AS A young girl, her favourite part about the show was patting the chicks in the animal nursery, and now as a Year 11 student, Jess Nakad is sharing this love with the next generation of kids.
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Jess was one of the many Denision College Bathurst High Campus students volunteering their time in the school's animal nursery over the 2024 Royal Bathurst Show.
The nursery has been a longstanding tradition for the school, having been a staple at the show for more than 35 years.
And just as Jess got excited to see and pat the animals as a young girl, she is now experiencing the nursery from the other side and getting enjoyment out of watching how happy the animals make the thousands of kids who walk through the pavilion.
"I just think the animal nursery is a really good thing for kids and I think it's really good that it's been continued on for so many years," she said.
"I like being able to show children how you can work with animals, because I think a lot of kids get scared around animals.
"When they hold the little chicks they freak out, but then you get them to pat them and they get used to it. That's my favourite thing."
The nursery a big hit with students
Bathurst High head teacher for technology Patrick Ford said, just like Jess, a lot of students who have been to the nursery as kids really look forward to volunteering when they start high school.
And while some of the animals in the nursery come from the Bathurst High school farm, there's also others donated by members of the community just for the show.
Mr Ford said these donations have helped build the nursery into a bigger and better attraction each and every year.
"We're extremely thankful to the community at large and the partnerships we've got with people donating animals," he said.
"A lot of people donate year after year, and without them it wouldn't be as good an exhibit as it is."
From miniature horses, alpacas and pigs, to ducks, chickens and everything in between, there was a huge range of animals on display for everyone to pat and enjoy.
Saving lives too
After proving a huge success last year, the school teamed up again with the Bathurst Animal Rehoming Centre (BARC) to help find homes for a number of cats and dogs.
Mr Ford said almost every animal got adopted last year, so they've expanded the BARC section in the pavilion for 2024 and they're hoping to help find all of the animals new homes.
"The students not only look after the animals but they're also hoping to save animals' lives and get them adopted into future homes," he said.
Amy Rees
Journalist at the Western Advocate in Bathurst since May, 2021.
Journalist at the Western Advocate in Bathurst since May, 2021.
