Townsville Show 2025: Bruce Morcombe hails child safety program
A focus on child safety, thrilling fun, immense cattle, and soldiers trading the base for saddles - the Townsville Show had it all this year.
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Despite being a weekend of fun and games, there was also serious work being carried out across the weekend at the TownsvilleShow.
Child safety advocates Bruce and Denise Morcombe were on hand to oversee the 100,000th Kidz ID registration - a safety program supported by the couple’s Daniel Morcombe Foundation that makes it easier for police to reunite lost children with their parents while at the show.
The stand has been operating since 2007 after first being implemented under the oversight of former police officer and nowMundingburra MP Janelle Poole, and had registered 99,500 children in the intervening years, setting up a massive milestoneto be met across the weekend.
“This was kicked off back in 2007 by now, current MP Janelle Poole who at the time was senior sergeant Janelle Poole,” Inspector Jason Brosnan said.
“It’s a wonderful legacy for MP Poole to carry on and continue with. This is a program we run just here in Townsville, we’ve registered 100,000 children over the last 19 years and that’s a huge effort.
“Kids wander off, they’re just being kids, everyone gets distracted and this allows us to reunite them as quickly as we can and give everyone a bit of peace of mind.”
Bruce Morcombe said the program was “absolutely awesome”.
“This is a great piece of community policing, and this partnership has been going strong for almost two decades now,” Mr Morcombe said.
“It’s been an ongoing contribution to the local community, safeguarding Townsville and in particular the kids visiting the show.
“It’s hard to comprehend - it’s a big number of individuals coming forward - and you never know how many potential dangers we’ve avoided. All our volunteers, the police, the people in this partnership, we’ll never know how many untidy situations we’ve avoided.
“It’s just a very positive exercise.”
Acting Senior Sergeant Julie Cook said the program was a fast, effective way to protect children.
“In past years, police have been able to reunite lost children who were registered with Kidz ID alert back with his parentsin under 10 minutes,” Acting Senior Sergeant Cook said.
“The short time it takes to register can make a huge difference — helping to keep your family together safely and avoidingneedless distress.
“Every registered child will receive a wristband and a friendly chat from a police officer or volunteer about protective behaviourand staying safe while enjoying their day at the show.”
ALL CATTLE, NO HAT
Alyssa Rixon has a 320kg grass puppy called James that just loves a good cuddle but like any fourteen-month-old is prone to tantrums.
From Tully the seventeen-year-old is at the Townsville Show to compete in the cattle section with Bilyana-based cattle stud Ambross Beef in the junior judging and junior parading events.
She said all of the cattle had distinct personalities describing James as a cheeky toddler.
“But he’s very much like a puppy dog and loves to be padded and cuddled and loves people,” she said.
Kimberley Teelow from Amboss Beef loves doing the show circuit – especially the Townsville Show which she said was the best for showing cattle.
“It’s a great way to get out and display our stud to people that we normally wouldn’t be able to get in touch with,” she said.
“So coming down to Townsville, there really is a very broad network that comes through the show here. It’s a great opportunity to meet people and talk to people and show off these lovely animals we have.
“Townsville is actually my favourite show out of all we go to. I love this cattle arena we have. There is nowhere else that we go to that we get to show in such a beautiful, quiet arena with shady trees and green grass, this is my favourite place, and we have two young kids who come with us, and this is by far the best place to come and show cattle.”
She especially loves talking to the public about her cattle.
“I did at the last show, I had a button that said, ‘I’m a farmer, ask me a question’ and it’s great having the cattle out here, because people come down and actually talk to us, and kids can see the animals.
“They’re not tied up in the sheds. So this is really great, and it’s great informing the public about what we are doing, and for them getting to see a little bit of the country that’s fading very quickly in the city.
She said the Townsville Show was definitely helping to bring the country into the city.
“Most people wouldn’t have the opportunity to get hands on and kids who can actually come up and pats on some of our animals here.
“They wouldn’t get that opportunity in anywhere else in their life. So it’s great for them to be able to see all the animals (at the show).
“I’ve seen pigs and goats and horses and everything going on and I think there’s some camels so I think this is a wonderful expression of breaking country to the city,” she said.
HORSES “GOOD FOR THE SOUL”
The central ring at the Townsville Show took on a military flavour on the weekend as three female army soldiers put their love for horses on show.
Major Lauren Crocker and Major Kerby Siemsen both serve with the 4th Health Battalion looking after the health needs of soldiers form 3rd Brigade while Corporal Tegan Wilson is with the 1st Military Police Battalion.
But at the show the three were with their horses Lights and Sirens, Sugergum Cisco and FPH Conjuror were competing in several events including breed lead and ridden classes and Fashions of the Field.
Major Siemsen she also competes in dressage and went to her first show as an eight-year-old in her home town of Weethalle in NSW and said she used elements of her military life when working with her horses.
“There’s that attention to detail to how you look, which is something that we do at work as well. So I really like that presentation side of things, looking neat - the showing,” she said.
“It’s a chance to show off your horse and yourself, and that’s what I really like about it.”
Corporal Wilson said showing horses at shows was good for the soul.
“Horses are just really good for your soul, and they’re calming. I also I retrain ex-race horses. So it’s just another hobby for me to showcase how versatile thoroughbreds are as they go into their next career,” she said.
She encourages other defence personnel to have hobbies outside their military life.
“You have something of interest outside of defence, because you spend so much time doing the things like going into the field, going on exercises and working with people closely.
“It’s good to have something where you can have an outlet, especially for your own interests and your mental health,” she said.
AXE-WOMAN A CUT ABOVE
After taking out a world title at in Sydney earlier this year Mackay wood chopper Takiah Moore-Barrett currently claims the bragging rights in her family.
That is no mean feat as she is the fourth generation in a long line of champion woodchoppers having first picked up an axe blade herself to compete 15 years ago aged just 5.
Now 24, she won her first world title at the Sydney Easter Show in the 275mm underhand competition.
“I competed against multiple countries. They came from all around the world, and I was the lucky one to come out with the win. It was awesome having my family there cheering me on there to give me a big hug afterwards,” she said.
The woodchopper said she was now being treated as a professional athlete.
“A lot of people look up to me now. They see me as a professional athlete - a role model.”
She said there was no senior age limit in the competition.
“We just had a fella, 93 years old. He just retired, so there’s no age gap. You can keep competing till you feel like stopping,”
She said she loves competing on the show circuit for the camaraderie with the other competitors.
“We’re all family in this ring. So we get along, we have fun. We can joke around, and at the end of the day, we all encourage everyone,” she said.
Originally published as Townsville Show 2025: Bruce Morcombe hails child safety program
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