BRIEF HISTORY OF THE ANBC 

1964
In 1964 at Griffith in NSW a group of Budgerigar Fanciers from Victoria, N.S.W. and South Australia held a meeting during The Griffith Cage Bird Societies Annual Show.  The result of this meeting gave birth to the idea of conducting a National Teams Competition for Budgerigars. 

1972
Dr. Harold Cooper from N.S.W. (Now Tasmania) started talking seriously about a Teams Competition with The Late Frank Gardener in Victoria.  These two fanciers brought in Harry Eady and Evan Stafford from Victoria, Ron Hunt from N.S.W. and George Duffield from South Australia to help create interest within The Fancy. 

These early discussions became a reality when Harry Eady in 1974 convinced The BCA (now BCV) to host a Teams Competition. 

1975
At Kensington, a suburb of Melbourne, the first Teams Competition was held.  Victoria, N.S.W. and South Australia competed with Victoria winning this first competition, now held annually.  Western Australia joined the Competition in 1978, North Queensland in 1979, South Queensland in 1980 and Tasmania in 1983. 

1981
The necessity to have a controlling body to set the rules for this competition was now imperative.  A steering committee made up from the competing teams met during the competition held in Perth W. A.  The delegates were, Alan Marshall and Ron MacNamara from Victoria, Brian West and Amon Murdock from Queensland, Bruce Bradford, Kevin Kelly and Col Morgan N.S.W., Don Geary ACT, George Duffield and Stan Watson South Australia and Willie Schoeman Western Australia.  The ground rules were established, a decision to hold the first ANBC official meeting in 1982 at Townsville and Mr Brian West was elected as the first ANBC Secretary. 

1985
The National Colour & Standard Committee was formed to establish a National Standard to be used at the ANBC championship show.  Colin Morgan N.S.W., Harry Eady Victoria and George Duffield South Australia worked on this task.  Brian West joined the committee in 1987 to aid in the printing.  This committee published the new standard in 1990, member bodies having the choice of using this standard or their own state standards. 

1988
The ANBC approves the design for a National Show Cage.  The new cage to be used at the ANBC championship show 1989 hosted by North and Central Queensland at The Iwsaki Resort in Yeppoon. 

1989
The ground rules for a National Judges Panel & Examining Committee were presented to the ANBC. 

1990
The first judge’s examining panel made up of Harry Eady, Victoria, Ron Hunt N.S.W., Harold Cooper Tasmania, Brian West North Queensland and Barney Hackney from South Queensland.  The first show to be judged by nationally qualified judges would be hosted by South Queensland in 1992. 

 Important ground rules set by this committee and approved by The ANBC were: 

1. This committee would have no jurisdiction over judges’ panels from the member bodies. 
2. No ruling committee to be elected. 
3. The only position elected would be the chair person to conduct The National Meeting and a Co-ordinator to distribute minutes. 
4. This committee is in place to examine candidates to qualify to be able to judge ANBC championship shows. 
5. To deal with matters pertaining to the judging of The ANBC Championship Show. 

1991
National Standard approved and printed. The official secretaries position be held by one person for no more than three consecutive years.

1992
A.N.B.C. Delegates meeting changed to the Monday after the National competition. A seven-year variable class to be introduced. A Spangle Double Factored standard to be added. The Budgerigar Society of the UK. Muted a formation of a W.B.O. being formed. 

 1993
A national show cage drawing and description be made available to all zones and included in the next printing of the Standard. National Magazine muted but not proceeded with.  Formulation of National Show Guidelines and documented.

1994
W.B.O. Report by G. Al-Nasser the U.K. representative including fee structure, voting rights,  and what would the A.N.B.C. gain. Voted on and rejected.  Green / Greygreen, Blue / Grey to be separate from 1999 and onwards. Reason; losing the green and Blue varieties.

1995
Three 1,800 long holding cages plus one lockable Aviary per zone team at every National Competition. Host Zone to select Officiating Judges according to A.N.B.C. requirements. Standard Logies per variety winner muted.

1996
National Exhibitor Status to be considered. Target 2000 for the introduction of a common set of Show rules. Brian West an original founding father of the A.N.B.C. passed away.

1997
W.B.O. again rejected. Insurance of all Shows left to Zones to organize. Provisional Standard for the be drawn up. Opaline A.O.S.V. a standard class. Judges must have 5 years on their Zones Judging panel before qualifying for National accreditation. Also actively breeding budgerigars.

1998
National Logie discussed again. Clearbody standard accepted. Albino becomes a standard class. New National Standard be written. Establishment of a web site. Ron Hunt appointed official Historian.

1999
A two cent ring levy added to aid the costs of staging the National Show. One or Two day Show voted on and accepted. Spangle Double Factored Class added as point scoring. Crested club granted permission to show as an exhibition class for three years.

2000
First two day Show. Birds can only be shown once in one class on the weekend.

2001
Electronic scoring used for the first time replacing the huge cumbersome score board. A.N.B.C. joined A.B.A. re public liability Insurance at the National Show. A.N.B.C. became Incorporated in the A.C.T.

2002
New Standard Pictorials from the U.K. artist Roy Aplin acquired. No follow up response as to acceptance of the two day show. Incorporation accepted and an ABN number issued. A.N.B.C represented at a W.B.O. meeting for the first time in the U.K.

 2003
New Standard completed and approved. Back to a one day Show, and very successful. Golden Cob again renewed their seven year Sponsorship contract. A Hall of Fame Honor Roll to be established. Crest variety was included as a point scoring class.

 2004
Finally Green / Greygreen, Blue / Grey split and added as stand alone full scoring classes. Clearbody also accepted as a point scoring class. Hall of Fame for Breeder Excellence established. Minimum of four wins in one variety or seven overall any variety wins. Victoria wins it eighth consecutive Shield.

 2005
First ever one day Show using six Judges by three classes simultaneously. Worked very well. Clearbody variety an exhibition class. 

 2006
Ron Hunt retires as the Historian and Leigh Downey assumes the roll. Championship Logies introduced for the first time on a six year cycle. This year a return to a two day Show with an International Judge the first in 31 years. Mr. Jeff Attwood from the U.K.

 2007
New Zealand joined the A.N.B.C.as an Affiliation member. Second International Judge officiating, Marcel Buhler from Switzerland. Very technical Judging.

 2008
Ring Issue date changed to the first of September. Third in a row International Judge used. Janice Al-Nasser from the U.K. The Standard was loaded onto the web site.

 2009
Scoring was made available immediately after judging on the W.W.Web. A great innovation. Future hosting of the National competition at any venues / cities must give serious consideration to Airport time friendly positions.

 2010
Hall of Fame for Service and Commitment to the A.N.B.C. (Finally)  Five people inducted. Brian West. (Nth.Qld). Stan Watson. (S.A.) George Duffield. (S.A.) Harry Eady. (Vic.) Bruce Bradford. (N.S.W.) Postal vote to be taken as to two or three birds on the bench as per classes. Year 1.& 2,3 birds, then 3 & 4, 2 birds. Trial. Show moved to end of June for some not thought out stupid reason.

 2011
First year of three birds on the bench. Very well received. International Judge Galib Al- Nasser from the U.K. Hosted the W.B.O. meeting with 16 International attendees. Very successful.

 2012
Second year three birds per class benched. Again very well received, but June date not so well as it interfears with school holidays higher prices etc. Original Hall of Fame Inductees all received wall plaques. Changed matrix, English Yellow face and Australian Golden face. Complaints not enough time given for added classes. On a sadder note, the Secretary Bob Bourke passed away. 

 2013
First year of two birds on the bench trial. Not well received. Attendees down. Not very popular. Four classes added. Australian Golden face, Dilute, Violet, and Spangle A..O.S.V. Ring issue date again changed back to January one. New ring supplier sourced. June date again.

 2014
Second year two bird trial.. Reserve bird left in the holding cage. Exhibitor numbers again down.. But birds able to be in on the Thursday giving them a day to settle. Still in June. International Judge used, Linda Patten from New Zealand. Demonstration class introduced. Dark eyed clears, non point scoring.

 2015
Eight new classes introduced inside ten years, a big increase.  Resorted to three birds per  class finally and very well received. Constitution require a five seventh majority pass vote on motions. Computer hook up meetings quarterly considered. European ring manufacturers sourced.

 2016
Increase of ring levy funding to host zones by 25% to aid in the increased costs of running a National Show. Investigate centralization of future National Shows via a management committee. Better ring internal diameter accepted. Quarterly electronic meeting introduced and actioned successfully. Five long time members inducted into the Hall of Fame. Dark eyed clears still a demo class.

 2017
W.A. was not represented this year owing to travel restrictions for the bird. Six zones competed. The first time they have been missing since 1978. Not enough done as per 2009 airport friendly considerations.Web site has a new master. Photos still remain a slow work in progress. Containerization of National cages and equipment requirements are to proceed, to be available in2018. Motions of major significance have a moratorium of five years before any further or similar motions are entertained. Dark eyed clears approved as a point scoring class next year. C&S white cap interim standard approved.

 2018
All zones again represented with some very powerful birds from right across Australia. Containerization used for the first time and proved very successful. The Venue was extremely large and worked very well. From a problem prone year B.S.N.S.W. managed a very well run successful weekend. Congratulations to them. No great motions to be considered so a successful delegates meeting was held. Bruce and Nola Bradford donated their three and a half decades of photos and result books to the A.N.B.C. to be used for future generations delving into history and evolution of the budgerigar and the National Show. A lovely gift from two dedicated people. 

 2019
SQBBA hosted this year in Brisbane. After a lot of changing of times and protocol everything worked smoothly and again containerization of all cages equipment etc. ran exactly to plan. Consideration in future should be given to adequate area for public viewing of birds after judging as it was quite crowded and at times hard to see the birds. The Australian white cap was the new exhibition class and was a very strong competitive class of Budgerigars. But all in all a very successful weekend.

2020
No Show due to COVID Protocols

2021
No Show due to COVID Protocols