Official opening of the Charters Towers Show

Thank you, Mr McLachlan, for your kind introduction, and welcome to our elected representatives, our Mayor Liz Schmidt, Show Society members including our President Mr Lachlan McAllister, ladies and gentlemen, girls and boys.

I also acknowledge the traditional custodians of these lands, the Gudjal people, and pay my respects to their Elders past and present.

Attending regional shows is a wonderfully uplifting aspect of the role of Governor, and so it is tremendous to return to Charters Towers.

Kaye and I are delighted to be here and are privileged to share the start of this three-day celebration with you.

We proudly recall our last visit, fairly recent, and it is great to be back, with the opportunity to meet a lot of people!

Shows such as this bear testament to the generosity and genuine disposition of the people of regional Queensland.

Recently Kaye and I were honoured to host a dinner at Government House for regional leaders, and we were inspired – as we always have been – by the ability of our mayors and civic leaders to touch both the hearts and minds of the people they represent.

Charters Towers is a major regional centre for agricultural training and education, providing acclaimed boarding schools, the School of Distance Education, and the Charters Towers Training Hub.

People of Charters Towers, your work at these fine institutions is helping produce the next generation of pastoral and business leaders, not only for Charters Towers, but for other areas across the North of our State, and indeed beyond.

Like the conical-shaped hills around us – ‘towering’ reminders of the gold mining history from which this town partly derives its name – Charters Towers stands tall with a sense of pride, resilience and above all, community.

The 137th Charters Towers Show is certainly no exception, with a colourful and contrasting program of mower races, woodchopping, trackskills, rides, fireworks, an animal farm, reptile kingdom and, of course, displays and judging of the livestock and produce from this beautiful part of our State.

I am sure there will be a special focus on the prized and popular Charters Towers beef – such is the ongoing success of your local cattle industry – and I congratulate you on your continued investment in this area: a major employment generator for your region.

As Governor and a proud advocate of the arts across our State, I am also pleased to see that your school bands are part of the show program, and I wish the talented young people of Charters Towers every success when they perform on Monday and Tuesday.

Congratulations to the committee members, volunteers, stall holders, businesses and producers who have made this year’s show possible. Regional shows would not have the same spirit and warmth without you.

We have come across from the Australian Festival of Chamber Music in Townsville.

When our attendance at the show emerged as practicable, I can tell you, we jumped at the invitation! What a marvellous town. What wonderful people!

Thank you again for your North Queensland hospitality.

It is now my pleasure to declare the 2018 Charters Towers Show officially open!