Gundagai Public School’s exhibit at the Gundagai Show.
The 134th Annual Gundagai Show was a huge success and a great display of community spirit with a huge turnout.
Dan McDonnell, Gundagai P&A Committee President said the day had a great turnout and was well supported by the community.
“It was really fantastic. The Showground was packed. We had strong numbers in the dog section which included both the cattle and sheep dogs. The sheep dog trial was enormous; they had to run both Friday and Saturday to get through the numbers. The Show dogs also had big numbers.”
“The kids’ section, both the Fun Ring and the Tiny Tots Stockman’s Challenge, were enormous. We had more kids there than ever, which was great. I still think they had almost 60 competitors in the W.O Nicholls Memorial Stockman’s Challenge, too,” said Dan.
“It’s especially inspiring to see so many of our up-and-coming young people getting involved in agriculture. The future of our rural community is in great hands, and we couldn’t be prouder of the passion and commitment these kids are showing.”
“The Pavilion was amazing. I could not believe the amount of produce, fruit, veggies and wool. The arts section was also massive compared to normal.”
“The Six Bar Jumping on the Saturday afternoon was great; there was some really quality horses there and was really entertaining.”
“Overall, it was an incredible day celebrating our community, country spirit, and all the traditions that make the Gundagai Show so special. From the competitions and exhibits to the rides, food, and friendly faces, it truly was a day to remember.”
“Also a huge congratulations to all our local champions. This includes our Gundagai Show Young Woman Representative Winner Ella Creek and all our local champions in the cattle parading ring and the poultry section.”
“Everyone’s hard work, dedication and pride shone through. And Ella, we look forward to supporting you as you head into the next stage of the Zone 3 Finals in the coming weeks. Wishing you every success on this exciting journey,” said Dan.
The People’s Choice Award was a new addition to this year’s event, where people could vote on their favourite pavilion display, which showcased displays from all schools from Gumnut Childcare right through to Gundagai High School. Gundagai South Public School won this award for 2026.
“The People’s Choice Award was embraced really well. We had both manual voting and the QR Code, and they were about equal. It was well embraced and it is certainly something that will continue to grow in popularity,” said Dan.
“Congratulations to Gundagai South Public School on this fantastic achievement, and a huge thank you to all the incredible schools who supported this initiative. Your creativity, enthusiasm, and community spirit made it truly special.”
Dan said for him and for the committee, a highlight of the Show is always community involvement.
“One of the highlights is the community involvement and just the number of hours and effort that go in to it. The community effort and sponsors. This year we built a new sponsorship platform, and it was so well supported by so many businesses in the district.”
“The committee had put so much effort in down at the Showground all week. On Sunday we were finished packing up by about midday, and we were just about to begin our debrief when the fire started and everyone just left straight to the fire.”
“So, not only had people been at the Showground preparing for a week beforehand but also had been on site for huge days during the weekend, but as soon as the fire started everyone put up their hand and went to the fire. It is just amazing that level of commitment and effort that people put into our community,” Dan said.
“Not only that, the generous support, hard work, and commitment of our committee and volunteers are what make this day possible year after year, and your contribution helps create opportunities for our local youth. We simply couldn’t do it without you.”
Michael McCormack MP was in attendance and said he was delighted to attend.
“The Gundagai Show has been an important community event on the social calendar for 134 years. I was delighted to attend the first day of the Show to see exhibition numbers, despite drought, are very high.”
Emily Flint
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