Quamby has risen out of the flood waters and is ready to put on a celebration of rodeo action in July.
Located 47km north of Cloncurry, Quamby was in the middle of the crisis zone when the North West flood hit in February this year.
Luckily for the Quamby All Sports Association the rodeo grounds only sustained minor damage compared to other areas in the region.
Club secretary Penny McMillan said the committee had worked hard to get the grounds ready for their event on Saturday July 27.
"The Quamby Rodeo Grounds backs onto the Capsize Creek and of course water was roaring through that part of Quamby during the floods, and brought debris up to the grounds," Ms McMillan said.
"Because our toilet blocks were on the fence line, all the debris ripped up septic tanks and pipes. The storage room was also damaged, so we had to replace it with funding from the flood recovery QRIDA (Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority) grants.
"The hill also was damaged from erosion."
Despite sustaining damage to infrastructure, Ms McMillan said the arena was far enough from the creek not to be affected.
"We have been very lucky considering the damage that could have been caused," she said.
"A lot of our community members have sustained damage to their properties, and this year we want to celebrate that we have come through devastation of the floods and we will continue on."
Ms McMillan said this year the Quamby committee had made an obligation to make the event more affordable then ever before.
"We are putting on a family oriented show to encourage families to come off their properties and from town to have an affordable weekend," she said.
"All the kids activities will be free and entry and food prices are reasonably priced."
Ms McMillan said she hoped Quamby would help producers forget about the aftermath of the flood.
"Producers in the area are currently mustering and working out their stock losses, which would not be a good time for them," she said.
"This is simply another blow as they work out how much they lost, so we are encouraging everyone to come have a cup of tea or a beer with us and enjoy a great show."
Quamby will host all its usual rodeo events including barrel racing, donkey ride, bull riding, calf and poddy riding, steer wrestling, station buck jump and gymkhana. However there will be no mutton busting this year due to no stock.
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Samantha Campbell
Samantha Campbell (nee Walton) has worked for regional and rural publications across New South Wales, Queensland and the Northern Territory. She is currently writing for the North Queensland Register based in North West Queensland. Email: samantha.campbell@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Samantha Campbell (nee Walton) has worked for regional and rural publications across New South Wales, Queensland and the Northern Territory. She is currently writing for the North Queensland Register based in North West Queensland. Email: samantha.campbell@austcommunitymedia.com.au
