The 150th Daylesford and District Agricultural Show at the Daylesford Showgrounds in Victoria Park on November 23 proved to be the most successful for some years.

Advertising, sponsorships from local businesses, a very hardworking committee, a small army of teal clad volunteers and near perfect weather combined to make a great day for the big crowd of over 3250 who came through the gate.

The newly named David Yoxall Poultry Pavilion, the main pavilion, the Tom Ford Pavilion and the Rijk Zwaan Hall of Flowers were all buzzing with visitors and exhibitors on Saturday.

There was something for everyone with hours of horse events on the oval, the usual rides and carnival stalls and 27 local stalls, selling an impressive range, including local foods and beverages.

The shade sail area was used as a music venue for local singing and music groups under the direction of show society secretary Rosemary McLean.

The Hall of Flowers held the biggest flower show in Daylesford for 25 years with magnificent displays from Spring Park Nursery, The Friends of Wombat Hill Botanical Gardens and the Daylesford Horticultural Society.

On the main arena there were seven different horse rings operating along with showjumping. The premier showjumping award, the Catherine King Trophy, was won by Stuart Walker of Bacchus Marsh.

RDA also had its biggest turnout in many years. This show, the 150th held in 160 years, was one of the best and a tribute to all of the volunteers, helpers, competitors and officials taking part this year, along with everyone who has helped with the show over past years.

Words: Don Harvey | Images: Richard ‘Tommy’ Campion

Set for tomorrow, this year’s Daylesford Show will have its first ever Gypsy Cob class competitions in the Horse Section. 

Organisers say this is very exciting as, while Gypsy Cobs are in the show circuit, there are not a lot competing yet because they are still relatively new to Australia. 

Gypsy Cobs arrived as a breed in Australia in the early 2000s so introducing people to this remarkable breed is wonderful. 

Gypsys are a type of draught horse with lots of mane, tail and feather (leg hairs), that were originally bred as a family horse that pulled the vardo or gypsy caravan of Irish and English travellers. 

After a day of travelling the Gypsy Cob was unhitched and then the kids had their fun with their furry friend.

Due to their sensible and calm temperaments, and beauty, they were much cherished by their owners who had a saying “Gypsy gold does not clink and glitter, it gleams in the sun and neighs in the dark”. 

There are many names for the Gypsy Cobs including Gypsy Vanner, Gypsy Tinker and Gypsy Cob. There are even miniature Gypsy Cobs being bred now.

The average size for a Gypsy Cob is 13-15hh and they are fast becoming much loved family friends. As a breed they are extremely versatile and are happy trying different activities. 

Gypsy Cob crosses are very popular as they combine the intelligence, tractability, muscular strength and strong bone of the Gypsy. 

Teresa Cook from Daylesford’s Boomerang Ranch remembers seeing the Gypsy Cobs when holidaying in Ireland and there will be a talk with both Teresa and Gypsy Cob owner Rebecca McLennan about Gypsy Cobs at 150th Daylesford Show on November 23.

Home gardeners may not realise that three potatoes, brushed, but not washed, that are a nice shape, about the same size and texture and look good enough to eat could be good enough to enter in the Daylesford Show on November 23 with entries closing on Sunday, November 17.  

Three good examples of different home-grown vegetables or a bunch of parsley, or five sticks of rhubarb, a bunch of spring onions, three whole heads of garlic, 10 pods of peas or indeed any other vegetable could also be entered.  

You may have eggs from your hens or ducks, honey from your own bees, or cheese from goats or cow’s milk that may also be good enough to enter, and don’t  forget the showgoers are waiting to be impressed by your growing or collecting skills.  

Many gardens in Daylesford have a lemon tree with at least three lemons of  uniform size and texture and looking nice but if you want to show them make sure that you leave a little piece of green stem showing.  

Daylesford and District Agricultural Society is proud to present Farm and Garden Produce and Flowers in our Hall of Flowers. On Show Day look for the Rijk Zwaan sign on the Table Tennis Centre.

The Daylesford Show is proud to be supported by  the Daylesford/Musk branch of the international seed-producing firm each year.

Inside the Hall of Flowers you will find our display of Cut Flowers and Floral Art, surrounded by floral stalls by the Daylesford Horticultural Society, Friends of Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens, Spring Park Nursery and a number of other  local groups.

The gentle music of Vanessa Craven and her band Lake Mist in the background makes this a quiet haven for the garden lover.

It has been a very good season for spring flowers in Daylesford with the low rainfall making the ground a bit warmer and blooms a bit more vibrant, so expect the  hall to be full of shades of pinks, yellows, oranges, reds and mauve/magentas.  

If you are looking around your own garden and thinking it looks great this year, then download the schedule and see what you can enter.

Our bright and colourful  flower and vegetable displays will be made better with your entries and this year we have extra rosettes and prizes to commemorate the 150th Daylesford annual show in our 160-year history.  

If you are interested, head to www.daylesfordshow.com, check our schedule and  enter online. Looking forward to seeing you on Saturday, November 23 from 9am.  

A bumper program of traditional attractions and a few extra surprises are in store with planning now well advanced for next month’s staging of the 150th Daylesford Show.

The 150th anniversary running of the time-honoured local show is set for Daylesford’s Victoria Park on Saturday 23rd November 2024.

Hard working show committee members say they are looking forward to a classic community event with plenty of traditional show day entertainment and live performances for all ages to enjoy.

Show day attractions in store include judging of sheep, poultry and the Dogs Victoria Daylesford Championship. In the Horse Arena, spectators can catch multiple classes of horse events, including the show jumping.

Showday traditional favourites returning include competition exhibits for cookery, art, sewing, knitting, crochet, quilting, photography, flowers, floral art, plants and garden/farm produce.

From total novices to the more experienced, all members of the community are encouraged to join in the fun and submit an entry.

Local community groups and Daylesford community services will also be on show including the Glenlyon Group CFA, Ambulance Victoria and Daylesford SES.

Free activities and events for children include face painting, a petting zoo, pony rides and a puppet show.

Showbags, show day rides and novelty events like the Spud Steal, Gumboot Toss, Spud Croquet and Farmer Wants a Life are all on the day’s program.

The Hall of Flowers will feature craft demonstrations with a plant focus and wool spinning by an expert.

Spring Park Nursery will be selling gorgeous garden plants and the Lake Mist duo will provide live music while a barn dance is in store to see the day out.

Gates will open at 9am show day with tickets available at the gate.

For more information contact info@daylesfordshow.com and www.daylesfordshow.com.

Don Harvey sharply remembers the jargon of a local council officer when he was getting involved with the Daylesford Show.

“What,” he was asked, “is your Mission Statement?” Don, pictured centre, did not miss a beat: “More dollars than last year.”

Last year, for the first time in six years, the show made a profit. Now, as the 150th show approaches in November, he looks back on his 12 years on the show committee and, as president at 79, he reckons it’s time for someone new.

His start was not great. “I thought I’d do something to help them and volunteered to paint the chook pavilion but had a heart attack which set me back three and a half years.”

Don’s background is that he went to Bendigo Junior Tech, first as a student and then to teach history until having a blow-up over the method used and moved to English.

Later he became a newsagent in Boort. His cosy Bullarto home, which he doubled in size from a holiday place built in 1978, is chokkers with books and family photos.

There he is keen to discuss the show, not himself, but when pressed tells of his time as a players’ advocate at country footy tribunals.

“Now, listen to me, I would say. I’ll do the talking. If they ask you something, don’t say there was a fight. But every time, the bloke would say, ‘He snotted me as I ran onto the ground’.”

Don moved into the gentler world of iris growing, exhibiting at the Melbourne Iris Show, so he’s naturally passionate about the Hall of Flowers in Daylesford, held in the Table Tennis Centre, with vegetables, farm and home produce joining the blooms.

Add to this 250 horses, about 100 sheep and birds and more than 400 dogs on show, plus homecrafts, music, wine, needlework, photography, food, showbags and sideshows and the picture for November 23 grows.

About 3500 people attend. There is only one event after Daylesford at which people can qualify for the Royal Melbourne Show.

Winners of an event can go to the next level at the Midlands Group, which is the doorway to Melbourne.It’s by no means a one-man show.

Don’s wife Mary compiles the detailed 20- page program, down to the cookery section, including Blokes’ Chocolate Cake and Sponge, “not iced, no filling”.

This is all part of a tradition stretching back to the first show in Hobart in 1822 and the first ploughing trials at Glenlyon in 1864.

Farmer-to-farmer innovation and education rolled out, as well as tremendous technological advances on display, from the first automated shearing machines to the start of GPS-controlled tractors.

In all of this, however, there is a heartbeat to the show, such as the one revealed by Don, who tells of being aged six or seven when he went with his father from near the rear of Cliffy’s, his sister on his father’s shoulders, up to Victoria Park.

“I walked,” he says, “and there were others walking, too, in 1952”. Don is also keen to share his view on people’s unhappiness.

“I’ve met people who make others miserable, and my approach is not to be bloody miserable in return. It is possible to talk to people and make them feel a bit better. I’ve had a few years’ practise at that.”

Besides the Show, Don is involved with the local historical society and the Friends of Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens, where he is known for his wry humour.

Which is just as well, says Patrice O’Shea, secretary of the Friends, because Don and Mary have faced health problems.

“Living and gardening in Bullarto is not for the faint-hearted. Putting aside the characteristically bleak weather, the terrible damage wrought by storms made a pretty grim prospect of trying to restore your place in what was beautiful bush,” Patrice says.

She says that as a keen seed collector Don is an inveterate optimist by nature.

“He shares his joy in plants, many of them rare, in the community and even in politics.” And we all benefit from this.”

Journalist: Kevin Childs | Image: Kyle Barnes

Nine-year-old Willow has taken home the 2023 Daylesford & District Agricultural Show Best Exhibit by a Junior Contributor, sponsored by Robert Nathan.

The Daylesford Primary School student entered a chocolate sponge with vanilla butter cream in the decorated cake section. She also entered a painting of a tree, which took second prize.

Willow, who also won the Florence Liversidge Encouragement Award in Junior Cooking, said she had been very excited to win, after leaving it a little too late to enter last year.

The year 4 student, who loves cooking cakes and cookies, said she would definitely encourage others to enter next year’s 150th show. “It’s really good fun.”

Show president Don Harvey said up to 2500 people headed to Victoria Park for the show with 551 dogs shown on the day.

“We had about 1400 prepaid tickets and then another 1000 or so people through the gates, so we were pretty happy with the attendance.”

Don said the weather had also been kind, with “abysmal weather” on the Friday night clearing for the Saturday show, with just a bit of rain starting before it ended at 3pm.

Don thanked his “hard-working committee” who had put in many hours, especially in the lead up to the show, and said with their experience it was now possible for the show to take a new direction in coming years.

“We also had more than 60 volunteers on our list, which was fantastic. I think it was the best show we have had in 20 years.

“So it’s really a big thanks to everyone who came along and to the hard-working committee and all the volunteers. I feel sure there are several in the committee who will be able to take over the president’s role in the future.” Words: Donna Kelly | Image: Kyle Barnes

Planning for the 149th annual Daylesford and District Agricultural Show is well under way and the show committee is looking forward to a fantastic day at the Daylesford Showgrounds at Victoria Park, Daylesford on Saturday, November 25.
Show president Don Harvey said after two years of cancellations due to Covid
and then wet weather and mud over much of the display area led to a curtailed show with almost no animal exhibits last year; this year, if all went well, would be the first full show since 2019.
“The essential essence of agricultural shows is the local competitions they provide
in the pavilions for those who have grown fruit and vegetables, created fine pieces
of needlework, embroidery, sewing, knitting or crochet or used their kitchen skills
to produce cakes, pies, pasties, sausage rolls or jams, jellies and preserved fruit or vegetables.
“If you have grown or produced any item that you are really proud of and would
like to show off please look up the schedule online at our website, look for a printed
copy in several stores in Daylesford, or contact us at info@daylesfordshow.com.au
“Unlike last year we hope that there will be prize horses sheep, dogs and poultry
on show as well as horse events on the oval.”
Mr Harvey said all show dogs had to be registered with the Canine Council of
Victoria and subject to their rules, regulations and biosecurity arrangements. The only
other dogs allowed onsite are registered and maintained for medical assistance.
A large photography exhibition will be held in the football clubrooms with arts
and crafts, and musical performances in the Tom Ford Pavilion at the northern end of
the oval. School displays will be on the walls.
Mr Harvey said there would also be musical performers in the Hall of Flowers
(Daylesford Table Tennis Centre) and under the shadesail people will be able to dance
to country bush band music. For the littlies there will be the free petting zoo with
baby animals to nurse, and the puppet theatre.
“The Daylesford and District Agricultural Show is organised and staffed entirely
by voluntary helpers. If you think that you would like to help conduct the show in
any way, we particularly need admission gate staff, but stewards around the various
pavilions are still needed too, we provide uniforms and training,” Mr Harvey said.
For further information contact the secretary John Nicholls on info@daylesfordshow.com.au

Two Daylesford Show winners are competing in the Royal Melbourne Show – after winning in their
categories at the Midlands Group of Victorian Agricultural Show.
Sharni Digby in Crochet and Rosemary Keogh in the Open Carrot Cake were announced best in show at
the Midlands Group’s annual dinner at the Maldon Community Centre on Friday, March 24.
Eight Daylesford Show winners competed against winners from Ballarat, Beaufort, Clunes, Kingston and Maldon shows for the right to represent the district at the Royal Melbourne Show, from
September 22 to October 2 this year.
The Daylesford Show last November featured 25 classes in the pavilion section and had nine winners represented at Maldon.
Those winners were: Crochet – Sharni Digby (whose winning work is pictured below) Carrot Cake – Open – Rosemary Keogh, Rich Fruit Cake – Senior – Janet MacDonald, Boiled Fruit Cake – Junior – Lachlan Apsley, Photography – Open – Emily Hicks, Blokes’ Chocolate Cake – Mick Bolton, Embroidery – Gail Joordens, Set Subject Photography – Senior – Pam Sheean and Set Subject Photography – Junior – Albert Meadows.

Daylesford Agricultural Show president Don Harvey, pictured above, said the group dinner was
attended by more than 70 show representatives and winners with speeches by junior and senior
show ambassadors and a presentation from the former Bendigo Bank Community Development
manager Geoff English.
Mr Harvey said Daylesford would be hosting next year’s group dinner in the run- up to presenting its 150th show.
“A number of classes had no representation this year including sewing, scones,
cross stitch, decorated cupcakes and a posy of seasonal flowers – all of which you
would think would be popular in Daylesford.
“Let’s hope we can be represented next year by more winners from the Daylesford Show on November 25.”