Warwick Town Crier bellows for national championships

Dalveen’s Bob Townshend has been limbering up his larynx in preparation for the 21st National Championships of the Ancient and Honourable Guild of Australian Town Criers, which will be held in Maryborough tomorrow and Saturday.
The Town Crier competition, which is expected to attract about twenty criers from all states except South Australia, will complement an exciting program of activities during Mary Poppins Festival Week.
Mr Townshend said the stiffest competition will definitely be current Australian champion Judy Campbell representing the shires of Murray, Victoria and Campaspe, NSW.
“I’ll be going up against some of the country’s finest criers including a second female crier, Melva Stott representing Torquay, Victoria, and former World and National Champion Graham Keating, representing the city of Sydney,” he said.
The criers will be treated to a Mayoral reception at Gatakers Artspace tomorrow evening, followed by Saturday’s competition.
Organiser Carmel Murdoch said the criers would perform a Home Cry about their home town in the morning and in the afternoon, competition continues with a Mary Poppins themed cry.
“This is a colourful and fun event that you won’t want to miss, with all the criers performing in their colourful regalia from Maryborough’s historic rotunda in Queens Park,” Ms Murdoch said.
Mr Townshend, who played an impressive role in Warwick’s recent 150th celebrations, is confident that appearances at the Variety Nights, the Mayor’s Gala Dinner, re-enactment of the first council meeting and the finale Party in the Park, have prepared him well for the competition.
He will feel particularly grand in his new attire, which was made for the 150th celebrations by Dalveen artisans, seamstress Theresia Vanderpal and Grace Cameron, who designed the special scroll from which Mr Townshend will present.