ANBC Presidents Report Jan 2026

By the time you are reading this, your new season rings will be sitting in the aviary, ready to be placed on the legs of the next, highly anticipated batch of chicks. A few will no doubt go on youngsters from those special pairings. Good luck to everyone – may this be your year.

One of the many duties of being President of the ANBC is that it is your turn to host the Nationals. Since COVID, the past few years have brought major changes to how the Nationals are presented. These changes include livestreaming and increased sponsorship, amongst others. To that end, this has expanded the scope and level of professionalism of the event. Whether you are watching from the venue, hosting a Club-watch party, or from your lounge room at home, it’s something we can all be incredibly proud of.

To help share the workload across the Zones, the ANBC National Show Committee formed in early 2025. It includes one representative from each Zone — along with people who have hosted Nationals in recent years. Additionally, those with strong business minds and those passionate about developing the Nationals are part of the committee. Underpinning its purpose, the committee remains committed to making the burden of hosting easier for each Zone. Also, it aims to help the Nationals become more consistent and standardised, year on year.

The committee refers to this approach as “containerised”, in the same way the stage and bird-room holding cages are shipped each year to the host Zone. Our belief is that other key components of the show can travel too, including the “On the Perch”, livestream commentary, and knowledge of the audio-visual setup. Additionally, other important operational pieces can travel. By keeping both the know-how and equipment together, hosting the Nationals becomes less daunting. This is irrespective of whether a Zone has a large membership or a small one. Ultimately, this containerisation approach helps each Zone achieve the best possible outcome when staging the National Show. It also allows the ANBC to deliver a consistent product, year in, year out, for fanciers and sponsors alike.

Other News

At the last Delegates Meeting, the ANBC passed a motion from the ANBC Judges that the ANBC will pay the travel costs of ANBC judges. With the ANBC now carrying advertising on the back of the judges’ shirts, this will help recover those costs. This smart initiative came from the National Show Committee, which continues to look for ways to make the Nationals an even better spectacle.

A finch breeder told me the other day that a budgerigar friend suggested he watch the Nationals. He tuned in for the first time thinking it would be a quick half-hour. Four hours later, he couldn’t believe the quality of the production.

I believe we have a unique opportunity to present our Show to the broader budgerigar community, both at home and abroad. With the commitment and foresight of this committee, we may not have the best birds in the world. However, I truly believe we have the best show to present to the world.

Garry Hibberd

ANBC President