Young faces put fresh energy into country shows
Ahead of the reveal of the 2024 State Rural Ambassador at the Royal Adelaide Show, last year’s winner, 27-year-old Lachlan Johnson, reflects on his experience.
A Bordertown local, Johnson is a farmer, diesel mechanic, and the vice president of the Mundulla Show Society.
After being awarded the State Rural Ambassador in 2023, Johnson has spent the last 12 months travelling 5000km to attend country shows at Uriadla, Port Elliot, Balaklava, Naracoorte, Penola, and Parndana.
The award also helped Johnson attend Sydney’s Royal Easter Show in April.
“It’s been really awesome networking with those other young minds with the same goal in mind,” Johnson said.
“We spent time talking about all our local shows and problems that we’d all faced, and how we do different things.
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“If we want to keep these local events around, you’ve got to get younger people involved.”
Lachlan Johnson is the vice president of the Mundulla Show Society. Photo: SA Country Shows
The Rural Ambassador Program, sponsored by the Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA), aims to showcase young people in rural areas around the state, with a particular focus on those involved in agricultural shows.
Nominees are awarded first at the local show level, before moving onto the Association Final where they compete against winners from the Eyre Peninsula, Central, Murray Lands, Northern, South East and Border, Southern and Yorke Peninsula areas.
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From there, nine Association winners progress to the state finals, which are held at the SA Country Shows Symposium in the Royal Adelaide Show.
There are around 45 country shows held annually in South Australia, from Mount Gambier with a population of over 27,000, to Melrose in the Mid North, with a population of around 340.
The Rural Ambassador award is open to people between the age of 20 and 30.
“You look at the demographic of people that are running country shows and local events, and it’s usually a lot of the older generations,” Johnson said.
“You’ve got to keep those fresh ideas, fresh minds, fresh set of hands… even just doing leg work, like putting tables [out] and things like that.
“That’s what we tell people – we can find you something to do in an area that you’re passionate about.”
Johnson said he welcomes new ideas when young people want to get involved in the show’s organisation.
“We had a couple of young girls interested in organising [bail racing],” he said.
“We basically gave them free rein of that and helped with setting up a bar and all the grandstands. It was a huge success.
“It all comes down to getting the community involved in something and showcasing what your local area has to offer.”
Following the announcement of the 2024 State Rural Ambassador, Johnson will travel to Melbourne for its Royal Show in October, where he will compete in the national competition.
