Celebrating 104 years of the Tyrendarra Agricultural Show

The event on February 12 was the 104th Tyrendarra Agricultural Show.

The show, held at the Tyrendarra Recreation Reserve saw a range of entertainment including Dan the Magic Man, Wicked Wildlife, performing dogs and vintage tractors, animal nursery, home brew competition, photography, craft work and the rural section.

New in 2022 was the Cashmore Park sculpture competition, which invited sculptors to create from recycled farm or garden materials.

Senior Steward Bruce Sharrock's family has been in the wool industry for generations.

The Heywood wool classer started when he was 18 - "that was 44 years ago now," he said.

Mr Sharrock attended the Gordon Wool School in Geelong after left he left Portland Technical School.

His father was a farmer in Bessiebelle, and his grandfather sheared merino near Hamilton in the early 1900s.

The western district is prime sheep country, he explained.

"There's good feed and good rainfall in the western district," he said. "You need it with sheep and lambs, which are bringing in good money at the moment.

"There are a lot of cross breeds out in the western district, whereas merino is found further north."

There were 16 sections to be judged in the wool competition at Tyrendarra, with 10 categories to be scored against.

Portland scrap metal dealer Nev Warner's 1976 Chamberlain sedan tractor, made in Western Australia, is one of the newer of the 60-odd vintage tractors he keeps at his Portland farm.

The relics remind him of his upbringing on the land in Gerang Gerung.

"I love them, we grew up with them as kids," he said. "We had old steel wheel tractors that were my grandfather's and I've kept them in their original conditions.

"All the history is disappearing - even the style of houses being built these days are in new European designs. I don't like change that much and I don't agree that all change is good.

"Kids in strife these days didn't have the things we grew up with. Life is getting too complicated; when we were six we were trying to flog tadpoles in a waterhole, there's such a difference in life these days.

"My daughter's eldest is two and he can't wait to jump in the cab of the tractor with me, he just loves it."

Some of his tractors date back to 1919 and are still in good nick.

"There's no computers or batteries in them, the seats are made of steel and the tyres don't need pumping up. They're very simple and sturdy."

The Portland Rotary Club held a sausage sizzle to raise funds for its Tongan relief appeal.

Club president Kym Stock joined the rotary club to meet new people and enjoys the camaraderie.

"I was a dentist and I was surrounded by females at work and home and was looking for male company when I joined," he said. "At that stage rotary was prominently men but now it's much better with women part of the crew.

"Rotary is an impressive organisation but we're not good at blowing our trumpet.

"It's a wonderful way to meet people and we're always looking for helpers.

"For a while there we were starting to a look a bit pale, male and stale but there's a lot more diversity now."

Former club president Erin Barker said the Tyrendarra Show was an important fixture in the community.

"It's very important, this one has always been important and everyone always comes to this one as it caters for all ages and interests."

The Hamilton Woodturners displayed their handcrafted goods, ranging from apple wood bowls, jewelery holders and pens.

Club president Stuart Robinson was working on a 1890s manual wood turning machine.

He joined six years ago and said he missed the company during COVID lockdowns.

"We catch up every Thursday," Mr Robinson said.

"Shows like these are important, we come down when we can, though we haven't been able to the last few years."

Larissa Gardiner is Tyrendarra "born and bred" and said it was good to see the show on again after it was postponed last year.

"There's a lot of enjoyment and fun and it's a good way to catch up with everyone," she said.

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