Image: The show must go on – Tweed River Agricultural Society board members (from left) Ralph Kraemer, Allan Brown and Pat McMahon inspect the new sign at the Branding Rail with Tweed Regional Museum Curator, Erika Taylor.
Kicking off in 1898 and still going strong 120 years later, the Murwillumbah Show (2-3 November) has provided an unparalleled opportunity to celebrate the best of local agriculture and produce.
This year the Tweed Regional Museum has collaborated with the Tweed River Agricultural Society on several exciting new projects at the show.
Museum Director Judy Kean said these projects are part of the museum’s program and major exhibition Chutney, Chooks and Champions: stories from the show, which is currently on display.
“A ‘pop-up’ Museum will feature in the pavilion building this year, telling the history of the event and displaying some remarkable old photos of the very first shows. This pop-up is just a small excerpt from Chutney, Chooks, and Champions and well worth visiting in conjunction with your show visit,” Ms Kean said.
With support from the Show Committee, a new permanent interpretative sign telling the history of the Branding Rail at the showground was installed this week.
“The research we’re undertaken into the history of the show and the new stories we’ve collected not only means we’ve added to the museum’s collection about the history of the show, it will also result in some of that history having a permanent presence at the Murwillumbah Showground.”
The new sign depicts a copy of every brand previously burnt into the large timber logs around the bar – known as the Branding Rail – over the past 40 years. While many have now faded, visitors to the show will now be able to read about the Branding Rail, its history, and the names of some of the families whose brands are featured.
Museum Curator Erika Taylor said the museum was also delighted to be part of introducing a new fermentation category to the pavilion exhibits this year.
“Not only are we helping organise entries and judging, we’re hoping the demonstrations and hands-on classes the museum has offered over the past couple of months as part of the Chutney, Chooks and Champions exhibition will result in some hot competition in sauerkraut, kombucha and kimchi sections,” Ms Taylor said.
Pop in and see the pop-up exhibition in the pavilion, buy a 2019 Friends of the Museum calendar and come on up to Queensland Road to see the Tweed Regional Museum.
For more information about Chutney, Chooks, and Champions: stories from the Show, visit the Museum’s website at museum.tweed.nsw.gov.au.