Australian National Budgerigar Council
SOUTH QUEENSLAND BUDGERIGAR BREEDERS ASS. (SQBBA)
The South Queensland Budgerigar Breeders Association (SQBBA) is the governing body responsible for coordinating and supporting budgerigar clubs across southern Queensland, Australia. To that end, SQBBA serves as a key organization within the budgerigar hobby. It promotes best practices in breeding, exhibition, and care. Through its network of affiliated clubs, the association provides breeders with educational resources, training programs, and opportunities to participate in competitive shows. Moreover, these exhibitions adhere to established Standards.
Geographically, the SQBBA covers the southern part of Queensland, which includes major urban centers and rural areas. It supports a wide range of budgerigar clubs within this region. The association plays a central role in organizing and overseeing regional and state competitions. This includes the prestigious SQBBA Zone Selections. These selections are instrumental in choosing birds for national-level shows.
Furthermore, SQBBA’s mandate focuses on advancing the quality of budgerigars bred in South Queensland. It promotes ethical breeding practices and ensures the health and welfare of the birds. The association works to uphold the National Standards for exhibitions and provides judge accreditation and training. This ensures consistency and fairness in competitive shows. By fostering community engagement, the SQBBA aims to grow the budgerigar hobby. Finally, it brings together breeders, exhibitors, and hobbyists to support the long-term sustainability of the activity across the region.
SQBBA History
The South Queensland Budgerigar Breeders Association Inc. was formed in 1979 at the house of Mr. Barney Hackney of Ipswich after he, Maurie Scarff of Toowoomba & Stanley Ford, another Ipswich dweller made a visit as observers to a show, that was held in Sydney. This show was an Annual challenge of budgerigars between Victoria, New South Wales and North Queensland held on the fourth Sunday each year. Upon their return a decision was made to form an association here with the object being to select a team of birds from within South East Queensland that could represent the zone at future shows. Thus the formation of the South Queensland Budgerigar Breeders Association. The zone extends from the New South Wales border north to Bundaberg.
There are now seven States/Zones competing in the Championships – they are Victoria, New South Wales, South Queensland, North & Central Queensland, Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia. The challenge is held in a different state/zone each year on a seven-year cycle and South Queensland has hosted the challenge in 1985, 1992 and 1999. Mr. Barney Hackney was elected the first president of the Association, and he put up the money required to send our first team away to Melbourne in 1980. The Zone did not compete in 1981 but has competed every year since winning the challenge in 1989 at the Championships that were held in North Queensland.
To select the team, the Association hosts an interclub challenge show between all the societies in South East Queensland. From this show, three birds are selected in each class (19 classes to date) and sent to the host State on the Friday prior to the weekend show. From these three birds only two are exhibited (one is taken as a reserve).
Editors note: There are now 29 classes, including the exhibition class (AOSV) plus each State/Zone team will comprise up to three birds per class permitting all three birds selected to be shown, noting that only the top two placed birds from any class for each team shall be awarded team points.
A second interclub challenge show is held in October each year with harmony and social gathering as the main purpose. There is always friendly rivalry between the different societies and by having the challenge shows, the lesser variety birds have improved greatly.
The Association has added duties now and one is uniting the fancy under the one umbrella so all show rules and the same no matter where you exhibit in the area.
There have been a number of Presidents of the South Queensland Budgerigar Breeders Association over the years including Barney Hackney, Neville Donaldson, John Glynn, Keith Gough, Jack Hackshall, David Ganzer and in more recent times, Garry Hibberd.
SQBBA April Report 2026
National Championships Update – 8 Weeks to Go With just eight weeks to go, time is certainly slipping away. We ...
SQBBA March 2026
SQBBA March Report 2026 The show season has officially kicked off across South Queensland, with Morton, ABS and Bundaberg all ...
SQBBA Feb 2026
President’s Report – SQBBA The year has commenced with the annual Australian Budgerigar Society Inc. Auction, which by all reports ...
SQBBA Jan 2026 Report
Well, that’s another year done and dusted. I hope that for many, most things in life have turned out okay ...
Link to the website – https://sqbba.org.au/
