MP Kevin Anderson opened the show and said small communities thrive on volunteers and that made Walcha the special place it is.

“When I look around this magnificent showground here I see the amount of people that have put up their hand and said 'yes we will make it happen',” he said

“Thank you very much for the kind invitation to open this show.”

More than sixty committee members and numerous volunteer workers are responsible for making the show happen each year.

“This is one of the strongest shows in regional NSW because of you – and we want to continue to support this show,” Mr Anderson said. “I’m also really pleased to see the number of young people involved in the stock and cattle side of it as they are the future, and to be able to encourage them to get involved in agriculture is so important. To see them here today warms my heart and makes me feel the future is in good hands. Congratulations to everyone involved.” 

Walcha Show Society president Angus Monie said the wool industry was returning to its glory days and the stud merino judging and 180 fleeces on display this year was quite extraordinary and of Sydney Royal standard.

Last December the Uralla District Show Society announced that after 143 years it would not be holding a 2018 agricultural show owing to a lack of volunteers. 

For the first time in many years the next Walcha Showgirl was decided during the show and Amy Kermode was named junior showgirl while Sophie Uren will represent us next year in The Land Showgirl Competition Zone finals.