NO DOUBT about it, the love of Arthur John’s life is a collection of produce that will once again represent his beloved Northern District at this year’s Sydney Royal show.
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For the past 16 years Mr Johns has travelled an average of 30,000 kilometres a year collecting everything from cotton at North Star to soybeans at Ellangowan, wool at Glen Innes to pumpkins at Inverell.
There is big pressure to deliver a display that accurately reflects the diverse nature of this rich district – which stretches from the sub-tropical Queensland border at Tweed Heads south to Nambucca, west up the range to the New England Tablelands at Guyra and out among the dust at Brewarrina before coming north, again, to the border.
Arthur’s dedicated team has a range of talents and they all are keen on the prize - all the more so after winning gold on points at last year’s show and setting a record in 2014 with Best Effective Arrangement, the People's Choice and the Overall Prize.
Arthur’s new graphic artist, Pamela Denise of Nymboida, has come up with a dashing theme promoting the good work European bees do as pollinators to so many Northern District crops.
“Honey is a big theme in this year’s display,” explains Mr Arthur , “And we have samples from Jodie Burey, Glen Innes; Carle Cooper, Tingha; Peter Rankin, Kyogle and Geoff Manning from Bentley.”
Arthur’s job is to collect and it is a task that registers no burden for this man, who often climbs into his van for a 10 hour return trip just to hoard a box of chickpeas, or sorghum or linseed.
In fact, as soon as he returns to his home-base near Lismore, after this week’s Royal Show, he intends to catch a nap and jump back in the van for a drive west to North Star where he will pick cotton from Ben Coulton at ‘Geta Geta’, storing it carefully for next year’s display.
In mid-April he has a lay-down, but not the kind you and I take for granted. Arthur heads back into hospital for another round of surgery aimed at reducing his bowel cancer.
“The past 12 months have been pretty rugged,” he admits,. “But what are you going to do? You just cop it on the chin and keep going.”
The days of fatigue trouble Arthur, who is used to working with an energy typical of a man half his age.
“But I’ve got good days too,” he says with stoic optimism.
In the weeks preceding last year’s Royal, Arthur grimly faced five weeks of chemotherapy. Up until this week’s unveiling of the display Arthur’s been flat-out arranging the final collection.
“You’ve got to keep going,” he advises. “Even if it’s only in first gear. You stop and you die.”
