It was the year of the bush poetess in the competition categories at this year’s Oracles of the Bush, with both performance categories (original and previously-published works) won by Carmel Wooding, with Claire Reynolds as runner-up again in both categories.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Organising committee member Geoff Newman recalls Ms Wooding helping him and wife Jann with the Oracles school workshops when she was a student teacher 10 or 11 years ago.
“It was easy to see then that she had great potential,” he said.
She went on to gain her teaching qualification, marry and have three children before returning to the bush poetry spotlight and becoming a Looming Legend.
Perhaps in the future we will see Ms Wooding participating in Oracles as a professional poet, following in the footsteps of luminaries like Jack Drake and Carol Heuchen who also first appeared in Oracles as amateurs.
For her efforts Ms Wooding takes home the winner’s pot of $1018 for the ‘original’ performance category (the pot increases one dollar each year) and $400 for the ‘previously-published’ section. Ms Reynolds wins $200 for each of her runner-up efforts.
A handful of brave locals also took to the stage to fly the Tenterfield flag in the Looming Legend heats, including mayor Peter Petty (known to recite bush poem at the slightest provocation), Caleb Moylan, 2018 Miss Showgirl Keely Mooney and Lara Flannagan.
Mr Newman also oversaw the written poetry sections and said there were more entries than ever before, of exceptional quality.
“The standard of poetry this year was outstanding,” he said.
Full results are:
WRITTEN
Section 1 (humourous) – Winner: Brenda Joy “Let it all hang out” (Charters Towers), HC: Daryl Lloyd “The Wedding”, Tom McIlveen “Busted flat” (Port Macquarie), Tom McIlveen “Fishing for a Gucci” (Port Macquarie).
Section 2 (quiet achievers) – Winner: David Campbell “Little Granny” (Airey’s Inlet), HC: Shelly Hansen “The Jumbuck Drama Club” (Maryborough), Terry Piggott “The Cardigan” (Gumtree Way), Catherine Lee “Possum” (Mona Vale).
PERFORMANCE
Section 3 (novice) – Winner Caleb Moylan (Tenterfield).
Section 4 (original) – Winner: Carmel Wooding (Warwick), runner-up: Claire Reynolds (Gloucester).
Section 5 (previously-published) – Winner: Carmel Wooding (Warwick), runner-up: Claire Reynolds (Gloucester).
MORE ORACLES READING:
