The Townsville Shell Show going strong after 50 years
There will be plenty to see and do for shell enthusiasts and families alike with the annual Townsville Shell Show taking place on Saturday and Sunday.
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It’s the event which brings people from far and wide every year to share their knowledge and love for sea shells.
The main attraction of the show will be the competitive section, where a hundred different displays matched a theme such as a particular family of shells, or shells from a particular region.
Not only that but people who attend will be well catered for with a number of sales tables where people can buy whichever shell takes their fancy, as well as raffles, a kids area and a knowledge corner for those who want to know more about shell life.
President of the Townsville Shell Club, Jack Worsfold, said the beauty and diversity of what people can see sets the show apart, especially for kids.
“It’s (the show) very educational, we like to amaze, entertain, inform and educate the general public,” he said.
“Kids can learn a lot, it’s a very wholesome activity, where people can actually interact with nature, gets their kids away from their screens for an hour or two.”
There are shell club members from each state who travel to the event each year attending once again, however some international shell club members won’t be able to attend this year.
Mr Worsfold said that newcomers to the show are surprised that there are so many, with as much as 15 thousand species.
They also learn a lot about the diversity of marine life, taxonomy, systemics, all the different aspects of science.
“A lot of people don’t realise that shells, they’re just the bones, they’re just the skeletons, they’re just what’s left of a slug like animal,” Mr Worsfold said.
“People are not generally scientific and they don’t know these things, but they learn it while they’re there.”
While the displays will mostly be of specimens, there will also be some shell art on show.
“We have a shell art section featuring things like the Japanese cherry blossom tree and that’s made out of a deep water bivalve that lives 80 fathoms off Mooloolaba.” Mr Worsfold said.
The show has been running for more than 50 years and is popular and well attended.
“The club was established in 1969 and they started up the shell show within a few years of the club being established,” Mr Worsfold said.
“So it’s long running.”
The show will run from 10am to 4pm on Saturday and 9am to 2pm Sunday at the Orchid Society Hall. Entry is $3 for adults and $1 for children, and is cash only.
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Originally published as The Townsville Shell Show going strong after 50 years
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