“Back in those days we had all different types of animals in the nursery kids could come and see including lion and tiger cubs, emus, wombats and kangaroos,” Scott said.
“We even used to get coloured chickens and the bloke that brought them up used to tell the kids they got their colour from eating hundreds and thousands — that would never happen today.”
Those early years were instrumental in instilling a love for showing animals and country shows that still runs strong today.
Scott was recently awarded a Victorian Agricultural Shows (VAS) life membership for his contribution to the agricultural show movement.
At a local level, Scott has been involved with the Rochester Show Society for many years.
He was also recently made a life member at Rochester after 38 years of service on the committee, including a couple of stints as president totalling about 11 years.
He also been involved with the VAS committee for the past eight years.
“I have been to shows all over the country and they have always been a big part of my life,” he said.
“Not only have I shown animals and been involved from a committee perspective, I have also made many lifelong friends.”
Dairy farming at Timmering, Scott has always exhibited his own Holstein cattle and Poll Herefords, which led to involvement in the RAS Dairy Cattle Committee.
He has been and is again president of the Northern Sub-branch of Holstein Australia and is on the Holstein Australia national judges panel.
In 2014 his stud, Somerelle Holsteins, received a master breeder award and Holstein Australia Cow of the Year.
Scott is also involved in horses and the saddlehorse championships. Most recently he has been chair of the VAS Horse Committee.
Scott said this year was his last year on the VAS board after serving the maximum term — he will remain involved, just not on the committee.
He said it has been interesting to follow the journey of the country show over the years as he has watched its popularity ebb and flow.
He said the Rochester Show was currently one of the most successful country shows of the 110 held across the state.
“Over the last few years we have had great participation and we have really focused on giving value to the show patrons because we all know how expensive they can be if you have a young family.
“We try and include as many free activities as possible.”
Initiatives like free entry, aerial aerobatic displays and free activities in the kids’ area, vehicle displays, dunking machine and mechanical bull have all contributed to the success, along with the strong cattle and horse shows.
“Animal-wise our show is one of the best supported in the state — we always have a big cattle show and over 300 horse entries this year,” Scott said.
The Rochester Show is held on the last weekend of February.
“As a show committee we are now quite financial, but I remember a period when we had to organise a donated dairy embryo raffle just to put some money in the bank, things were pretty crook back then.”
Scott said it was also comforting to see a changing of the guard.
“Over the last 12 to 18 months we have had an influx of new people onto the committee which has been amazing.
“There has been a change of demographic and I am sure our country shows will continue to evolve.”
Scott is also on the committee of The All-breeds Show Society, which runs three very successful horse shows a year at the Elmore Equestrian Centre.
This year he is excited about their new venture which is an all-breeds dairy cattle show to be held at Elmore on November 15 and 16.
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