The Bathurst Showgrounds are a hive of activity as preparations for the 115th Bathurst Agricultural Show step up. The event draws entrants, exhibitors and enthusiastic members of the public from across the province.
Along with a dedicated and skilled organising committee of mostly unpaid volunteers, the show’s not-so-secret ingredient for success is its continued dedicated focus on farming. Livestock, poultry, farm fare and agricultural machinery and implements remain core to its character.
Because of the recent foot and mouth (FMD) outbreak in the province, there will be tight controls on foot and vehicle traffic entering and leaving the showgrounds. Most members of the public enter the showgrounds on foot, and biosecurity they will simply walk over disinfectant mats. For people driving into the grounds, “biosecurity” means having your wheels sprayed with disinfectant.
FMD is not a threat to human health or food safety and people cannot catch it from animals. However, people can unintentionally carry it from one area to another by walking or driving through infected material. The non-invasive biosecurity measures are to ensure the continued health of the livestock that will be on show at the grounds. They are also the reason traders are setting up on Wednesday – a day earlier than usual.
This year, the Bathurst Horse Show will be the main entertainment in the central arena, along with sheepdog demonstrations and the traditional tractor and classic and vintage car parades.
The Home & Garden competition will move into the ECASA Hall – and you should get your entries in soon because space is limited.
Junior Art and Art & Photography competitions are good targets for creative souls.
The show’s stall’s are always carefully curated and this year’s spread is no exception. Look out for the brand-new section, ‘Something Natural’, where you’ll find a range of natural products.
For high-end excitement, the 4×4 track gets an extra adrenaline add with a Bigfoot 4x4x4 monster truck.
Rub shoulders with the who’s who of game farming in a classy marquee at the Woody Cape Game auction.
We don’t want you to miss something important, so over the next five weeks, Talk of the Town will be giving you the inside track, from chickens to tractors and everything between and beyond.
- This article was first published in Talk of the Town, February 20, 2025. The newspaper serving the communities of Ndlambe and the Sunshine Coast, with a weekly wrap of Makhanda news, is available at stores from early on Thursdays.
