamber Showgirl (not Sophie Wenck, the 2024 Wondai Showgirl).
Fantastic coverage of the Wondai Show. Great to see the old German wagon from Cushnie. Congrats to Lauren Perkins for joining mum Jan, dad Kev and brother Andrew with life membership.
What a great shot of the Massey Harris tractor rearing up! Right time, right place!
Just wanted to advise, I think you have the name wrong in one of the photos. In the second photo after the article, you’ve listed that Sophie Wenck was in a photo, standing between Kathy Duff and Colin Boyce. The photo is actually of Jasmine Thornes, the 2024 South Burnett Sub Chamber Showgirl (not Sophie Wenck, the 2024 Wondai Showgirl).
Thank you! Now fixed.