Event History

The first Tocal Small Farms Field Days was held in fine weather and attracted 7,000 visitors and 72 commercial exhibitors over two days. Organisers were thrilled with the response at the gates. The event included lectures and discussions, demonstrations and activities.

In 1987 the event was extended to a three day event and moved to the start of May. The Association was pleased with an attendance of 7,000 visitors after heavy rain fell on both Saturday and Sunday of the event. 100 exhibitors came to the event including 15 craft exhibitors.

A new decade heralded great popularity for the Tocal Field Days. Record attendance of 16,000, the alternative land use special feature including yabbies, quail, ostriches and llamas was a hit and for the first time the Tocal Field Days program was printed and distributed by The Land newspaper.

The invaluable promotion of the event was received when the National Nine Today Show broadcast live from the site. The coverage created a buzz about the event and got it on front of more people than ever before. A record 31,000 attendees and approximately 450 exhibitors.“I have vivid memories of Channel Nine’s Today show weather broadcast from the site in 1994. Monty Dwyer was right at home with a vegetable garden on wheels, a performing hinny and prize poultry” Rod Nash

The theme for 1999 was ‘Click Go the Years’, which highlighted a century of farming held at Tocal Homestead. 29,000 people attended and enjoyed demonstrations of historic farming and household techniques. The fine weather made for a memorable event to close out the decade.

This was the 20th Tocal Field Days and as such the Association chose to feature the ten commercial exhibitors who had attended each event. They were: Campbell Engineering, Chapman & Slattery Machinery, Elders (formerly AgServ), Kentan Machinery, Sharpes Tractor Centre, Stockers and Partridge, Tornado Pumps, Hunter Organic Growers Society, the Hunter Valley Goat Club and Mohair Australia. Kentan machinery still attends to this day and have been an integral part of the operation of the event. Attendance was 27,000.

These were the only two years the Tocal Field Days has been forced to cancel. In 2015, significant rainfall from an East Coast low that affected much of the state caused damage to a culvert at Mindaribba which threatened collapse. State Emergency Services requested the closure of the event for safety reasons. And, of course, in 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic struck the nation forcing cancellation of all events.

After the disappointment of cancelling the 2015 event, organisers promised a massive weekend. The event included features like Talent at Tocal which showcased local, young artists between 10 and 18 and the 7th annual Ute Muster.

The 40th Year of Tocal Field Days saw approximately 160mm of rain fall in the week leading up to the event. This made for a particularly boggy site that welcomed 372 exhibitors and just over 18,000 visitors. The Axemen’s Championship sponsored by Taylors Outdoor Power Equipment was introduced for the first time with an exciting two days of competition ensuing.