Since closing to the public on the morning of the 2024 Boorowa Picnic Race Day, the Boorowa Showground Grandstand has been inaccessible to the public or community groups due to safety concerns.
Despite expressed concern from both the Boorowa Show Society and the public, no work has been started on the once proud community structure (owned by Hilltops Council).
After identifying an opportunity to get funding to fix the grandstand, the Boorowa Show Society called a meeting to order and a grandstand committee was formed.
Boorowa Show Society secretary, Narelle Nixon, says the project has been a long time coming.
“We’ve been working on this for quite some time in the sense that nothing was being done within the community and we all felt that it was too important not to at least make an effort to try to rebuild our grandstand or renovate,” she says.
The community finds themselves in a tricky situation where the grandstand is not owned by them, rather by the local Hilltops Council, who may not have the funding necessary to fix the structure.
“We just wanted to make sure it wasn’t lost as a community resource,” says Narelle.
“It’s got a lot of history, so it was important to the community to preserve it in some form or another.”
A motion was passed at their June 3rd public meeting that the grandstand would either be renovated or redesigned to comply with modern needs/safety standards with the same heritage look should they find the funding needed to take on the project.
“We have a feeling that it’s going to have to be taken down and rebuilt in the same style,” says Narelle.
“We are still trying the actual heritage value of the building.”
Before the grandstand was shut off from use, Council formerly took rent from community groups or other users to utilise the stand. At the meeting, it was acknowledged that due to this arrangement, it was Council’s responsibility to help in whatever decisions are made.
At their meeting, the Show Society, newly formed Grandstand Committee and community members discussed the grandstand’s extensive history, what was needed for restoration of the building, the pathway forward and how to get funds for the project.
“Our community is struggling in many areas, not just in the grandstand,” says Narelle.
“[Council] classes [the grandstand] as a non-essential item, but the community was very concerned that a lot of the historical value of certain buildings have been destroyed in the past, and they weren’t prepared to let this one go.
“We can’t heritage list it, but the historical value to the town is really important and unfortunately, in the past, a lot of things, such as our railway station and the old Catholic Church were taken away without any consultation.
“It’s important that this does not happen again.”
Although Narelle says she knew there was some interest in what happens to the grandstand, she didn’t expect to have more than 50 people turn up on a blistery cold night in support.
At the meeting, it was resolved that the Boorowa Show Society would apply for grant funding through the NSW Government Community Building Partnership (CBP) program for $100,000.
“The next few steps are crucial because we have to get plans in place and resubmit a grant that will outline how we’re going to use the $100,000 if we do get it,” says Narelle.
“If we don’t get it, we’ll just have to start again and source other funds.”
The importance of the structure is not to be understated, and Narelle says it has been a pivotal part of their annual show for more than 100 years.
The new Grandstand Committee comprises of: Robert Styles, Julie Styles, Justin Fleming, James Blackwell, Louise Baer, Jack Ryan, Tom Corcoran, Patrick Kelly, and Richard Fleming.
Elizabeth Kovacs
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