Times are tough, but the shows go on!

Story – Tricia Duffield

Drought and economic downturn couldn’t dampen the spirits of people in the bush, with huge crowds turning out to support the annual agricultural shows in Bourke and Walgett at the weekend.

Daily life in our communities is not easy, and for many people there is a sense of dread and anxiety, brought on by high fuel prices, cost of living pressure, impending drought, lack of business confidence, and a dire lack of tourists, which in turn is impacting local economies.

But over the weekend, the numbers through the gates of the Walgett and Bourke Shows kept ticking over, recording some of the biggest attendances in years for Walgett and almost matching the record for Bourke. It seems hard times cannot dim the enthusiasm for our homegrown agricultural shows.

In Bourke, the final tally for Saturday’s attendance was close to 2000 people, and in Walgett the two-day event was hailed as one of the best for years. […]

For full reports on the Bourke and Walgett Shows, see inside printed edition of The Western Herald.

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High flyers on the Wipeout at the Bourke Show. Photo Beverley Callow