By Tania Phillips
Yeppoon Show is back again on 4-5 June which mean’s long-time president Ken Landsberg and his crew are hard at work.
It’s a bit of a labor of love for Ken and his “something to do” in retirement.
“I’ve been president for the past seven or eight years and involved in the show for the past 11 or 12,” he said.
Ken said he got involved through the previous president when he retired.
“I had a builders licence and we were in construction, he asked me to come in and use my licence to put up a building for caretakers accommodation,” he explained.
“We got talking and he said what are you going to do when you retire and I said I’ve still got a few cattle on the farm but I don’t know. He said what about joining the show committee, coming in and giving us a hand.
“I said oh yeah I wouldn’t mind doing that – I went up the ladder pretty quick.”
Ken is now vice president of the Central Qld Sub Chamber and a board member of Qld Ag Shows in Brisbane.
“I got stuck right into it,” he said.
“I’ve always been involved with cows and horses – that’s probably what drew me to it I’d say.
“We came here in the 70s and bought a little farm and a few years later we gave the farming up and went into construction with my brother-in-law. Worked all over central Qld.”
This is the second year back for the Show after the Covid break in 2020.
“We had a record show last year so I’m hoping the same thing happens, providing this rain eases up if it keeps raining there’s going to be a few shows cancelled,” Ken said.
This year’s show will all the favourites from the cake pavilions to fireworks, woodchops, the animals, horticulture, woodwork.
“Free entertainment we have a motorbike stunts show and we have a big fishing tank – he shows people how to catch fish – Cookies Supertank,” he said.
“Then we’ve got a private chef doing some cooking demonstrations, we’ve got a petting zoo, alpachas and sand sculpture guy coming this year, he makes all sorts of sculptures he’s even got one where he makes like a dragon and he’s got fire coming out of his mouth.”
And while Ken is officially retired he says the show keeps him pretty busy.
“It’s a full on job,” he explained.
“You start straight after this one finishes and we’re always looking for volunteers.
“If you have retired to the area and you want to join then just contact me – we’ve got a few retirees on our committee already.”
Find Ken and all the show information at rockyshow.com.au
