Camel Races
by Jenifer Hasbun
Corporate Protection staff are deployed far and wide across our region and particularly in remote outback Australia. Along with our clients, we have a real commitment to local communities in which we operate.
Our staff are always looking for ways in which we can support events and gatherings that are the lifeblood of country Australia.
Surely nothing can be more outback Australia than every year on the third weekend in July when the small country of town of Boulia comes alive with their annual Camel Races.
Boulia is in Central West Queensland and is located approximately 296 kilometres south of Mount Isa. It is pretty remote, in the 2016 census, Boulia had a population of 301 people!
This year was the 25th anniversary of the event and the first real one post COVID.
Our client who we work with on the Diamantina project was one of the sponsors of this year’s event and approached us about providing a paramedic to assist in providing first aid for the crowd whilst the QAS attended to the races themselves. CPA were more than happy to assist in providing this service to this rather unique community event.
Our paramedic, Paul Ellison was happy to provide the following report, it sounds amazing:
The event is huge, big, starting Friday with the arrival of all manner of caravans, camper trailers, 4WD drives with camping gear, tents, swags, etc. There were over 4800 people in attendance over the 2-day event.
This was much more than just a Camel racing event it was also the Boulia show. It was a family weekend with carnival rides for the kids, Dagwood dogs, food and drink stands, stall that sold jewellery, whips, and other merchandise. When you weren’t watching the camel races there was plenty of entertainment form tagging the camel competition, fashions of the field, The Crack Up sisters’ comedy act, and the auctions and foot races for raising money for the local school. The week end really had it all.
If you were feeling really brave you could take the helicopter ride over Boulia and over the racetrack. There was truly something for everyone.
Our CPA water bottles, were a real hit – most were gone by the end of day one. People wanting to make sure they kept hydrated, although I cannot confirm they were using them for water only.
Plenty of people made use of the CPA pens if only to keep track of their bets with the bookies on the camels.
I can honestly say that if anyone wants a unique individual Outback country experience then this is certainly one event that will tick off that box. I would highly recommend that everyone should try and come to this event at least once.