Bush Poetry has been part of the Tamworth Country Music Festival since its inception and a Golden Damper Award is a much sought after prize for Performance Poetry.
Narrabri’s two poets, Max Pringle and Jacqui Warnock have been taking to the stage and competing in the competition for more than ten years although Max didn’t compete this year, opting instead to assist in running the awards.
Jacqui was thrilled to win the Golden Damper in 2019 in the Original section and this year was honoured in the Established section (poem written by another poet) for her award winning performance of Australian champion poet Carol Heuchan’s poem “The Tractor Factor”.
The poem tells the true story of Carol winning a $34,000 Case tractor for the poem she submitted in a competition at the Sydney Royal Show and the hilarious recounting of the damage she “almost did” when driving it in the local parade.
The pottery trophy of a model camp oven complete with damper inside has become a feature of the Golden Damper Awards and highly prized among the bush poets who this year travelled from as far away as Kalgoorlie in the West and Pine Creek in Northern Territory to compete.
As well, this year saw Jacqui team with Inverell poet Marion Fitzgerald in organising the fundraiser, “Poettes in the Pink”, a show featuring lady poets and raising much needed funds for the McGrath Breast Care nurses in North West NSW.
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