The Donnybrook Apple Festival 1967

Under the chairmanship of Mr. E. McCabe with Audrey Fry as secretary and Allan Frost as organizer, Donnybrook prepared for what  has to be its last Festival of the original series. It saw many familiar :aces from previous festivals in the Committee. Vin Parley was again vice-chairman and in charge of the Apple Queen Competition. Harold Ayers, Glen Mitchell, Vic Vernon, Ron Kitney, Allan Tucker and Bruce Hearman all appeared on the Committee. Determined to build on the success of previous festivals the committee arranged a Rodeo for Easter Saturday. After a lapse of seven years, the Junior Farmer's agreed to repeat the performance of the tractor maypole dance with the help of Bunbury Machinery and Massey Ferguson. It was one of the most spectacular events staged at the 1960 Apple Festival. It captured the imagination to such an extent that the tractor maypole dance was shown at the Margaret River Show and at the Royal Show in Perth that year. The first signs of festival life occurred on Friday night when the Bunbury Salvation Army Band upon their arrival at the Railway Station entertained the 75 patrons on the Reso Train.

The rattle of 30 racing hill trolleys started Saturday's events as their young drivers competed in the Apple Box Derby. The arrival of a helicopter carrying the Minister for Industrial Development, Mr. Charles Court, at V.C. Mitchell Park was the first time most people had seen such an aircraft. A subsequent flight to photograph the festival was certainly the author's first helicopter flight. Mr. Court began in his official capacity by opening A.C.I's new Carton Factory. A.C.I. had sponsored the helicopter flight from Perth for Mr. Court to perform the opening ceremony. After the opening the public were invited to inspect the vast new factory. After this, Mr. Court opened the thirteenth Apple Festival.

A comprehensive machinery exhibition was displayed at V .C. Mitchell Park during the afternoon. Many big firms took part, but most interest centred on Mick Fry's prototype Squirrel that started Mick's company, Crendon Machinery. The Squirrel is a moveable elevated platform from which fruit is harvested from the tops of the trees. A capacity crowd packed Trigwell Place to witness the start of the nine event spectacular Rodeo program. Following a barbecue in Bentley Street that evening, the Collie Band played at Railway Park before leading a Mardi Gras through the town streets. It included the Capel Recordettes, the Wallis Family Singers, fencing and jujitsu displays before the presentation of sashes to the queen contestants. There were six contestants this year. From Donnybrook Dale Thomson was nominated by the Hospital Board, Susan Smith was sponsored by Rotary, Robyn Bode nominated by the Donnybrook Football Club and Megan Ferdinands nominated by the Donnybrook Basketball Association. South Mt. Barker Football Club nominated Diane Draper as the Mt Barker contestant. For the first time a town outside the festival towns, Collie, nominated the winner of the Collie Christmas Carnival, Christine Bolak as their entrant in the Apple Festival Queen Competition. Sunday saw the start of a cricket match on Egan Park between a S. W . team and a West Australia Cricket Association XI, which included five state players. A Women's Basketball Carnival also commenced while the Reso Train passengers were taken on a tourist trip to Crendon Farm and then through Grimwade to Noggerup.   (Courtesy of Doug Henderson book "Apple Queens & Festivals")

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