Don Simpson

Don Simpson grew up in Glen Huntly and first attended the Royal Melbourne Show as a ten-year-old, in 1933.

I think the first time I visited the Show, what appealed to me was the fact that a farmer come down from his farm, and he could tour the Show, and he could buy anything that he wanted for the farm … There was a rural atmosphere.

Don had chickens in his backyard and discovered he was able to cross-breed quite easily. He got involved with some local clubs and in 1955, for the first time, he entered his chickens at the Royal Melbourne Show. He quickly became hooked, and found himself heavily involved in both the competition side and the administrative side of breeding and showing chickens. As he recalls, ‘I always seemed to get a position as president, secretary or treasurer’ in the clubs that he joined. He didn’t mind though, because it gave him ‘a good feeling that you’re doing something for the club’.

Soon he found he was assisting at the Royal Melbourne Show at various times as a steward or judge in the poultry sheds. Describing a typical day as a steward, Don reflects:

Well a typical day, you arrive there before 8.30, and you're addressed by the Chief Steward and/or Superintendent, and they'll tell you what they expect of you. You're handed a book with all the names of the breeders and the sections of the poultry, and you'll pick up a judge and you'll steward that section. You record in the book for each class of birds the first, second and third, and then the judge will get the best out of the lot, and they're the ones generally that get a Royal rosette.

After 46 years of stewarding at the Show, exhibiting, and working on the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria (RASV) Heritage Committee, in 2003 Don was awarded the President’s Medal in recognition of his tireless support.