The committee behind the Maitland Mercury Super Show has a new president who’s eager to build on the event’s proud heritage.
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Greta’s Bill Smith, an angora fleece grower, has taken over from Trevor Hardes, who resigned from the position last year.
“Trevor put in a lot of work, to his credit, and it taxed him,” Mr Smith said.
“The important thing is that we continue to work together as volunteers, each with their individual expertise; it can’t come down to one person, it has to be a team effort.”
The challenges that face the Hunter River Agricultural and Horticultural Society and the ageing showground are well documented.
The committee has battled to secure funding to maintain heritage items including the grandstand, which was made off limits to spectators because of structural decay.
“In our financial situation it’s a battle just to stay alive day to day,” Mr Smith said.
“To have money to rejuvenate a heritage item is just not possible and consequently we rely on grants and benefactors.”
Among the grants on the committee’s radar is a supplementary round of the public reserve management fund.
The supplementary round is specifically for showgrounds and offers a share in $700,000, with applications open until January 16.
“We won’t be sidestepping these opportunities,” Mr Smith said. “[But] there are situations where you can only get grants when it is dollar-for-dollar and we don’t always have the means to match it.”
Despite the challenges Mr Smith aims to make the 2014 Maitland Mercury Super Show prosperous.
“I think the main thing with the show, as much as it is a family event with sideshow alley, is that it must not forget the agricultural aspect,” he said.
“Since those early days there has been a shift away from its beginnings.”
Mr Smith, who started exhibiting angora goats and fleece at Maitland in the 1980s, hoped to put together some healthy sized livestock and pavilion exhibits.
The return of wood chopping to centre ring would be a boost to the rural aspect of the show, which will run February 14-16 with support of major sponsor the Maitland Mercury.
“The show is our major event of the year and while we are not-for-profit it has to be run well so it breaks even and preferably gets into the black,” Mr Smith said.
