13 January 2025

Farm skills, fireworks and family fun expected at 177th annual Kiama Show

| Kellie O'Brien
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Kiama Show Farm Challenge

A Farm Fit Challenge is part of the festivities at the Kiama Show. Photos: Kiama Show.

The 177th annual Kiama Show is set to return 24-25 January, promising a jam-packed line-up of entertainment and agricultural traditions that have drawn crowds to the coastal event for generations.

As one of the longest-running shows in NSW, it celebrates the region’s agricultural heritage through horse and cattle displays, while adding modern twists to bring in younger crowds, such as thrilling motorbike stunts and a Farm Fit Challenge that tests farm skills.

Kiama Show committee publicity and social media coordinator Grace McGlinchey, whose roles also extend to being the show’s Young Woman, community and school liaison officer, and horse event coordinator, said the Farm Fit Challenge was always popular.

“We have revamped it so obviously the tasks are based around everyday farm life jobs, and then we’ve just done a twist on them to make it more of a fun challenge,” she said.

“So they roll a large hay bale down around a cone and then back up.

“They have to carry chicken feed from one obstacle to another.

“With the gumboot toss, they have to throw a gumboot and it has to hit the bell.

“There’s a stack race and towards the end your whole team has to jump up on top of a silage bale and first to do it wins. These are quite large bales.

“It’s just taking in traditional farming practices and putting a spin on it.”

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Grace said committee member Michelle Brennan had donated the Plough Wheel Perpetual Trophy for the challenge, made from an old cast iron plough wheel, a relic from her family property near Geelong in Victoria that was used on a single furrow horse-drawn hand plough from the mid to late 1800s.

She said Kiama would also play host this year to the Sydney Royal AgShows NSW Young Woman Zone 2 Final – a prestigious competition that helps one woman aged 18 to 26 advance to the Sydney Royal Easter Show.

“All of the agricultural shows in Group Five have a competition within their local show and put forward a winner that goes through our zone two final,” she said.

“Depending on numbers, either one or two girls then go through to Sydney.

“It’s based on your agricultural knowledge – it doesn’t have to be your agricultural background – and your involvement within your community.”

Among Grace’s roles is sharing the community and school liaison role with the vice president, which saw them visit schools in the municipality to encourage primary school pupils to either enter competitions, like a colouring competition resulting in artworks displayed in the pavilion, or become volunteers.

“Our Kiama Men’s Shed donated scarecrows, and we’ve taken them around to the primary schools to have them decorate them in their school colours,” she said.

“Bunnings at Shellharbour were very generous in donating some kids wheelbarrows, soil and seedlings so they could plant some flowers for the pavilion.

“That was this year’s project, and then hopefully next year we will get the high schools more involved.”

With 1700 pavilion categories, visitors can also expect to see handcrafts, LEGO, ceramics, baking and photography.

It will also feature the new Kia-Bald, a spin on the classic portraits section that will feature pieces of work portraying an important and well-known figure from the area.

She said other attractions included Outback Jack, fireworks, motorbikes, mini trots, and sideshow alley, adding to the traditional elements of the beef cattle, dairy cattle, horses, showjumping, woodchopping and the popular pet show.

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“All of our show jump classes are dedicated to previous committee members, or community members in general that have had past input within the show,” she said.

“So that’s a really nice bit of history there, as well as doing the same with the cattle.”

She said the Kiama Show was renowned for its location, which had its blessings but also its challenges.

“It’s beautiful and picturesque. We couldn’t have a prettier view while you’re riding around in the show ring,” she said.

“But also then we lack parking spaces and that room to put everyone.”

Grace encouraged people to look for ways to use public transport over the two days to more easily get to and from the show.

She said while Saturday was the main day with fireworks and entertainment in the afternoon, the show ran over two days due to the volume of classes and exhibitors, especially within horses and cattle.

The Kiama Show will be held 24-25 January at the Kiama Showgrounds. You can jump the queue by purchasing tickets beforehand online.

The 137th Berry Show is the following show in the region, being held 31 January to 1 February.

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