Jack Weston Rae OAM
Ringmaster & councillor - Jack Rae was born into agricultural life. He lived his whole life on the same property. His family lived in Narre Warren North for generations and ran a dairy farm.
Jack Rae was born into agricultural life. He lived his whole life on the same property. His family lived in Narre Warren North for generations and ran a dairy farm. Jack left school as soon as he completed his merit certificate. He began working on the family farm full time from age 13. ‘I suppose it was just that I had no desire to do anything else other than milk the cows and work the horses’, he recalls.
Agricultural shows, including the Royal Melbourne Show, became a notable annual fixture in Jack’s life. Growing up, the Royal Melbourne Show as an important place for displaying, trading and selling animals and machinery. ‘We actually bought a machine that picked the bales of hay up in the paddock, we bought that at the Melbourne Show, my older brother and I.’
Early on, Jack became involved in organisational aspects of agricultural life in Victoria. In 1956 he joined the Chamber of Agriculture representing the Dandenong Agricultural Society. When the Chamber of Agriculture folded, Jack was one of 11 individuals appointed to the newly created Victorian Agricultural Societies Association (VASA). He went on to become the third President of the organisation. VASA initiated the popular Miss Show Girl competition at the Royal Melbourne Show.
While President of VASA in 1971, Jack was appointed as a councillor of the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria (RASV). ‘So I was the bush fellow – although we only lived 50 kilometres from Melbourne, this was still very rural – I was the bushie coming from VASA, that’s when I went onto the council of the Royal.’
Over the years, Jack has held a number of important roles as part of the Royal Melbourne Show, including Ringmaster for close to 11 years, a member of the Feline Control Committee, Pig Committee, Dairy Cattle Committee, Horse Committee, Poultry Committee, Caged Birds Committee, Show Girl Committee, Heritage Committee and Chief Steward of the Dairy Cattle. He reflects:
I started with the Dairy Cattle Committee, and coincidentally, I finished up with the Dairy Cattle Committee. I’ve very pleased, after having been through the various avenues, it was nice to finish up where you started.