THE PAVILION, GYMPIE SHOWGROUNDS
Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th June 2013 from 8am – 4pm
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The Gympie and District Orchid Society is hosting an Orchid Spectacular and Conference to to celebrate its 50th anniversary.
ORCHIDS of all shapes and colours take centre stage at the 2013 Gympie Golden Orchid Spectacular next month.
The event, at The Pavilion on Southside between June 8-9, will attract orchid admirers from all over Australia.
Gympie Orchid Society secretary John Rees is eagerly awaiting the spectacular, to be held in conjunction with the Sub Tropic Orchid Council of Queensland.
The spectacular is held once every three years and the last time Gympie was involved in staging the event was back in 2004. Back then, however, the venue itself was Nambour’s RSL.
“This would be the first time the event is taking place in Gympie itself,” Mr Rees said.
The spectacular is also being tied in with the Gympie Orchid Society’s 50th anniversary celebrations.
Orchid enthusiasts will enjoy top quality speakers giving lectures on both days of the spectacular in addition to 20 commercial stalls.
Guest speakers include botanist Dr Wayne Harris, speaking on Australian native orchids in south-east Queensland, and Charlie McMonagle who was a guest speaker at the World Orchid Conference in Papua New Guinea.
Popular speaker John Woolf, of Toowoomba, returns to Gympie after attending the Gympie Garden Expo earlier this month.
Gympie Orchid Society vice president John Green said the event was a boon for the Gympie region.
“I think it’s a chance to show off the Gympie region as a holiday destination,” he said. “Gympie is one of Australia’s hidden treasures.”
Mr Green expected about 1000 visitors to roll in Saturday with busloads from as far south as Kempsey in New South Wales.
“These people spend money in town and it’s great for the local economy,” Mr Green said.
Orchid lovers will also be participating in competitions with prize money exceeding $5000 for categories including classes for photography, floral art, paintings as well as the orchids and associated foliage
This is in addition to the traditional judging of orchid plants. All entries go on public display with winners congratulated with a special dinner on the Saturday night.
Admission to the Golden Orchid Spectacular is $5 with doors open from 8.30am on both days.
The event is being held at the Gympie Showgrounds on the 8th and 9th June 2013.
Admission $5 for the weekend.
Top quality speakers will be giving lectures both days.
The show is open to all financial members of an Orchid Society in Australia with prize money in excess of $5000. There are classes for Photography, Floral Art , Paintings as well as the Orchids and associated Foliage.
Taken from Gympie Times Article by Matthew Lee
Funds raised will be shared with Little Haven Palliative Care
