Queensland's David Golding has wrested the title of NSW's champion billy boiler from Gunnedah's three-time champion Daniel Wicks.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Mr Wicks dominated the mens' competition of the Roy Jaeger and Tony Bowles Memorial Billy Boiling Championship of NSW from 2016-2018 but was beaten out by returning champion Mr Goulding at The Railway Hotel on Tuesday night. Jeremy Valks came third and there were seven heats.
It had been 10 years since Mr Golding had visited Gunnedah but he's no stranger to the title, winning in 1994, 1997, 2004, 2005 and 2009.
However, Mr Wicks still beat him for the fastest time overall by a second, clocking five minutes and 49 seconds, his best time yet.
Read also:
In the women's competition, Daniel's mum, Narelle, lost her title to returning champion Cath Riley who achieved a time of five minutes and 50 seconds in the final. Lisa Ross came in second and Kate Groves came third.
Mrs Riley said she was wearing acrylic nails and was worried they might melt but made it through unscathed.
The local learnt how to billy boil at the Railway Hotel years ago and is now "an old hand at it", entering the competition every year.
This year Mrs Riley achieved one of her fastest times and when asked what her trick was, replied, 'Go as fast as you can and not set your hair alight'," she said.
Billy boiling supporter Steve Wicks said when he came down for AgQuip, Mr Golding brought along a collector's item to donate to the CWA so it can be raffled off to raise drought funds. He received the axe a number of years ago from Tony Bowles who had the handle carved by an Aboriginal elder.
Billy boiling history
The "iconic tradition" started from a bet in 1979 over who could boil a billy the quickest.
Kenny Lloyd had been at a pony club meeting in Quipolly where the kids had been learning billy boiling.
When he visited his local watering hole - the Railway - he raised the idea of a competition with fellow regulars including Roy Jaeger, Snow Weston, Lenny Cook, Kenny Lloyd, "Barramundi" Bob Margach and Max Kotzur.
After a bit of a practice, they held a competition on the Sunday, and Mr Kotzur beat out Mr Weston for first place.
Mr Weston was victorious in the next two years but was knocked from his pedestal in 1982 by "dark horse" Graham Waters, from Narrabri, who boiled his billy in five minutes and 30 seconds.
To this day, the record is still held by Doug Pegg who, in 1995, boiled a billy in five minutes and 13 seconds.
Mr Jaeger and Tony Bowles kept the tradition going and the competition still bears their names to this day.
