Life Members

Membership & Life

A special thanks to Tropic Fuels for sponsoring the members draw, with a $100 Fuel Voucher.

The first 15 new members to sign up in 2019 will receive 2 free show ride tickets! Generously donated by the Showmen’s Guild.

Membership forms are available from the Winton Library, Post Office & Neighbourhood Centre.

Celebrating Winton Show Life Members

Life Membership is awarded to individuals who have made an exceptional contribution over a significant period of time, as members of the Society. Over the coming months, we hope to publish stories for each of our Life Members.

Rosie Archer: Life Member & Patron

Rosie is dedicated to supporting the Winton Show Society and has been involved in every event since its inception in 1954 and rode in the show competing with top-ranking horses and riders for many years. Win or lose Rosie always showed the best horsemanship and got the best of every show. Rosie had two children and was pregnant with third child John for this first show in 1954. Her father, Harry Rogers-Davidson taught her how to prepare for showing events and took her to Pike Bros to get outfitted. Harry as a young 14 year old, had experience in showing horses and passed this onto his three children.

Beth Axford: Life Member & Show Memorial

Beth’s love of horses began as a young girl with her train driving father dropping her off in paddocks full of horses outside of Rockhampton to walk through them to her Grandmothers place. In her teenage years, Beth worked as a governess at Blue Range Station, outside of Charters Towers. The Cores were a big horse family who encouraged her to camp draft with the family. This is when Beth made the cover of Hoofs and Horns as a talented rider on the camp draft scene.

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Bob Blacket: Life Member & Show Memorial

Bob came to Winton from the Mitchell area in 1957. He drew a block on the Diamantina River and subsequently named it Tibourie. At nineteen years old his dream of becoming a cattle producer was soon realized, the land and stock becoming his major focus and passion. This property was the beginning of a long and successful life in the pastoral industry.

After fulfilling the conditions of his lease, he blended into the community and soon became aware of the need to assist in events in and around Winton. Among others, the Winton Pastoral and Agricultural Society became one of his favourite attractions.

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Roslyn Blacket: Life Member

Roslyn Blacket (nee Anning) grew up on a property near Charters Towers. After leaving school she trained as a nurse and was working in Townsville when she met her future husband Bob, whilst he had cattle on agistment near Charters Towers. They were married in 1966 and Roslyn came to the Winton district to live with Bob at Tibourie.

Over the years they made their home at different properties, as their family and cattle business grew. It was while living at Amelia Downs, Winton, that Roslyn became aware of the need to join the Winton Pastoral and Agricultural Society with the view to becoming a volunteer.

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John & Elinor East: Life Members

“John I probably only gave a little help prior to 1961 but I decided to drive 100km in to town for the 1961 AGM. to join the committee and get involved.”

The committee was restricted to 25 and there were 27 nominations. I was one of 2 who lost in the ballot. President Eddie Phillott came to me after the meeting and suggested I get involved and better luck next year. This I did and joined the committee in 1962. The 1960s was a mixed-up decade with one of our worst droughts in 1965 and the next few years were not very good either and interest started to decline. I mainly worked in the ring and the sheep section at that time.

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John Paine: Life Member

Originally from Hughenden, John Paine came to live at Daintree, Winton with his wife Katrina in 1996. He became a member of the Winton Show Society and soon after took on the job of steward for the Stockmans Challenge event that Darryn Mitchell had initiated. The Outback Legends Challenge event grew over the years to be consistently supported by competitors from across the region, including students from the Longreach Pastoral College.

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