For the past quarter of a century, the Appleby School Country Fair has heralded the beginning of spring and this year, in true country style, the gumboot-throwing competition returns.
September 7 is the day the 165-year-old school invites the public to take part in traditional fair-ground games such as smashing crockery or throwing a gumboot into the air, or something a bit more tranquil like sampling the homemade baking and stocking up from the farmers’ market stalls.
The fair is run by Friends of Appleby School and its treasurer, Claire Gawn, says more than a thousand people are estimated to descend on it each year and she admits it’s popularity always takes them by surprise.
“We’re always quite shocked, to be honest. I think it’s (popularity) is because we’re the first fair of spring.
“This year we’re bringing back the gumboot-throwing. Apparently, it became a safety hazard, but we don’t see it as a safety hazard.”
Claire says the fair is the one fundraiser each year for the school of around 120 students, so it is a real school affair to create the day.
“It requires almost every member of the families to run the day. Five-year-olds to grandmothers enter the cake competition and all the cakes that go into the cake competition are sold with coffee. It’s a massive part of it.”
In the past, the school ran market days to raise funds until being rebranded as the Appleby School Country Fair in 1999, and the school has never looked back.
Claire says community input helps to make the fair a success, including donated fruit and vegetables from local growers and numerous sponsors providing items for the raffles.
“We have lots of support and donors that have been around for many years, so people know there are going to be really good raffles.”
Being a small school, Claire says its government funding is not huge, so the fair is its opportunity to raise extra funds.
