The Good Old Days Festival is set to break records again in 2026 with the greatest number of camels pulling a laden wool wagon and a new 21st century Australian record for the largest working bullock team.
Organised by the Barellan Working Clydesdales committee, the Good Old Days Festival is the biggest tourism event in the Narrandera Shire contributing over $1 million to the regional economy and this year will be held on October 2-4 at the Barellan showground.
The festival drew global attention in 2025 for setting a new Australian record of 62 heavy horses pulling an Australian built Bennett wagon, weighing 10 tonnes, and laden with wool bales.
Visitors this year will experience a unique sight not seen in regional Australia for almost a century. Bullockies Phil Thomson, Ron McKinnon, Matt Stanford, Darcy Quinn and Joey Reedy will drive a large composite team of bullocks out to the Flagg family’s wool shed at Moombooldool, load up, and then drive along the stock routes to the Barellan showground.
The bullock team will be accompanied by a large team of camels pulling a wagon loaded with wool and driven by cameleers Rodney Sansom, Anna Bay, NSW, and Peter Hodge, Shepparton, Vic.
The spectacle will arrive at the Barellan showgrounds at lunch time on Thursday, October 1, with free entry for the public.
Across the Good Old Days Festival, the bullock drivers will set out to break the 21st century Australian record of 40 bullocks in harness achieved at the 2025 event.
The cameleers will also be gunning for a new Australian record of the largest number of camels pulling a laden Australian built wool wagon, eclipsing the existing record set in 2024 of 22 camels.
International guests at the festival will include Doug Baum and Valerie Crashaw, of the Texas Camel Corp, Waco, USA. Mr Baum will speak on the history of trekking with camels in the US during the Teamsters Q & A sessions and give masterclasses on packing camels.
Across the festival, the bullock drivers and their teams will be judged on their abilities and skills in the prestigious Teamsters Trophy, with the winner announced on Sunday afternoon. The goat teams and their handlers will be competing for the Little Teamsters Trophy.
Another program highlight will be the Tim Peel Perpetual Youth Award to encourage young people under the age of 30 to show initiative and leadership qualities in maintaining the nation’s heritage. Won last year by Forbes auctioneer, bullocky and bush poet, Joey Reedy, this award will be judged on Sunday, October 4.
Visitors will also be able to listen to masterclasses on side saddle equitation with Vanessa Wells, using pack horses with Brad Taylor, see a wheelwrighting display, compete in the gum leaf whistling and beard/moustache competition, or enter the competition for the best damper baked in a caravan across the festival week.
Around 650 meals will be served in the camp oven dinner under the stars on the Saturday night with live entertainment by Danny Phegan and the Longreach band. Live entertainment on the Friday night will feature Lachie Cossor and the Minor Profits.
Barellan Working Clydesdales secretary Fiona Kibble said the festival had undergone rapid organic growth and reached a point of maturity in 2025 with a new three-day format and global recognition.
“It is exciting times not only for the committee but also for Barellan and the Narrandera Shire to have such a unique, pioneering event – the only one of its kind in the world where visitors can see horses, camels, bullocks, donkeys, mules and goats all working in harness on-site,” Ms Kibble said.
“Always evolving, our program includes many tangible exciting experiences for all family members where they can see, hear, touch and taste our pioneer heritage.
“Our Friday program is quite different to the Saturday and Sunday events but our popular grand parade through the main street of Barellan remains.
“The not-for-profit event is run by volunteers and raises funds which are reinvested back into our community through new infrastructure.”
The Good Old Days Festival is proudly sponsored by Bendigo Bank Narrandera & District Community Branch.
All online ticketing is via www.barellanclydesdales.com.au
Ends
Caption: National records will fall again at The Good Old Days Festival in 2026 as huge camel and bullock teams will set the main arena alight.
NFP: For media comment contact Fiona Kibble on 0409 363 682 or for images/footage contact Kim Woods on 0499 77 2860
