New trophy for NSW Billy Boiling Title

Legendary Billy boiling competitors Snow Weston and Kenny Lloyd will be immortalised in solid timber for this weekend’s NSW Billy Boiling Championship.

The championship is held each year during the Gunnedah Weeks of Speed and this year will feature a new perpetual trophy for the overall winner.

Some decades ago Mr Weston colluded with Mr Lloyd and several others over a few beers in the pub about the idea of a billy boiling competition.

The brains-trust – which also included Roy Jaeger, Lenny Cook, ‘Barramundi’ Bob Margach, Max Kotzur and Tony Bowles – came up with the idea of a contest for who could boil a billy the fastest and thus the annual championship was born.

Mr Weston won the inaugural championship in 1980 and the following two years but was beaten in 1983 by Graham Waters from Narrabri.

Almost 50 years later, the 2025 competition winner will be rewarded with this remarkably unique trophy.

“It looks great,” Mr Weston said.

The handcrafted piece was commissioned by event organiser Steve Wicks who confirmed the wooden trophy carries some serious weight.

Mr Wicks urged those eager to test their skill to nominate for the NSW title this weekend.

“Everyone is invited to cheer on their mates or have a go themselves,” he said.

Meanwhile, Gunnedah’s traditional Ag Quip billy boiling competition – held each year in August – will retain the Australian championship status as well as the Roy Jaeger and Tony Bowles memorial name.

The billy boiling competition starts at 6pm on Saturday at the Railway Hotel in Gunnedah.

Earlier on Saturday, Gunnedah will also host the NSW Whipcracking Titles at Wolseley Park from 10am.

Several divisions are open to the public who are invited to take part including the under 10, under 16, novice and open divisions.

This year the event will also award the inaugural Eli Kelly Memorial Trophy in honour of the young Gunnedah tradesman who was killed in a workplace accident in Western Australia last year.

How it works:

Each billy boiling competitor is given a box of matches, a tomahawk, a block of pine and a billy with 600ml of water and a piece of cardboard to fan the flames. The winner is who can bring their billy to a rolling boil the fastest. If the competitor spills or knocks over the water, they are out of the running.

Snow Weston from Gunnedah with some of his winning medals from his billy boiling titles.