Bachelor and Spinster Balls
Encyclopedia
Bachelor and Spinster Balls (B&S) events are hosted regularly in rural
Australia
, known locally as "B & S Balls" or simply "B&S's". They are staged for young (18 years and over) spinster
s and bachelor
s and traditionally the couples dress up in formal wear. Large volumes of cheap alcohol
such as beer, spirits, Bundaberg Rum
and Jim Beam
can be consumed. The activities usually start at night and run until morning, but from mid-afternoon people will start to arrive and the partying/drinking will begin. Country music
is often features at these events.
Historically the event has centered around country people trying to find a partner, but in modern times the focus has shifted to having a good time and meeting up with new and old friends, some of whom can live many hours away. This has changed the atmosphere of the events to such a degree that the dress code is relaxed and many do not wear formal gear, preferring to dress in clothes from opportunity shops. Even when they are wearing formal attire, today most of the men (and some of the women) sport akubras, boots and R. M. Williams
gear. Some people go in fancy dress, for example, school girls, nurses, clowns or lawn bowlers.
It is not unusual for the modern B&S's to be run by ute enthusiasts following minor Ute Muster
s. Ute drivers at the B & S Balls sometimes perform stunts, such as driving their utes at dusk and throw flames from the exhausts and circle work. 'Circle work
', usually banned, is where the utes are driven in tighter and tighter circles. Food dye is a regular sight at a B&S and is normally thrown on people (even when it is banned). A B&S Virgin (a person who is attending for the first time) is often marked with the word "Virgin".
After the event people usually sleep in their swag on the back of their ute. Usually the committee supplies something for dinner and breakfast the next day. Some committees run a 'recovery' where the ball goers move to a different location to continue drinking, having fun and sometimes participating in competitions.
Tickets can cost anything from $80 to $110 and usually include all you can drink, dinner and sometimes breakfast as well as little gifts such as ear tags, hats, stickers and sometimes condoms and lubricant. People will travel many miles to attend the balls, and the profits made from them go to local charities and good causes such as the Royal Flying Doctor service
, Red Cross and the Australian Cancer Council, as well as local charities to the specific area.
Today the future of B & S balls is in jeopardy as rising insurance costs take their toll and more young people from country areas move to cities. However thousands of people make the effort to drive for many hours to support something that they love and wish to continue for future generations. There are many websites dedicated to the future of balls.
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, known locally as "B & S Balls" or simply "B&S's". They are staged for young (18 years and over) spinster
Spinster
A spinster, or old maid, is an older, childless woman who has never been married.For a woman to be identified as a spinster, age is critical...
s and bachelor
Bachelor
A bachelor is a man above the age of majority who has never been married . Unlike his female counterpart, the spinster, a bachelor may have had children...
s and traditionally the couples dress up in formal wear. Large volumes of cheap alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
such as beer, spirits, Bundaberg Rum
Bundaberg Rum
Bundaberg Rum is a dark rum produced in Bundaberg, Australia, often referred to as "Bundy".The Bundaberg Distilling Company owns its own cola-producing facility, which supplies the cola for its ready-to-drink Bundaberg Rum and Cola products.-History:...
and Jim Beam
Jim Beam
Jim Beam is a brand of bourbon whiskey produced in Clermont, Kentucky. It is currently one of the best selling brands of bourbon in the world. Since 1795 , seven generations of the Beam family have been involved in whiskey production for the company that produces the brand, which was given the name...
can be consumed. The activities usually start at night and run until morning, but from mid-afternoon people will start to arrive and the partying/drinking will begin. Country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
is often features at these events.
Historically the event has centered around country people trying to find a partner, but in modern times the focus has shifted to having a good time and meeting up with new and old friends, some of whom can live many hours away. This has changed the atmosphere of the events to such a degree that the dress code is relaxed and many do not wear formal gear, preferring to dress in clothes from opportunity shops. Even when they are wearing formal attire, today most of the men (and some of the women) sport akubras, boots and R. M. Williams
R. M. Williams
Reginald Murray Williams AO, CMG was an Australian bushman and entrepreneur who rose from a swagman, to a millionaire. Widely known as just 'R.M.', he was born at Belalie North near Jamestown in the Mid North, 200 kilometres north of Adelaide, into a pioneering settler family working and training...
gear. Some people go in fancy dress, for example, school girls, nurses, clowns or lawn bowlers.
It is not unusual for the modern B&S's to be run by ute enthusiasts following minor Ute Muster
Ute muster
A ute muster is an Australian festival which brings together large numbers of utes and ute enthusiasts. These events typically include competitions and other side events, occur annually, and normally last several days...
s. Ute drivers at the B & S Balls sometimes perform stunts, such as driving their utes at dusk and throw flames from the exhausts and circle work. 'Circle work
Doughnut (driving)
A doughnut or donut is a maneuver performed while driving a vehicle. Performing this maneuver entails rotating the rear or front of the vehicle around the opposite set of wheels in a continuous motion, creating a circular skid-mark pattern of rubber on a roadway and possibly even cause the tires...
', usually banned, is where the utes are driven in tighter and tighter circles. Food dye is a regular sight at a B&S and is normally thrown on people (even when it is banned). A B&S Virgin (a person who is attending for the first time) is often marked with the word "Virgin".
After the event people usually sleep in their swag on the back of their ute. Usually the committee supplies something for dinner and breakfast the next day. Some committees run a 'recovery' where the ball goers move to a different location to continue drinking, having fun and sometimes participating in competitions.
Tickets can cost anything from $80 to $110 and usually include all you can drink, dinner and sometimes breakfast as well as little gifts such as ear tags, hats, stickers and sometimes condoms and lubricant. People will travel many miles to attend the balls, and the profits made from them go to local charities and good causes such as the Royal Flying Doctor service
Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia
The Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia is an emergency and primary health care service for those living in rural, remote and regional areas of Australia...
, Red Cross and the Australian Cancer Council, as well as local charities to the specific area.
Today the future of B & S balls is in jeopardy as rising insurance costs take their toll and more young people from country areas move to cities. However thousands of people make the effort to drive for many hours to support something that they love and wish to continue for future generations. There are many websites dedicated to the future of balls.