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I think quite a few Rotarians were feeling a little bit weary after the Airshow weekend, a mixture of exhaustion both physically and mentally.
The Airshow has exceeded our expectations and there is no doubt that the Barossa Airshow is now the Club’s prime event and has/will generate the vast bulk of income to fund our programs and donations.
The Airshow has enhanced the Club’s reputation by not only managing such a complex program but also by potentially attracting new members to a service club which is successful. We need to be relentless in promoting the Rotary Club of Barossa Valley.
Now it is worth reflecting on the success of the Airshow and the characteristics of such an event:
- It is an event that is attractive to the public. There is no other project or program which attracts such a gathering, with this year’s Airshow having more than 5,500 attendees.
- Whilst there is considerable time spent planning the Airshow, there is little physical effort required by Club members, as construction and set up of most of the infrastructure has been outsourced.
- The Club does not have the physical resources; our advantage and skill set are intellectual capital.
- Partnerships: Invite other service clubs to be involved and to benefit financially. The Club can no longer operate alone.
However, we cannot take the Barossa Airshow for granted. As I mentioned above, the Club currently has members with the skill set to manage this most complex project. Whilst the current Airshow management committee has done an absolutely brilliant job and spent a huge amount of time, inevitably the committee will need to replenish and attract new people who will add value to it. Therefore, these need to come either from within the current Club membership or appointed quality people from outside the Club.
I also believe that the Club needs to work with other service clubs. If these are fellow or neighboring Rotary clubs, great, but we should also consider other service clubs (e.g. Kiwanis and Zonta for this year’s Airshow) with whom we can work or partner to add value to Rotary’s programs or Club projects.
The Club is entering a most exciting phase in our history. We shall only be limited by our ambition.
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Barossa Airshow 2023 Preliminary Report.
A lot of hard work done over a long time by a few people paid off.
The weather gods were both kind and nasty to us.
Vehicles got stuck in the mud early Sunday With a few strong people and a lot of effort, we managed to push all the stuck vehicles free and they were set up on time. We spread straw from the straw bales over the slippery patches and that fixed them.
An amazing display of so many Aircraft held the crowd in awe.
The Roulettes fly by.
There has been continuous praise for the Air Display that Steve created. While there were lots of death-defying stunts by a lot of the pilots, there were also a lot of different aircraft on show. Whaley’s Warbirds are always a big attraction and several rare aircraft.
The youngest pilot in the Airshow was 16 year old Alicia Hayes who flew her aircraft like a veteran and did a textbook landing in a difficult crosswind.
16 year old Alicia at the controls.
At the other end of the age scale were veteran pilots Chris Sperou and Warren Stewart who did their aerobatic routine that had the crowd spellbound.
South Australia’s own Silver Sharks Aerobatics Team are favourites for many, but this time there was a fourth aircraft joining them.
The Silver Sharks
Lyndon Trethewey, who also did a stunning solo display, teamed up with the Silver Sharks and they raised their routine to the next level of awe.
Feedback from emails, Facebook, Instagram and from people on the day was 95% positive. A coffee vendor said she had the best day ever. Many congratulated us on the Airshow with high praise for the Display.
Attendance is estimated to be 5500 – 6000 including workers. The final figure will not be known until I get the total numbers from Ticketebo, and Mark does all of the financials. This will give us a pleasant problem, that is what we do with the money.
We will be having a review of the Airshow very soon so we
can work out what we need to stop doing, what we need to start doing and what we should continue to do. At the review, all aspects of the Airshow will be examined so we can make sure we make the next Airshow even better.
The full Airshow committee is 11 Rotarians with two non-Rotarians assisting me with promotion. The entire group did a magnificent job in assembling a complex event that was totally dependent on everybody doing their job.
From: Keith Millington.
Thank you to Kevin Phillips for providing the photos in this article.
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Rotary Club of Barossa Valley on Wheels.
Concept conceived by Bill Simons
Trailer donated by Bill Simons
Steel frame by John Semmler
Steel donated by Steve Ahrens
Signs kindly donated by Jock Martin Barossa Digital Print and Signs.
Trailer proved invaluable in promoting the Airshow and is now available for promoting future projects.
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Rotary Club of Clare Annual Art Show.
Editor's note. Monica Trengove, of the Clare Club contacted me recently with an invitation to attend the 25th Anniversary of the Clare Art Show. Prue has also received an invitation. In 1997/1998 during my time as President of the club, I set up a committee and encouraged it to support the establishment of an annual Art Show. It got off to a good start and in its first year $7000 was raised. Well over $200,000 has been raised since the beginning. The Campbelltown Rotary Club loaned us their Art stands and a few years later the club made their own. Over the years this event has been very well supported by the local community and hundreds of visitors. The 25th anniversary event begins on Friday May 19th with the usual speeches including presentation of prizes for the best displays in the various categories of Art. It starts at 6.00 pm. and finishes at 8.00pm in the Clare Town Hall and includes wines and nibbles at a cost of $15 per head. The Artshow is open daily from Saturday 20th May through to Sunday May 28th. If you enjoy quality Art go for a drive to Clare. Monica also sent me the photo below of two people who were in the Clare Club at the time of its first Art Show in 1998.
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