Program Times

Horse Program for Beginners in Rodeo Arena

10.00am Terrequip (Warwick Limestone) Entertainment Stage Commences

11.30am Ute Show & Judging

12.00pm Pavilion for Trophy Presentation

2.00pm Kgari Kelpie Stud Dog Jumping

5.00pm Kgari Kelpie Stud Dog Jumping

6.00pm Evening Entertainment in Main ring with Motor Bikes, Hay Carting Races

8.00pm Fireworks

8.30pm Smash Up Derby Calcutta followed by the Ryanie for Tyres Smash Up Derby

9.00pm Music till late

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ADMISSION PRICES

Tickets $15 Adults, $5 U/18, $10 Senior Card Holders, Free for Under 5 years, $40 Family Pass (2Adults + 2Children). Family Membership is $40 (2Adults + 2Children) and Single is $20. Members of the Killarney Show & Rodeo Society Inc. have reciprocal entry rights at the Stanthorpe, Allora and Warwick Shows. Life membership is $300 for this feast of local shows.

The inaugural show was held on Wednesday 15 January, 1908. It was reported…. “For some time past the people of Killarney and its surrounding district, have been making great preparations for their first exhibition of the resources and possibilities of their rich district, and on Wednesday last their efforts culminated in the holding of a most creditable show. A good working committee had been appointed and nothing was spared to make the initial effort worthy of the progressive township of Killarney. … When such public spirit was exhibited and such excellent workers were secured there was little wonder the Killarney show society astonished visitors by the excellence of their display of products and the completeness of their arrangements. During the day there were upwards of a thousand people present, and the keenest interest was evinced in the ring competitions and the display in the building.”

After initially being leased from R A Howell, the Killarney Showgrounds were bought by the Show Society for 300 pound in 1908. Killarney Show & Rodeo Society remains one of the few Queensland show societies to own their own grounds.

By 1911, the Border Record recorded the following events for Killarney’s Show held on Wednesday 6 and Thursday 7 of February - hackneys, stock sales, parade of hacks, trotters, and all classes of horses and cattle, log chopping and cattle drafting. Admission was 1 shilling, with children 6 pence, and members free. Non-members paid 1 shilling for each vehicle and 6 pence for each saddle horse. A special Show train ran from Warwick to Killarney.

In the 1930s the Show was the social event of the year, the results of the show were reported in the Brisbane papers and excited correspondents wrote letters to advise of friends and family’s success at the show. For ladies a new outfit, frock and hat, were a must and the advertisements in the Border Record reminded ladies it was never too late to consider show wear.

During the war years, no shows were held and the showgrounds fell into disrepair. The newly formed Killarney and District Sports Club offered a generous amount of 30 pound for repairs so they could hold a rodeo. The first rodeo was held in the show ring on New Year’s Day 1945.

Up to the 1950’s horse high jumping was a popular attraction, with a record of 7 feet

4 inches (2.2 metres) being held for 15 years. The hunts, where horses were judged on style and ability over jumps, were also a popular event. In the 1950’s the Junior Farmers Club always mounted a fine display of produce grown in the district. Trots and Pony Races were also a key attraction. Trotting remained popular until the 1980’s when new rules meant the show ring was too small.

A call for financial assistance saw many of the Killarney community join the society as Life Members. There were 63 life members in 1955. The Show Committee was very robust – the President of the committee often acting as the unofficial mayor of the town. It is said at one point there was a waiting list to join the committee!

The weather, of all extremes, has always been a challenge to the Killarney Show, with the show dates moving from January, to March, April and February to try to find a more temperate season. The season’s rain, or lack thereof, reflects in entries in all sections and each year’s newspaper reports refer to the weather and its affects.

The Show Ball and the concurrent Miss Showgirl quest have been keenly supported by the young women of the Killarney since the 1960’s – with the best and brightest competing for the honours of the sash and tiara. Thousands of dollars have been raised for the society by the quest.

The Showgrounds did not avoid the terrible damage wreaked by the tornado in November 1968; the pavilion was blown away with only the floor remaining. The supper room lost its roof. After debate over the limits of insurance the policy paid out to cover the building. The current pavilion was built on the existing floor and opened on 3 April 1970. Three blocks of land along Acacia St where buildings had been destroyed became the current rodeo grounds. Over the years the grounds have been used many times to raise money for community projects and individual community members in need.

A popular feature of the Killarney Show during the 1980’s was the Wickham’s Bullock Team, driven by Eric Reis. The challenge of bullock team vs semi-trailer was a great spectacle. During this time Horse Driving events regained popularity and the show-jumping was held on Saturday evening under lights in the Rodeo Arena.

The 1990’s was a great period of updating facilities – the showgrounds were fenced with the assistance of prisoners who had assisted with the clean up after the Charleville floods, a new show arena was built and the rodeo yards were rebuilt. The Smash Up Derby was introduced to become one of the most popular events of the modern evening programme and a Stud Cattle competition was reintroduced.

In the 2000’s a changing culture has put great pressure on the volunteer committee. The outbreak of Equine Influenza caused the Show Society to cancel the 2008 show – though the Dog Show, Cattle Dog Trials and Show Ball were still held. The closure of the town’s major employer, Killarney Abattoir, in 2009 and the northern mining boom affected the fortunes of Killarney.

In the 2010’s an increasing number of tree changers joining the community saw an increasing interest in the society – with the facilities hosting more and more activities to support visitors to Killarney. Caravan Clubs became more common visitors along with cyclists and walker. Killarney Bonfire Night found a new home on the grounds which enables it to attract more than 4,500 people for an evening. The Border Ranges Trail Bike ride continued to contribute many thousands of dollars to the community through a highly successful off road motor bike ride based at the showgrounds and travelling through Killarney’s surrounding mountains.

As we enter the 2020’s the Society and grounds are now at the core of hosting many visitors to the area in line with Killarney’s ongoing recognition as an area of outstanding beauty and hospitality.

ACROSS

4 Name a nautical unit of depth in the imperial system, equal to six feet (6)

7 What do we call one who makes or sells candles (8)

8 To be expert in the use of the hand or mind, is to be what (6)

9 Which term describes that which is rare (8)

11 Name an infectious skin disease caused by parasitic mites (7)

13 Name a thick-shelled, edible nut of certain cultivated varieties of hazel (7)

15 To look carefully at something, is to do what (7)

17 To behave in a mechanical way, is to be what (7)

20 What are hobbles or fetters (8)

23 Name a worldwide youth movement (6)

24 Which bowling style is used in softball (8)

25 To feel sorrow, is to do what (6)

DOWN

1 Name the train on the Adelaide/ Darwin line that follows the Overland Telegraph route (4)

2 To bury someone, is to do what (6)

3 Name one of the various bivalve molluscs (4)

5 When something pulsates or vibrates, what does it do (6)

6 Popeye’s lady friend was known as ... Oyl (5)

9 To be not just or equitable, is to be what (6)

10 Name a large two-toed, swift-footed, flightless bird (7)

E-QUATIONS 7

4 Name a former silver coin of France (5)

Letters have a number value

12 Name sluggish, arboreal edentates of tropical America (6)

Some values are in the right hand cells. Create remaining values using clues in centre cells.

E-QUATIONS

Letters A to Z have a number value. Some are shown in the right-hand cells. Create remaining values using clues in centre cells.

General Knowledge Crossword Quick Think

14 What is a detachable section of a space vehicle (6)

16 What, colloquially, do we call those who opt out of arrangements (6)

18 Which statuette is sought after by many actors (5)

19 Name another term for offspring or progeny (5)

21 What do we call an assistant (4)

22 Name a British nobleman (4)

Mini Word Find

Find the following words in the grid. They may be read in any direction, even diagonally. Some letters are used more than once.

Curio

Shoes were once designed for both feet – there was no adjusted design for left or right! High heels became popular for the wealthy in the late 1500s but it would take around another 300 years for someone to think: what if the left shoe was different from the right?

Biyword

Build it yourself using the clues and each of the twenty-four letters once only to form ten words: five across and five down. A key word (bold clue) builds on the letter set in the grid.

LCLUES:

Do Not Resuscitate (3)

Firm (5)

Illness (7)

Layers (5)

Musician: Ringo ... (5)

Palm-shaped (7)

Saints (abb) (3)

Sister (abb) (3)

Units: electric potential (5)

Value Added Tax (3)

Solutions Sudoku

Solve the crossword. Each answer has four letters.