Grand Central Floral Parade 75th Annual Carnival of Flowers

Toowoomba Regional Council Mayor, Councillor Geoff McDonald, Councillors and all elected representatives; sponsors and all enthusiastic carnival goers; good morning!

I begin by acknowledging the Original Custodians of the lands of the Toowoomba region, and pay my respects to Elders past, present and emerging, and to all First Nations people here today.

Graeme and I are delighted to be here today at the invitation of Mayor McDonald to celebrate the 75^th anniversary of the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers, and we are particularly pleased that we will soon be participating in the Grand Central Floral Parade in the Vice-Regal Rolls Royce.

The magnificent Phantom 6 is a cherished part of our State’s automotive heritage and was acquired by Government House in 1973. This means that she is now approaching middle-age and, these days, rarely leaves home, but today, she has been able to make her way slowly and regally up the Range to be part of this exciting event.

Back in October 1950, the organising committee for the inaugural Carnival of Flowers hoped that it would grow to become Toowoomba’s answer to Grafton’s Jacaranda Festival, but even the most optimistic of them could not have imagined that there would be 500 floats in the very first procession – or that it would take two-and-a-half hours to pass.

The grand parade that year was a historic cavalcade of transport that included not only a bullock team and a truck carrying 17 tonnes of wheat, but a Tiger Moth on loan from the Toowoomba Aero Club – and even a circus elephant!

The variety of activities packed into those eight days in October 1950 shows just how enthusiastically the concept was embraced by the community of Toowoomba and the surrounding district – there was a rodeo, a drama festival, an art exhibition, a Queen of the Carnival competition, fireworks, a race meeting, and a mock court, all culminating in a grand ball in the show pavilion.

Amazingly, through all of that, the Toowoomba ambulance service reported just 30 cases of lacerations and people fainting in crowds!

Since the unqualified success of that first event, the Carnival of Flowers has grown in scope and strength and, despite occasional setbacks and the vagaries of the weather, has become a month-long celebration and one of Australia’s largest and most popular festivals, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors to Toowoomba and the Darling Downs each year and contributing millions of dollars to the local and State economy.

On behalf of all Queenslanders, I warmly thank the Toowoomba Regional Council and the many individuals and organisations that have helped bring this year’s Carnival to fruition.

A festival of this size and complexity takes enormous resources, hard work, creativity and good will, and Council, with the generous support of government, corporate and media partners and the broader community, has succeeded once again in giving us all this marvellous annual opportunity to enjoy family, food, fun – and, of course, flowers.

Enjoy this wonderful 75^th anniversary!