Calm before the carnival . . . the quiet country town of Guyra braces for the Lamb and Potato Festival.Credit: The Guyra Argus
Once upon a time I was given the book Mary Bought A Little Lamb And This Is How She Cooked It. It was a farewell present from a friend when we were leaving the city to live on a farm. It's now well seasoned with kitchen splashes and drips.
I'm sure it would be a popular book in Guyra, in the state's north-west. Each January this town stages a Lamb and Potato Festival and the locals cook about 100 lambs and 450 kilograms of potatoes. If you have the appetite, you can tuck into lamb and potato dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner for the 10 days of the festival, on January 16-27.
On the menu are three kinds of lamb pies, lamb burgers, lamb and gravy rolls, lamb sausage rolls, marinated lamb chops and, of course, roast lamb. On the spud front, there are potato bake, chips and chats accompanied by butter or sour cream.
The festival committee president, Ron Lockyer, is preparing for the town's 22nd festival. "We will have 43 stalls offering wine tasting, local fruit and vegetables, raincoats, boots and leather belts, jewellery, pottery and even a stall selling pillows," he says.
Add to this a display of antique machinery, a swap meet, a line-up of Falcon GTs and an entertainment tent with live music.
Each day begins with breakfast at 7.30am: a lamb patty, bacon, eggs, tomato, toast and tea or coffee. Lunch and dinner feature more lamb and potatoes. Last year 33 volunteer organisations received $1000 each for providing eight to 10 people to work in the kiosk for half a day each.
"We go through a huge amount of food," says Julie Gittoes, who has been organising the catering for the past 18 years. "We're busy the whole time and go through at least 12 dozen buns every day and probably double that on weekends."
She expects to sell between 4000 and 5000 pies, as well as 1000 or so roast dinners.
Part of the festival's popularity is due to its prominent location, in a park on the New England Highway. A statue of a big lamb is easily seen by people driving during the school holidays and also by travellers to and from the Tamworth Country Music Festival, staged at the same time. Value for money must also be a drawcard: pies from $3, burgers for $5 and a roast dinner with three vegies, potato bake and bread for $10.
Gittoes says the community is proud of the event. "It came from such humble beginnings, a concept discussed over a table," she says.
"It is unique and hasn't lost its identity; the local community has stayed very involved."
Frank Presnell was present when the idea was first considered around his dining room table. In his late 80s now, he is still involved, mostly doing a little public relations work. His son, John, supplies the lambs, which each weigh about 20 kilograms. Last year 96 lambs were consumed. The legs are boned, seasoned using a secret recipe and rolled by the local butcher (who also makes the mince for the pies and sausage rolls) and then cooked by the Volunteer Rescue Association in an oven so large it can cook 14 legs at a time. This year there will be about 200 legs to roast.
Col Stanley, the owner of the Guyra Country Fresh Bakery, works long hours during the 10 days of the festival.
"I start to cook the pies the previous night, starting at about 8pm," he says. "You still have to bake the normal shop stuff as well as bake, pack and deliver the pies."
Last year he introduced lamb sausage rolls.
But it's not all about lamb. Potatoes have been grown in Guyra for generations. The Guyra District Potato Growers' Association was formed in 1937 and one of the founding members was William Youman.
A cousin, Geoffrey Youman, has been growing potatoes for 30 years and donates the potatoes for the festival.
Australia Day falls during the festival and each year the flag-raising ceremony is conducted in the park, next to the big lamb. This is apt, given the contribution of sheep to modern Australia.
FAST FACTS
Guyra is 532 kilometres from Sydney, about a seven-hour drive. It is about two hours' drive north of Tamworth.
Guyra's Lamb and Potato Festival is on January 16-27. There are two motels, two hotels and a caravan park in Guyra. There are also B&Bs and farm stays in the surrounding area.
Take a fossicking, historical, scenic or birdwatching drive. Self-drive maps, as well as brochures for the four nearby national parks, are available at the visitor information centre at Rafter's Restaurant, New England Highway, phone (02) 6779 1876 or see guyraonline.com.au.
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