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HISTORY

1967  TO   1980

1967 Griffith cage bird club staged a meeting between Sydney and Melbourne budgerigar fanciers at the Griffith Annual Show. The Griffith show had exhibitors from New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia competing for budgerigar awards and this prompted the Griffith members to suggest a meeting be held to discuss the running of a National Show. People present were: Pat Rogers President of the BSA (NSW) Kevin Kelly Secretary of the BSA Harold Lemming BSA Bruce McLeod BSA Lester Harris BSA Frank Gardiner President of the BCA (VIC) Evan Stafford Vice President of the BCA Harold Heath Secretary Of the BCA Len Vines BCA Ted Wilson BCA The conference was chaired by Harry Nesbet president of the Griffith Club, with John Lane also from Griffith taking the minutes. Many points were discussed ranging from the written standards of the various states, (five different ones were in existence) difference in show cages, and the difference in the scale of points allocated to the bird from state to state. All agreed that a National Show was possible but felt that these differences would need to be resolved first. The resolving of these differences would pave the way for a National Show.

1972 Dr Harold Cooper became the show manager for the BSA (NSW) and his enthusiasm for the national teams competition rubbed off onto the members of the BSA show committee. During the next two years I (Ron Hunt) was travelling to Melbourne on a number of occasions and was entrusted with the PP job of convincing the Victorians that NSW was genuine in wanting to be part of National Show. I was able to get to know (the late) Frank Gardiner and his wife Molly very well during this time and enjoyed many of their famous afternoon teas. I also visited Evan Stafford, Fred Tucker and Harry Eady and these visits were all very friendly with the old interstate feuds of the past pushed aside to make way for a National Show. Dr Harold Cooper also made several visits to Victorian fanciers with the same formulae to cement friendships. It must be noted at this point that prior to this time many NSW and VIC fanciers had crossed swords and hardly spoke to each other.

1974 Harry Eady the then Secretary of the BCA (VIC) who was very much in favour of the National Show idea, and his drive and enthusiasm was responsible for the next milestone in the lead up to the first interstate competition. A meeting of fanciers agreed to get the show underway, this meeting was held in the Kensington Town Hall during the Frank Gardner Shield Competition. A draw was made, 1975 Victoria, 1976 NSW and 1977 South Australia. This was to be the order in which the first three Nationals would be run. The host state to supply the judges, the show cages and the host state standards to be in operation. Tasmania had opted to remain out of the competition at his stage and hoped to enter at a later date. Dr Harold Cooper had put forward the theory that as time passed the differences would disolve in the face of a truly national show and national standards etc would evolve as necessity made them a reality.

1975 History was made when at the Kensington Town Hall in Melbourne the first ever interstate teams competition was run. Using a point score system of six points for the first and one point for the sixth. Three teams took part on this historic occassion. The date for this new event was Saturday the 24th of May and it was run in conjunction with the BCA (VIC) annual show. The interstate birds (when the interstate competition was completed were all entered in the BCA show. The classes for the competition were:- 1. Normal green 2. Normal blue 3. Yellow (black eye) 4. Albino or Lutino 5. Greywing 6. Cinnamonwing 7. Clearwing 8. Opaline including AOSV 9. Yellow face blue 10. Pieds 11. Any variety hen Hens may be shown in classes one to ten. Harry Eady was the Show Manager. The judges for this occasion were all from Victoria. The venue was given high praise in the fancy press including the interstate magazines and all who attended had high praise for the competition and the future of the event. The two visiting teams travelled by van and returned the same way. FINAL RESULTS Victoria 110 points South Australia 73 points New South Wales 48 points

1976 NSW to host the Second interstate Teams Competition at Gladesville RSL. The show committee of the BSA (NSW), felt this show should be able to stand on its own at the same time provide a holiday type atmosphere for the visitors. Unfortunately South Australia unable to attend as they were concerned about quarantine problems in Victoria. The NSW show committee arranged for their inter branch challenge (i.e. state selections) to be held as a point score team show on Saturday 27th March and the Interstate Challenge to be run the next day Sunday 28th of March. A dinner dance was held on the Saturday evening and a harbour cruise was arranged for the Monday. The Show Manager was Dr Harold Cooper and Chief Steward was Ron Hunt. The judges were Billy Blenheim and Kevin Kelly. Unofficial and informal meetings were held to discuss judging, stewarding and the general format of the show. All ideas were to be aired before the membership of the BSA (NSW) and BCA (VIC) with a view to bringing these ideas to a meeting in Adelaide in 1977. FINAL RESULTS Victoria 57 points – won four classes New South Wales 53 points – won seven classes A score board was in use and the closeness of a competition created excitement and atmosphere giving the show a different feel to all other shows based on individual entries.

1977 South Australia to host the third interstate teams competition. This time three teams competed. NSW, VIC and SA. This show was held in conjunction with the South Australian Young Bird Show. Judging of the National Competition commenced at 2.00pm on the 21st of May. FINAL RESULTS South Australia 94 New South Wales 69 Victoria 68 Ten classes for varieties and one for any variety hen was again the competition.

1978 The national competition returns to Melbourne, and held on the same weekend as the BCA Annual Show. This show was to see Western Australia competing for the first time. An unofficial meeting was held in a motel and the first talk of forming a national council was raised, the National Show was held on, Sunday the 19th of February. FINAL RESULTS Victoria 151 New South Wales 98 South Australia 88 Western Australia 49 A dinner was held on the Saturday evening at a local Golf club and it was reported in the Sydney Fancies magazine that this dinner was responsible for cementing the ideas of a national Championship with social occasions as well as bird show.

1979 The venue Rosebay RSL Sydney. The first actual convention. Arrangements were made to hold lectures, special group meetings, diners and slide shows all planned ahead with fanciers wishing to attend asked to register. The dates for this convention were from the 19th to 21st May and set the trend for future nationals. Brian Byles, editor of the English magazine "Cage and Avery Birds" was our guest and his lectures were attended by many fanciers. His comments on Australian budgerigars were both jolting and eye opening and his coloured slides were able to support his comments. Recordings on audio cassettes were made of all speakers and sold to fanciers from all states. Ten classes for the varieties and one for hens were still the classes for competition. Victoria won seven of the ten classes. The judges for this were Kevin Kelly, Fred Cardona and Neville Seage and for the first time stewards were used who had graduated through a steward’s school. Queensland competed for the first time and amongst their team members was a man who became well known in Budgerigar circles, a young Brian West. Two other guests were Trevor Watkins and Burnie O'Dea from New Zealand, the first of many New Zealanders to visit our National Show. A vote was taken to allow Queensland to compete as two zones at future shows. FINAL RESULTS Victoria 181 New South Wales 157 South Australia 138 Queensland 91 Western Australia 28

1980 The National Show returns to South Australia. The South Australians not to be out done by the Sydney siders also conducted a convention. The guest speakers were Kevin Kelly from NSW and Gerald Binks from the UK. Gerald later became known to us as the editor of Budgerigar World and the author of "Best in Show". This show was to be remembered for the emphasis it placed on the overall placings, including the second bird. South Australia won six classes and New South Wales only two. New South Wales were able to win by virtue of the quality of the second bird. Queensland competed as two teams i.e. North / Central Queensland South Queensland. We now have six teams competing. FINAL RESULTS New South Wales 200 South Australia 197 Victoria 164 Western Australia 118 South Queensland 87 North Queensland 84