The Birchip Friends of EWHS Flower Show bloomed with colour, talent and community spirit on Friday at the Birchip Community Leisure Centre.
The day was truly a celebration of country hospitality, as families came together to enjoy the rich tapestry of quality artwork, needle work, patchwork, photographs, flowers, baking, produce and floral displays that delighted attendees of all ages.
Smiles were in abundance, especially among the children, whose excitement was palpable as they purchased lucky dips and devoured an array of sweet treats. They had started the day somewhat healthily, with a free fruit juice and barbecue cooked by Peter Doran, Paul Barclay and Roger Lehmann and donated by Brenda and Peter Doran.
The real joy came when they proudly showed off their school art creations and homemade entries to their parents and grandparents. Kindergarten, primary, and secondary students’ creations were displayed in full glory, hanging from windows and spread across tables for all to admire and enjoy. It was wonderful to see the talent in the junior sections, auguring well for the future of the flower show.
With a plethora of beautiful entries across the "grow" sections, the leisure centre shone brightly, featuring everything from vibrant geraniums and orchards to Australian native flowering shrubs, roses in all hues and stages of bloom and various arrangements from floating flowers to succulents in a novelty container.
The beauty of the Mallee and the warmth of local families were captured in the numerous photographs on display, each one telling a story of rural life and natural splendor. The agricultural section, with prizes awarded for wheat, wool, and barley, was also a fitting nod to the region's deep agricultural roots.
In addition to flowers and art, the homemade baking, decorated cakes, needlework, and crafts filled the venue with a sense of accomplishment and creativity. Whilst the entries were down in Section 4, the level of skill and care in these entries reflected the incredible talent amidst the local community.
Guests wandered around the exhibits and market stalls, before sitting down to savor a delicious lunch prepared by the talented Birchip P-12 School Hospitality students with their family and friends, many who had travelled to be with them on the day.
During the official portion of the afternoon, Birchip Friends of EWHS Flower Show President Brooke Morris expressed her gratitude to all involved, acknowledging the many hands that helped bring the event to life. Brooke said “As you all know, there are many people who are working behind the scenes helping out our wonderful executive to bring this show to fruition. We all enjoy it very much but we couldn’t do it without everyone’s assistance and we thank you all for entering, coming along and supporting us to raise money for our local hospital” .
Brooke thanked the executive team, market stall holders, people working on stalls, volunteers, the Birchip P-12 School, donors, O’Connors, kitchen staff, cooks and an extensive list of people who had helped in many ways. Brooke said “We are grateful to everyone who contributed, especially the auxiliary ladies and their family members who are vital to the success of the flower show.”
Prizes were presented to the winners, with trophies kindly donated by community members and local businesses. To cap off the formalities, executive members Brooke Morris, Brenda Doran, Carol Reid, and Cathy Lowry drew the raffle winners with the respective donors.
Though the beloved fashion parade was hampered by a shortage of models this year, Bev from Bev’s Baubles provided a showcase of her new summer range, offering commentary on the stylish pieces.
The sustained success of the Flower Show is a testament to the goodwill of the Birchip community and their dedication to supporting the Birchip Campus of the East Wimmera Health Service. The committee deserves high praise for maintaining this cherished tradition that provides an outlet for the community to showcase their creative talents and inspires the next generation of creatives.
Ultimately, the Flower Show brings together the community in a shared celebration of creativity, agriculture, and goodwill, ensuring that this treasured local event will continue to bloom for years to come.
Flower show results
- Champion Rose (trophy donated by Robyn Ferrier in memory of Edna Watson) Heather Fletcher.
- Best Exhibit in section 1, 1-20 (trophy donated by John & Cathy Bales in memory Katie Bales) Anne McClelland.
- Best Exhibit in section 1, 1-29 (trophy donated in memory of Pat Russell) Anne McClelland.
- Aggregate trophy section 1 (trophy donated by Carol Reid) Heather Fletcher.
- Best Exhibit in section 2, 1-20 (trophy donated by Birchip Newsagency) Megan Noonan.
- Cooking and produce aggregate (trophy donated by Barb Bolden) Barb Bolden.
- Make, Bake & Grow open (trophy donated by Bowen’s Sports Store) Jacinta Bourke.
- Section 4, Best Exhibit (trophy donated by Jackie Cartwright) Di Lehmann.
- Section 4, Aggregate (trophy donated by D & R Gould) Annette Bennett.
- Grand Aggregate 1,2 & 4 (trophy donated in memory of Kay Hogan) Heather Fletcher.
- Best Exhibit Grain (trophy donated by Brenda Doran) BCG.
- Best Exhibit Wool (trophy donated by Brenda Doran) Wirrabilla Farms.
Photography section
- Best Exhibit Open Section, (trophy donated by Elaine McCallum) Cathy Lowry.
- Best Exhibit Primary Section (trophy donated by Brooke Moris) Ashlei Poyner.
- Best Exhibit black & white (trophy donated by Catherine Lowry), Denise Nicholson.
- Best Exhibit Enlargement (trophy donated by Simone Christie) Cathy Lowry.
- Raffle prize winners
- Hamper Raffle; 1st Amelia Baker 2nd Ronnie Cozens 3rd Chris McLoughlan 4th Andy Barber.
- Bev’s Baubles: Noreen Asop, May Ferrier.
- The three sister in laws– Rae Colbert.
- CWA – Riley Doran, Simone Christie.
- Cake Stall – Colene Delaney.
- Lucky chairs – Georgia Hogan, Kellie James, Ronnie Cozens, Anne McClelland.
- Malle Shearing Shed: Mandy Valentine.
- Kaylene James Fuit Cake Auction-Veronica Hogan.
- Barley, Georgina Warne, (prize donated by Peter and Brenda Doran).