1972 – The Foundations

It was 1972, and Dr Harold Cooper became the show manager for the BSA (NSW) and his enthusiasm for the national team’s competition rubbed off onto the members of the BSA show committee.  During the next two years I (Ron Hunt) was travelling to Melbourne on a number of occasions and was entrusted with the P.R job of convincing the Victorians that NSW was genuine in wanting to be part of a National Show.  I was able to get to know the late Frank Gardiner and his wife Molly very well during this time and enjoyed many of their famous afternoon teas.  I also visited Evan Stafford, Fred Tucker and Harry Eady and these visits were all very friendly with the old interstate feuds of the past pushed aside to make way for a national show.  Dr Harold Cooper also made several visits to Victorian fanciers with the same formulae to cement friendships.  It must be noted at this point that prior to this time, many NSW and VIC fanciers had crossed swords and hardly spoke to each other.

Ron Hunt, 1972
ANBC Historian