Pakenham Show: eye on the future

By Justin Robertson
FOR 100 years the Pakenham Show has charmed and captivated the community.
Now, the historic event faces uncertain times as its future hinges on a meeting with the Cardinia Shire Council next Monday evening to discuss a suitable location for the show beyond 2013.
Once developers move in and the racing club moves to its new Tynong location – possibly slated for early 2013 – it will leave the Pakenham Show without an area to host the event.
The show committee is now desperately seeking a venue for its 2014 show, and much will depend on the outcome of Monday’s meeting.
“Our centenary show in March was one of the best ever,’ said Gavan Bourke, Pakenham Show president. “But with an ageing committee and uncertainty about our future beyond the year 2013, it is not surprising that interest in the society is dropping off.”
With several three and four generation families heavily involved in the society over the past 100 years, the challenge is now on to take the society to the next level.
It’s a sentiment supported by Pakenham Show forward planning chairman Ian Thomas.
“That will be our aim, and we are totally focused and committed, provided we can get assistance from the Cardinia Shire Council, Pakenham Racing Club, the government and from the general public,” he said. “We desperately need new committee members.”
Formed in 1911, the society originally operated from the Mechanics’ Hall in Station Street, and later from the Pakenham Recreation Reserve (now the P. B. Ronald Reserve and site of the new hall/library). Then, in 1959, following a joint arrangement with the Pakenham Racing Club, a move was made to the racing club site in Racecourse Road.
Since then the show has been held annually on this site, climaxing in the very successful centenary show in March of this year. The society has appointed a forward planning committee and letters have been sent to the racing club and Cardinia Shire Council.
The Pakenham Show society has also sent a letter to the Pakenham Racing Club but as racing club president Michael Hodge said, as of yet, there had been no talks on the show moving to Tynong as an alternative for the 2014 Show.
“We’d certainly like to have those discussions and we need to have those discussions,” he said.
“The club as part of its business plan at the new venue is very much around focused on non-race day event hire at the event centre. It’s very much in our interest that an event like the Pakenham Show could continue at the new racecourse.”