Crowd big, trade a little slow: Alice show

By ERWIN CHLANDA Preliminary crowd figures for the Alice Springs Show were 19,000 over the two days. "We're very pleased," says event manager Holly Russell. Brendan Fogarty (above), a trade exhibitor over several years, says it was quieter than usually but better than last year. His Spitwater stall (pressure cleaners, heaters, vacuum and industrial cleaners) was one of only two commercial stalls in the outdoor business display area, amidst itinerant traders, food seller and government displays. "A few enquiries, a few sales, not a bad weekend," says Mr Fogarty (pictured). "There's always someone to have a talk to." The commercial exception was the cattle section with a high-price bull sale. It was the eighth Alice show for Ron and Elisabeth Hill hailing from Mildura and owning a store in Broken Hill, manufacturing and selling leather goods. They attend 10 field days and agricultural shows a year, also including Katherine, Kununurra and Wentworth. Mr Hill describes the Alice show as "fairly consistent" although this year his trade was down by 20% on last year which was "extraordinary".