ONE way drivers, one way.
Whether it’s the dodgems along sideshow alley while hooking into a dagwood dog, or the demolition derby in the main arena, the 127th annual Mungindi Agricultural Show on August 8-9-10 will have something for everyone.
Mungindi Show Society has made sure all bases are covered at the celebrated border town, well-known for its good old-fashioned hospitality and bush charm.
Saturday night – August 9 – features the Header versus Picker Derby, with seven headers and cotton pickers so far signed up for the battle of spindles and rotary cutters.
Mungindi Show Society secretary, Ally Orchin, said the derby was unique on the bush show circuit.
“We are the only show society running a header versus picker derby at the moment,” Ally said.
“The derby was a huge drawcard last year, and will be a big one again for us this year.
“We also have a car demolition derby this year, and lots of locals have gotten behind that with entries,” she said.
“The horse versus motorbike barrel race is new for us this year as well. It’s getting a lot of traction and interest, with teams of five horse riders and five motorbike riders racing each other in the campdraft arena.”
Bush poet Muz Hartin will be there, along with Eljay Freestyle Entertainment and Randy’s Junkyard Action Show.
Ranger Nick, well-known as the entertaining bush cook and master of simplicity, will demonstrate his unique camp oven cooking skills.
There will be camel races and the 3 Ponies Petting Farm featuring lambs, baby goats, deer fawns, chickens, ducks, guinea pigs, piglets, ducklings and chicks, a mini horse and small donkey, miniature cow, llama and alpaca.
“We’ll have Leon Cunningham entertaining as well as the Inland Fireworks display – the best in the north-west and southern Queensland,” Ally said.
“All our other entertainment is run by our amazing committee and stewards, which I think is, well, pretty amazing.”
The 2025 Mungindi Show features a two-day campdraft, horse-ring events, horse sports and wood-chopping events all weekend.
“There’s also a novelty farmers’ challenge for the kids’ and young farmers’ challenge for the big kids,” Ally said.
“Our pavilion is also looking amazing, and well worth a walk through. We’re so lucky to have so many amazing people putting it all together.”
This is Ally’s first year as show secretary, with husband Tom Orchin about to wind up the final year of his three-year term at the helm as president.
Tom and Ally are backed up by a hard-working committee determined to put on the best show either side of the border.
“The show has been the main topic of conversation in our house for a few years, and we have an amazing committee which has made being involved a real treat,” Ally said.
“It is a mammoth job, but it’s worth every second to see the joy it brings to our little town.”
The Mungindi Show is one of the few shows still held across three days, but with plenty of action and entertainment, the bordertown famous for the one-ton post knows how to put on a good show. “Sunday is probably my favourite day, and it’s a very local day, too,” Ally said.
“It starts early with the motorbike gymkhana, then beers on the hill from 10am for the poets’ brunch with Muz Hartin hosting.”
The Poets’ Brunch features 13 categories, scheduled for an 11am start for aspiring poets of all ages.
There will also be a pet parade and dog show, dog high-jump, cross-cut competition, grain-shovelling competition and the highly-anticipated mullet competition.
“My dad, Shane Murphy, brought in the mullet comp last year and that brought a lot of laughs,” Ally said.
“He’s gone even bigger this year and added moustaches and beards as well,” she laughed.
“Afterwards, there will be yummy camp oven cooking and the barbecue cook-off.
“We often get asked how a small town like Mungindi can put on a three-day show, but we just know how to get it done.
“If we didn’t do it right, it wouldn’t work – but it does,” Ally smiled.
2025 Mungindi Show
When: August 8-9-10
Where: Mungindi Showground
Times: From around 8am each day for spectators
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