Joan de Bondt, The Koondrook and Barham Bridge Newspaper

Each year, the Agricultural Societies Council of NSW (ASC) recognises the excellence, dedication, resilience and innovation of agricultural show volunteers across the state.

The joint winners of the ASC Dedication Award for 2022 are June Lowry and George Rathbone from Wakool Show.

Local identity, 91-year-old George Rathbone, drove himself to Sydney to accept this prestigious award, and he also collected June’s as she was not well enough to make the trip. He has June’s in safekeeping until he is able to deliver it to her personally.

Both George and June were founding members of the Wakool Show in 1960 and are life members. George has served in all capacities, whilst June was the catering supervisor. Both are still active committee members. George was also a member of the Barham Show Committee.

With his farming background, George has been involved with horses all his life. From riding as a young boy on the family farms, to pulling wagons, contracting with his brother with a horse team and an eight-foot harvester, droving, playing polocrosse – first in Griffith and then Wakool, and being involved in tent-pegging competitions.

George’s children were involved in gymkhanas, so it was a natural progression from being involved as a parent, to joining the Wakool Show Committee, formerly known as the Wakool Gymkhana Committee.

George developed a keen interest in the Light Horse Brigade many years ago, and with a group of like-minded people, he collected uniforms and memorabilia. He wears the full regalia and leads the Barham-Koondrook Anzac Day parade to this day to ensure that this brave brigade is honoured and never forgotten.

In 2014, George and his daughter, Karen, made a pilgrimage to the Middle East to join a group of descendants and members of the Australian Light Horse Association. Dressed in full Light Horse uniforms, they retraced the battles of distant relatives and attended formal ceremonies where they paid tribute to the fallen.

In 2016, at the age of 86, George returned to Egypt, this time as manager of the Australian team competing in the World Cup Tent-Pegging championship. Tent-pegging is an old military sport in which George was initially involved with in Deniliquin. The horses were supplied by the Egyptian Equestrian Armed Forces Club, and two of the team members took out a gold medal in the pairs event.

A father of six, grandfather of 15 and great-grandfather of 15, George is still actively involved with the Barham Men’s Shed and the Border Flywheel Heritage Museum.

The familiar image of George leading the Anzac Day parade will be immortalised when it is included in the collage to be painted on the Barham water tower.

This article appeared in The Koondrook and Barham Bridge Newspaper, 5 May 2022.