Not even passing showers could dampen the spirits (or fires!) of competitors competing at the 2025 Australian Billy Boiling Championships.
The Gunnedah event is held annually at the Railway Hotel coinciding with the AgQuip field days.
Billy boilers of all experience and skill took to the stage for this year’s competition – from first-time competitors to world championship record holders.
Josh Groundstream was among those to try their luck in the opening heat of the night.
“I’m hoping for a big win,” Josh said prior to his first heat.
“I had one practice run about six months ago and that’s about it.
“It didn’t go well – a lighter was involved but I didn’t succeed.”
The Central Coast visitor was in town to check out the sights of AgQuip for the first time.
He said the event’s steak sandwiches lived up to their scrumptious reputation but did not have significant AgQuip purchases in mind.
As for the billy boiling, Josh had a solid plan of attack for the competition.
“Hopefully I can split the log and go for some wood shavings and then I’ll get the cardboard involved, and go from there,” he said.
Another billy boiling rookie Dakota Lockrey took her maiden competition all in her stride.
The Kempsey local was among the first to get her billy boiling in the women’s heat.
“I thought it would be a lot harder, thought I would be there (lighting the fire) a lot longer,” Dakota said post-event.
Michael Osmond, who acted as Dakota’s assistant wood-splitter, said the trick to a fast billy-boil was solid preparation and momentum.
“Just to build up your tee-pee, try to cut the wood really small, then get the fire going and keep stoking it up, fan it …. keep the wood up to it, keep the heat in it, get it cooking,” Michael said.
David Tilley won his heat in the men’s competition but was convinced his success was all chance.
“There’s no secret, it’s just being lucky on the night,” he said.
The veteran billy boiling competitor from Cullen Bullen, near Lithgow, has been competing at the AgQuip event for three decades.
“I’m getting better every year,” he said.
David had his eyes squarely on the $300 first prize and had a plan of attack to win it.
“Split as much wood as you can, get the fire going as quickly as possible, get the billy on, then you need to fan it as hard as possible,” he said.
Aside the billy boiling – which he planned to revisit in March for the NSW titles which are also held in Gunnedah – he said AgQuip was a good opportunity to kick the tyres on some equipment.
“I want a water tank but they’re too dear,” he quipped.
Billy boiling announcer Ray Darcey is usually more accustomed to the speedway track but said the fire-lit competition is a great show.
“It’s a great spectacle at AgQuip this billy boiling … something different, not something you see everyday,” he said.
“There’s people from all over the countryside who come to this.”
Ray said billy boiling competitors were a little slow out of the blocks due to the preceding wet weather but competition times quickly heated up, fast.
Having commentated on the billy boiling for about the last 10 years, Ray said Gunnedah’s Wicks family would be the thick of the finals action.
“Dan (Wicks) holds the record 4.01 minutes, that’s going to take a of beating,” he said.
“His father (Steve) goes alright, but occasionally someone will pop up out of the woodwork and do something we haven’t seen before.”
2025 AgQuip Billy Boiling results:
Women’s final: 1st Prue Galton 6.01 minutes, 2nd Lisa Ross 6.04, 3rd Jess Knight 7.04.
Men’s final: 1st, Mark Ross 6.49, 2nd Nat Groves 7.03, 3rd Sam Snape 7.05.
Fastest time: Jess Knight 5.31.
