SQBBA Report May 2026

Aside from the main event happening in South Queensland this May, taking up much of my time, the other news is that our new Constitution has now been signed off by the Office of Fair Trading, which is great news. Although it’s not a major change to SQBBA, it does represent a new approach. A constitution, as part of our hobby, often seems to be pushed to the back and forgotten about to some degree. However, as the world we live in is changing rapidly, with social media and AI impacting our lives, club, zone, and even the ANBC constitutions need reviewing every couple of years to ensure they comply with our needs today.

On the breeding side of budgerigars, the weather in South Queensland has been up and down, depending on where you live. On the coast, the rain has been consistent—probably a little too much early in the season—though it has settled down lately. Whereas over the range, in the Southern Downs and Toowoomba area, it has had a bit of a Saharan look. My area around Warwick is having one of the worst seasons for a long time. Despite this, breeders are reporting a pretty reasonable year. As for me, as dry as it is, I’ve had a good start. I have plenty on the floor, which is good at this time of year. The birds should be in good feather coming up to the National Show, hopefully.

There is always hope.

Toowoomba Show

The only show this month has been the Toowoomba Budgerigar Club show, with 360 entries. Considering the fuel prices at that time, it was a great turnout, with exhibitors travelling from Rockhampton in the north and Grafton in the south—a fantastic effort. As President of the Toowoomba club, I personally would like to thank everyone who made the effort. The show ran extremely smoothly thanks to my committee. Judges also came from far and wide, and it was a privilege to have such an experienced team. Presiding over the Novice section was Dail Cameron from the North Queensland Zone; Brad Hargreaves, our own South Queensland Judges Association President, ran his eye over the Intermediate birds; and New South Wales judge Rob Pfeffer viewed the Open birds. All judges reported strong birds in all sections.

The Champion Young Bird of Show was a very strong Dominant Pied cock, owned by Trevor Broadbent, narrowly beating a great Dominant Pied hen shown by Russell and Cheryl Ogden, who travelled down from Gladstone.

A super Normal Dark Green cock from novice breeder Rob Polhman pushed Trevor Broadbent’s Dominant Pied cock for Best Young Cock of Show, narrowly missing out. There were some very nice birds on display in all classes. As carer for the South Queensland Zone team, I hope to see some of those birds in a few weeks. They could be pushing for a place in the zone team.

Upcoming Nationals

By the time you are reading this edition of the Gazette, the Nationals will only be a few weeks away. The committee has been finalising the last details for this year’s Nationals. It was disappointing to have Richard Miller announce he could not make the show. In his absence, South Queensland sent out the SOS to the likeable Kevie O, who has saved South Queensland’s bacon and accepted the role as the fourth judge. It’s much appreciated by me to have Kevie on board.

As I have said before, if you’re not coming to the Nationals, you’ll need a note explaining why.

See everyone there.

South Queensland Budgerigar Breeders Association Official Website