Michelle Daw, Yorke Peninsula Country Times

The Maitland community and many others pulled together to ensure the town’s annual show went ahead on Saturday, March 15, despite sweltering heat, hot winds, and an extensive power outage across Yorke Peninsula the previous day.

Maitland AH&F Society president Nicholas Rodda said the committee had been on the verge of cancelling the event on Friday due to difficulties securing an industrial-sized generator to power the showgrounds.

The last available generator in Adelaide was secured, and Kadina electrician Baden Napier collected and installed it. He had to rewire the entire facility and disconnect it from mains power to ensure the show could proceed.

Mr Rodda said the community rallied to overcome the challenges, with one volunteer driving to Gawler to pick up food supplies to replace what was lost in the outage.

The committee also purchased five industrial-sized fans for indoor cooling, set up extra shaded areas and provided sunscreen at various points for showgoers.

Guest speaker Wendy Perry, who presented on entrepreneurship and workforce planning, said she was impressed by the local community’s innovation and ability to adapt to last-minute changes.

Show publicity officer Heather Drysdale said, in most years, about 1100 adults and 300 children attended, but she estimated only half that number came this year.

The power outage and extreme weather led to the cancellation of many planned events and stalls. School groups were unable to perform due to hot weather policies, and Animals Anonymous, a wildlife demonstration group, also withdrew.

Only about 25 per cent of booked food vans attended, as many vendors source supplies the day before, and around half of the trade sites were affected.

Clockwise from top left: Display. Royal Flying Doctor Service Southern Yorke Peninsula Support Group president Joan Bannon and RFDS volunteer Alan Dean, of Flagstaff Hill, in the cabin of the PC 12 simulator; At the controls. Latoya Humes and Elijah Mitchell in the cockpit of the Royal Flying Doctor Service PC 12 simulator; Best in Show. Children’s floral art judge Marcelle Applebee with some of the first proze entries. Photos: Yorke Peninsula Country Times.

A local men’s group found enough supplies to put on a sausage sizzle to help fill the catering gap.

Mrs Drysdale said credit was due to everyone who braved the heat or volunteered.

“We all pulled together as a team and got the job done,” she said.

This article appeared in Yorke Peninsula Country Times, 18 March 2025.