Opening of the 2024 Nowra Show
Friday, 9 February 2024
Nowra Showground
Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC
Eora bujeri. “Good people” of Nowra and surrounding areas, from the land of the Gadigal from where I come, I pay my respects to Traditional Owners of this beautiful Country, and to Elders, past, present and emerging and thank them for sharing their vibrant living culture and Country.
To everyone here, thank you for your warm welcome. It is a great pleasure for Dennis and I to join you at the 2024 Nowra Show, as Patrons of the RAS Foundation and the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW, respectively.
It is also an honour to follow previous Governors who have made their way here to the opening of the Show – including Sir Philip Game in 1932 and the Honourable Gordon Samuels, in 1999, and to join you to celebrate a special milestone – the 150th anniversary of the Nowra Show Society.
What the last few years of bushfires, floods and the pandemic has taught us is that we can’t take anything for granted. And we have certainly learned over this time how important community is.
The Nowra Show is the perfect exemplification of how community works. The contribution across the community: from the Committee to all the other volunteers, to the exhibitors, to the members of the public who come along to enjoy the activities and sample the produce and wares on display provides a wonderful opportunity of getting to know other people and learning about the produce and wares available in this beautiful area.
The strength that this community has built up over the years was particularly apparent in 2020, just after the fires when a decision had to be made whether to ‘go on with the show’. And it did. As the RFS took a lap of honour to cheers from the community, your local Federal Member Fiona Phillips MP remarked that there could be no “better place to announce that the Currowan fire, which had burned for 74 days, was finally out … It was a true cause for celebration.”
There is so much more local history associated with the Show which percolates around the community: from your beautiful heritage pavilion to the two cricket teams called ‘Perseverance’, commemorating the tedious process of getting stock and produce across the Shoalhaven, to having George Reid, later Australia’s 4th Prime Minister, at the very first Show.
Over the years, there has been a long tradition of individuals whose commitment and expertise, with the support of the Committee and the community, has meant that this Show is renowned amongst the Agricultural Show Community. Earlier this evening, I mentioned John Bennett, your former President, now President of the Royal Agricultural Society, and there are, of course, the young Rural Achievers and The Land Sydney Royal AgShows NSW Young Women, including Imogen Clarke, Lisa Horner, and Maddison Perry. Maddison will compete at Zone 2 on February 17th at Penrith. Best wishes, Maddison. And there are so many more …
Today, in its 150th year, from that first show in Terara in 1875, the Nowra show goes on!
Congratulations to everyone involved and I now declare the 2024 Nowra Show open!