ShowMow racing at last year’s Albion Park Show. Supplied.
One of the Illawarra’s longest-running community traditions will return this weekend, with the Albion Park Show celebrating its 139th year by blending agricultural heritage with fresh attractions for a new generation.
From classic livestock displays and woodchopping to demolition derbies and ShowMo lawnmower racing, the much-loved show from 16-18 January at the Albion Park Showground is once again inviting the community to reconnect with its roots.
New Albion Park Show Society president Scott Thomas, whose family has a long history with the event which stages its main day on the Saturday, said maintaining traditions was important to the society.
“Because it’s such an old show, you do want to keep some of those show values alive,” Scott said.
“We still have the crowd favourites, like The Land Sydney Young Woman of the Year, which is the old showgirl competition.”
A particular point of pride this year is Albion Park also hosting 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.
Kara Edwards is set to represent Albion Park in February at Warilla Sports.
Mr Thomas said traditions were also kept alive through the Young Girls competition, an animal nursery and novelty events such as the tug-of-war competition, which this year would encourage sports groups to enter a team and ignite some friendly rivalry.
“We’re also having an inter-show tug-o-war, with the Albion Park Show committee versus the Robertson Show committee,” he said.
“It’s keeping that tradition alive and having a bit of fun between two show societies.”
Scott said they also had the Young Farmers Challenge and the new TAG Ag Sports Competition, which was a fast-paced, regional teams-based showdown celebrating the skills, spirit and fun of agricultural life with events such as a swag race, ag bike obstacle course, hay stacking, potato sack race, barrel racing and buddy pick-up.
“We’ve got our young members coming through, which is the next generation of people in agriculture,” he said.
“As they develop, we try to enhance their experiences in what areas they’re interested in to become the next committeemen or show exhibitors, so we can keep the tradition of the Albion Park Show Society.”
Horse obstacle course and time trial at the Albion Park Show. Photo: Supplied.
Scott said there would also be Farmtastic Fashions, where participants dressed up with their favourite farm animal, heavy horses providing horse rides, a grand parade and finale fireworks.
He said that blend of old and new was important as urban development impacted agricultural participation.
“With the shows these days, they’re becoming harder to put on, because you’re losing livestock and you’re losing horses, because of urban development,” he said.
“We’ve got to diversify by bringing in activities that are new to the agricultural industry to cover when one section gets a bit small, and ensure you’ve still got plenty to entertain the crowd with.”
Scott said the ongoing support of about 60 sponsors and the Shellharbour City Council ensured the show continued to offer value-packed entertainment for the roughly 3000 patrons who attended annually.
“I think a lot of people come because of its nostalgia, and we’ve still got numerous families and individuals that have continued to support it for many years,” he said.
“I think it’s something totally different in the area, and it’s a link between the urban and the past history of what Albion Park and the surrounding areas once were as farmland.”
Scott said he was proud to be part of the show society, with he and his father both life members.
“My father also exhibited a lot of Illawarra shorthorns at the show, and as kids we were always at the local shows competing with the dairy herd,” he said.
“It was just what you did in those days because it was the only way of showing who had the best animals or to show your produce – there wasn’t any internet then.”
He said last year they trialled attendees parking at Con O’Keefe Oval in Charlotte Crescent instead of the showground, with the oval to be used again this year to allow the event to be more accessible and alleviate congestion near the showground.
Albion Park Show will be held from 16-18 January at the Albion Park Showgrounds.
