Agfest
Encyclopedia
Agfest is a renowned annual agricultural field day held in the Australian state of Tasmania
. It was first held in 1983 and is run by the Rural Youth Organisation of Tasmania with profits assisting Tasmania Rural Counselling. It has grown to the state's largest single event and attracts up to 70,000 visitors during three days in May each year at the 200 acres (80.9 ha) site in rural Carrick
.
The event was first held at Symmons Plains, near Perth, Tasmania
in 1982. It was soon recognised by the organising committee that a larger site was required. In 1986 they purchased land on Oaks Road, Carrick from the Peterson family. The land had originally been part of "Oaks Estate" belonging to Thomas Haydock Reibey, father to Premier of Tasmania Thomas Reibey
. The land was named "Quercus Rural Youth Park"; Quercus is the genus
name for oak. The first Agfest field days on the new site ran from 7–9 May 1987.
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
. It was first held in 1983 and is run by the Rural Youth Organisation of Tasmania with profits assisting Tasmania Rural Counselling. It has grown to the state's largest single event and attracts up to 70,000 visitors during three days in May each year at the 200 acres (80.9 ha) site in rural Carrick
Carrick, Tasmania
Carrick is a small town in northern Tasmania about west of Launceston on the Liffey River, and on the 'Old Bass Highway' or Meander Valley Highway. At the 2006 census, the town had a population of 439....
.
The event was first held at Symmons Plains, near Perth, Tasmania
Perth, Tasmania
Perth is a town in the north-east of Tasmania, Australia. It lies 20 km south of Launceston, on the Midland Highway. The town has a population of 1,984 and is averaging a 1% increase per year . Perth is part of the Northern Midlands Council. Federal Lyons MHR Dick Adams also has an office...
in 1982. It was soon recognised by the organising committee that a larger site was required. In 1986 they purchased land on Oaks Road, Carrick from the Peterson family. The land had originally been part of "Oaks Estate" belonging to Thomas Haydock Reibey, father to Premier of Tasmania Thomas Reibey
Thomas Reibey
Thomas Reibey was an Australian politician and Premier of Tasmania from 20 July 1876 until 9 August 1877....
. The land was named "Quercus Rural Youth Park"; Quercus is the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
name for oak. The first Agfest field days on the new site ran from 7–9 May 1987.