Sue Wilding - 40 Years at the Red Hill Show

Sue Wilding has led a life immersing herself in all levels of the community, from serving as a councillor to raising funds for the local CFA. A talented artist, craftsperson and cook, she has entered her knitting, crochet, quilting, preserves and baking into the Red Hill Show for over 40 years. She sees taking part in the show as a responsibility to maintain the cultural continuity of this unique local institution founded in 1922.

 “Without people taking part in the Red Hill Show there is no show,” says Sue. Her Merricks home is decorated with her art, and a trophy cabinet sits proudly in a corner of a spare room, its shelves filled with blue ribbons and rosettes. One of her first blue ribbons was in 1982 for a hand-knitted jumper made from three-ply yarn she hand-spun from wool from the sheep she raised on her property. From Red Hill she went on to the Royal Melbourne Show, where she took out another prize with that jumper.

 This year she is entering her own kombucha, rich fruit cake, fine silver jewellery and scones. “I have never baked scones for competition before,” says Sue. “So, I have been baking test batches to see which ones work best.” She will be arriving at the showgrounds early on Saturday, March 7, to drop off her entries. Joining her is granddaughter Olivia, who is entering the much-coveted Apple Pie Competition, which carries a grand prize of $500.