News

May 28, 2023

Bush Christmas shows off the crafty talents of Australians from around the country

The oven has been running around the clock, and the mixmaster has barely had a

The oven has been running around the clock, and the mixmaster has barely had a break in weeks in Karen McVeigh's kitchen on Queensland's Darling Downs.

The country cook has been busily baking ahead of 'Bush Christmas', a celebration of outback creative talent held in Toowoomba each year.

"There's really nothing like it," said Karen McVeigh.

"I've been involved with Bush Christmas for [sic], this will be my 18th year."

"I guess it gives people who are in a rural area just another outlet to showcase what they might be doing."

Mrs McVeigh lives on a cotton farm at Jimbour, about 30 kilometres from Dalby, on Queensland's Darling Downs.

Baking for Bush Christmas is no mean feat. Its estimated 10,000 visitors will attend the exhibition over the duration of the 10-day event.

Many drive for hours from remote properties themselves, and there are lots of return customers year after year.

"One big year, it was probably close to 900 items, so 900 boxes of things," said Mrs McVeigh.

"I probably won't be able to make that record again!"

Bush Christmas began as a small celebration of regional artisans in 1996.

Founder and former organiser Liz McClymont was living in western Queensland and was involved with the local craft shop when she had the idea to put on a showcase of outback creative talents.

"We knew there was a craft shop at Longreach, and we knew a few of the people up there had contacts. There was another one, I think, around Augathella, and there were a few scattered around," said Mrs McClymont.

"So one thing led to another, and we sort of gathered up a few people who were interested."

The first Bush Christmas had 17 exhibitors.

"There were lovely fabric hats that were made from Cunnamulla, and there was silver jewellery, and there was wooden things, lots of different kinds of sewing," said Mrs McClymont.

"There was also the home cooking, which was sort of professionally done. We had Christmas cakes and, and jams and pickles and all those sorts of things."

Today, there are more than 100 exhibitors involved from all over Australia.

"I'm blown away probably just about every day that you see somebody doing something really amazing," said Wendy Allen, who took over the organising of Bush Christmas last year.

"A lot of people rely on the income that they make from Bush Christmas, from the arts and crafts and gourmet for, you know, to supplement their income during the year."

Given the far-flung nature of the makers and creators, many have to freight their goods to Toowoomba ahead of time, where it's stored until the exhibition begins.

"Every piece of art and craft and cooking and everything that comes in for Bush Christmas has a special barcode," Ms Allen said.

"We have to generate the barcodes, send them to the exhibitors, they put them on, they send their work in — so there's a lot of behind the scenes work to make it the spectacular that it is."

One of the youngest exhibitors this year is newcomer Charlotte Cross.

The 15-year-old makes ornamental bird houses from salvaged wood at her home in Chinchilla.

"Dad has always built stuff, and I've watched him and wanted to create something, so he helped me," said Charlotte.

"We just started cutting wood and got little trinkets, and we're like, let's just make a bird house. And so we did!"

Charlotte began building the bird houses to make a bit of extra money to contribute to the cost of playing representative netball. She started out small.

"It was all online, and we only put seven on there — and it sold in the first couple of minutes – so that was pretty quick," she said.

"Then people started wanting to do orders, so that happened.

"I didn't realise it was going to blow up that much. So I was like, Oh, wow, it's happening."

Being invited to exhibit her goods at Bush Christmas caps off a big year for Charlotte's little business.

"I think it's a great opportunity for the artists to put their work out there and show their talent. But I also think it's great for the customers to actually see and look at them in real life rather than just a picture online."

There's also always the possibility that a little business, with the help of a little bush magic, might just take off.

"I think it's always good, no matter where you live, whether it's the city or the country, to have an interest or a hobby," said Ms Allen.

"For some people, that interest or hobby becomes a business; and for a lot of rural people, that's exactly what it has become. It has become a small business, and for some, it's even become a large business."

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