Garth Hamilton (Groom, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This weekend I had the pleasure of opening the 113th Oakey Show, a wonderful event. The whole event was a testament to the incredible resilience and spirit of the Oakey community, with crowds and competitors embracing the return to show season—as we have seen all throughout our region. It was especially heartening to see the number of entries in the field crop competition, which made such a strong return this year with many farmers across the Toowoomba region experiencing their first decent harvest in years, thanks to recent rain.

While it was an overwhelmingly joyful day there was one sad note. It was the last time that Oakey Show attendees would hear the booming voice of iconic announcer Angus Lane. Angus, who lives in my electorate, has been the voice of shows across Australia for the past 30 years. If you think of shows you will hear his voice in the background. He was awarded a medal of the Order of Australia and recognised as a Queensland great for his service. It was very clear from his final words on Saturday how much these community events mean to him. I wish him all the best for his remaining show engagements.

The Oakey Show is looking towards a bright future. It was fantastic to see the first sod turned on a new pavilion. This pavilion was funded under a grant from this government and will provide a modern facility for important community events for many years to come. Congratulations go to show President, Judy Byers, and all of the volunteers and sponsors. Oakey continues to thrive no matter how many challenges have been thrown in its way, and there have been a few. I'm so proud to be this town's representative in parliament.