BCSA Report Nov 2026

October has been another productive month for the South Australian budgerigar fancy, with all three affiliated clubs continuing to provide members with opportunities for education, competition and fellowship. While the ongoing concerns surrounding Avian Influenza have continued to influence our show calendar, it has been encouraging to see the clubs maintaining their activities, with some excellent meetings and plenty of planning underway for the remainder of 2026 and into next year.

Budgerigar Society of South Australia

The BSSA held its October meeting at the Unley Community Centre on Tuesday 6 October, with members treated to an entertaining and informative evening. With Brice Wheaton unavailable, George England and Wayne Weidenhofer stepped in to present the Opaline variety, using birds from the 2026 ANBC National Championships to examine the characteristics and finer points of the variety.

The highlight of the evening was undoubtedly the popular Member on the Couch segment, with George interviewing Wayne about his remarkable involvement in the hobby spanning more than 50 years. Wayne reflected on his introduction to exhibition budgerigars through George Duffield, his early successes with Australian Golden Faced budgerigars, including four consecutive Gardiner Shield wins between 1977 and 1980, and the development of the highly successful Jason and Wayne Weidenhofer partnership.

The partnership recorded its sixth ANBC National title at the Gold Coast earlier this year, winning the Normal Violet class. Wayne also shared some wonderful stories from his career in the South Australian Police Force, his involvement in judging and the friendships developed throughout his time in the hobby.

A terrific evening and a reminder of the importance of preserving the history and experiences of those who have contributed so much to our fancy.

North East Budgerigar Society

The North East Budgerigar Society held its October meeting on Wednesday 14 October, with BCSA Judges Coordinator John Mulley presenting two fascinating topics, “Why is a Green Budgie Green?” and “Understanding the Matrix”.

John provided members with an excellent insight into the genetics and science behind budgerigar colour, before explaining how to correctly identify and classify birds using the ANBC Standard Matrix. This was particularly valuable for newer exhibitors, although I suspect a few of our more experienced members also came away having learnt something!

The evening also included an Unbroken Cap Show, with five exhibitors supporting the competition. Graham Alchin officiated as judge, taking the time to explain his placings and the qualities he was looking for.

A big thank you to John and Graham for their contributions, and to everyone who supported another enjoyable North East meeting.

Port Pirie Budgerigar Society

The Port Pirie Budgerigar Society enjoyed a particularly successful October meeting, held on Sunday 18 October at Doug and Ruth Lange’s property in Maitland on the Yorke Peninsula.

With perfect weather, clear blue skies and a very pleasant 28 degrees, the day attracted 23 members for an enjoyable combination of budgerigars, friendly competition and good company.

The meeting featured an Unbroken Cap and Juvenile Bird Show, with Graham McCallum enjoying a particularly successful day, taking out both Best Unbroken Cap and Best Juvenile Bird in Show. Congratulations to Graham on an excellent result.

Our thanks go to John Mulley for judging, Angela Van Den Brink and Sue Adams for looking after the BBQ, and particularly Ruth Lange for bringing the day together.

Members were also updated on the recent ANBC motion outcomes and the proposed meeting format for 2027. A vote of thanks was extended to Malcolm Loveridge following his retirement from judging, recognising his tremendous contribution to the hobby over many decades.

One of the more interesting moments came when Tony Van Den Brink presented a bird displaying what may be the Blackface mutation. Naturally, this generated considerable interest and discussion amongst members, and it will be fascinating to see how this develops.

All in all, a terrific day for the Port Pirie Club, and a great example of the fellowship that makes our hobby so enjoyable.

Malcolm Loveridge Retires from Judging

October also marked the retirement of Malcolm Loveridge from the BCSA Judges Panel, bringing to a close a remarkable judging career spanning approximately 46 years.

Malcolm first joined the BSSA in 1971 and has made an enormous contribution to exhibition budgerigars, both as a breeder and exhibitor and through his many years on the judging bench.

Accredited as an ANBC National Judge in 1993, Malcolm officiated at three National Championships: Perth in 1994, Hobart in 2002 and Rockhampton in 2010. Following his retirement from the National Panel in 2015, he continued supporting the South Australian fancy as a Major Awards Judge.

On behalf of the BCSA and our affiliated clubs, I would like to sincerely thank Malcolm for his dedication, commitment and the considerable knowledge he has shared with exhibitors over so many years. A wonderful contribution to our hobby and certainly a judging career worthy of recognition.

Club Activities and Looking Ahead

Online budgerigar events have continued to provide breeders with opportunities to access quality bloodlines, with the BSSA conducting Events 20 and 21 during October, while North East held its October Mega Event featuring 35 birds from breeders across South Australia and New South Wales.

It is also pleasing to see strong South Australian representation in the upcoming Rare Budgerigar Club of Western Australia event, with birds contributed by a number of our well-known breeders.

The BCSA also released its Spring edition of Chatter Magazine during October, featuring an excellent variety of articles covering breeding, genetics, varieties and the history of our hobby. These included features on the Marshall Family, the Australian White Cap, and the second instalment of John Mulley’s series on inbreeding and line breeding. Another excellent publication and a credit to everyone who contributed.

Looking ahead, the BSSA Committee has confirmed that the November 1000 – Interclub 26 Show will proceed on Sunday 15 November at the Ascot Park Scout Hall. This will see the BSSA and NEBS competing for the annual Interclub honours, with classes aligned to the ANBC Schedule and open to Green 2026 rung birds.

Naturally, Avian Influenza remains a consideration, and the clubs will continue to monitor developments as we move closer to the event. Hopefully, we will see plenty of birds on the bench and some good friendly competition between the clubs.

The BSSA and NEBS Committees have also been busy finalising their remaining activities for 2026 and developing their calendars for 2027.

Finally, congratulations to George England, who represented South Australia on the judging panel at the Victorian Unbroken Cap Shield held at Rowville in late October. It is always pleasing to see our judges contributing to events interstate and supporting the wider budgerigar community.

In Closing

As we move towards the end of another year, I would like to thank the committees and members of our three affiliated clubs for their ongoing efforts. Despite some of the challenges faced throughout 2026, it has been encouraging to see members continuing to support meetings, share their knowledge and maintain the friendships that make our hobby so rewarding.

Hopefully, the remainder of the breeding season brings plenty of promising youngsters into the flights, and we look forward to finishing the year on a positive note.