Ringarooma District Show
Mr Speaker, this evening I rise for a local celebration in an expanded area that I am getting to understand and enjoy more and more every week.
Last weekend I had the pleasure of attending the Ringarooma School and District Show. I am not sure whether that is a show that you have attended yourself, but for me, being able to stretch out from the bounds of Launceston, to meet with and enjoy members of the West Tamar community, down the East Tamar to George Town and out through the north-east and up to Flinders to get to understand how these small communities come together, connect, support each other and what they offer in the community is often found in their local shows.
As a family we went out and enjoyed the local show. It was fantastic. We met with local businesses, local school groups, the local neighbourhood house.
There was a fantastic auction of local agricultural products. There were great displays of old cars and some really exceptional model cars that were made by a gentleman, Richard, in a shed in his backyard.
He makes these correct proportion scale cars that he hand machines himself, which is amazing. He does all the panel beating. His partner of the day has done some of the upholstery. He machines all the engines and they are working. You can drive them around the show.
Mr. Jaensch
He has an excellent Land Rover.
Ms. FINLAY
Have you seen them?
Mr. Jaensch
Yes.
Ms. FINLAY
Amazing. I had the pleasure of meeting Richard. I have heard so much about his cars. He makes them in the workshop, in his backyard in Sidmouth, also in the area of Bass. It was really lovely to be able to actually see them over the weekend. One of the other beautiful things about the show was meeting the husband and wife and their kids who have Island Kelpies. They showed a working dog display, which was also fantastic, to see how they complement the work on-farm.
Mr. SPEAKER
I need to declare an interest.
Ms. FINLAY
Do you have one of the kelpies?
Mr. SPEAKER
No, he is my son.
Ms. FINLAY
Mr. Speaker, I did not make that connection at the time. That is amazing. So they are your son, your daughter-in-law and your grandchildren?
Mr. SPEAKER
Grandchildren, Chase and Ryder.
Ms. FINLAY
Yes. One of your grandchildren did a display of working with the dogs, rounding up the sheep in a pen that was put up. He did a fabulous job and it was wonderful to see. It was great to see a family so excited and happy and passionate.
I missed the first demonstration so we made sure that we got some hot chips and gravy to sit down with to watch the second. I thought it would just be a demonstration but the way he spoke about the training, the work, the effort and that one dog does the work of four men.
Mr. Speaker, I did not know that connection and that is not why I raised it. For us it was fascinating and it was joyful to watch. The Launceston Running Club ran the Ringarooma 10 and it was great to meet and speak with the representatives from the Dorset Community House who were running a survey for young people in the region.
There was live music, an auction, and equestrian events from the North Eastern Pony Club. As a new person representing this incredible region with all of these great small towns, to be able to go to the Ringarooma Show for the first time, we will be back as regular attendees. It was an incredible event.
I encourage anyone else if they get the opportunity, when you hear about the Ringarooma Show, turn up and make the most of it and enjoy it. I say congratulations and thank you to everyone who worked really hard to make it happen.
11th November 2021 - 8:13pm
Video - YouTube