Awards Presentation for the 2025 School Scarecrow, Little Sprouts and School Garden Competitions

RNA President, the Honourable David Thomas and Mrs Jane Thomas; RNA Councillors, Mrs Robin McLay and Mr Scott McLay; teachers and school staff; parents and carers; ladies and gentlemen; girls and boys.

I begin by acknowledging the Original Custodians of the lands around Brisbane, the Turrbal and Jagera people, and pay my respects to Elders past, present and emerging, and to all First Nations people here today.

As Governor of Queensland, Patron of the Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association of Queensland, which runs the Ekka––and an avid Ekka-goer myself––I am thrilled to be here today to present awards to the 2025 winners of School Scarecrow, Little Sprouts and School Garden Competitions.

And can I just say that being a judge for these competitions must be one of the hardest jobs at the show!

The entries are always so incredible, and there are so many of them!

This is wonderful to see, as it means our young students are proud of their efforts––as they should be!

Through these competitions they are learning so much about the bush, and about what life is like in our state’s rural and regional areas. And they now understand so much more about what the Ekka means to all Queenslanders.

Plus, being creative is always such great fun!

The Little Sprouts Competition encourages students to create entries that are completely biodegradable––designed to naturally break down in the garden.

Meanwhile, our primary students have channelled their creativity into building scarecrows that celebrate the sporting history of the Showgrounds, embracing this year’s theme of ‘Sporting Heroes’.

And of course, we also recognise our young farmers today, with schools invited to design and grow their own mini farms.

I know that all competition entries will have been closely scrutinised for their creativity, craftsmanship and authenticity as being representative of life on the land.

We all benefit from the work of Queensland agricultural producers every day out there in the regions.

Many of them started their journey at a very young age, much like you have, and spend their whole lives devoting their skills and talents to supporting our economy––and of course our health and wellbeing through the foods we eat, grown––or in the case of our cattle and other livestock raised––right here in Queensland.

Before we present the awards to the deserving winners of this year’s competitions, I would like to thank the RNA and their corporate partners for their support, and of course, the teachers, students and families who have contributed so much to Ekka 2025.

You should be very proud of what you have achieved. Congratulations to you all!