Bangalow Billycart Derby races into town

AROUND 300 men, women, and children are gearing up to race in the Bangalow Billycart Derby this Sunday, May 18.

Bangalow’s main street will be closed to traffic for the day, with a full schedule of races including a schools’ challenge, mothers’ challenge, tag team events, novelty races and a professional division.

“The novelty race is anything goofy or oddball,” said Greg Nash, who is president of Bangalow Lions Club, which organises the event. “One year we had a billycart built like the Titanic and when it got to the bottom of the hill it fell apart.”

Nash said the local highway patrol has clocked professional billycarts reaching speeds of 42 kilometres per hour.

“That’s fast,” he said. “A horse gallops at 50 kilometres an hour.”

Despite the high speeds and occasional spills, the event has a strong safety record. Helmets are mandatory for all racers and each cart must pass a safety inspection before hitting the track.

Nash, who has been involved in the derby for 30 years, said the joy it brings to children keeps him coming back.

“It’s the look on the kids’ faces,” he said. “All six of my children and five grandchildren have done it over the years.

“It’s good, old-fashioned family fun and we need more of it.

“There’s not that many towns in Australia that do this kind of thing – closing off the main street is a pretty big deal.

“We couldn’t do it without our volunteers. There’s 700 hay bales to set up along the street in the morning and pack away in the afternoon, plus metal crowd control barriers, and then we have the Lions Club barbecue running.”

The derby coincides with Bangalow Public School’s annual fundraising fair, The Pit Stop, and the Bangalow Fire Station’s open day, which runs from 10am to 2pm.

Among the more eye-catching entries this year is a billycart built by Brendan Brown, who works in special effects. His cart incorporates a metal skull from Mad Max: Fury Road, a wheelbarrow tray and tyres from a ride-on lawnmower. Brown will also be racing in a koala suit to raise awareness for local non-profit organisation Bangalow Koalas.

“I love the story of how the derby started because they built the highway back in the day and it was to bring more people to the town,” he said. “It’s not like we need that now, but it’s just a fun thing.”

Anyone interested in volunteering can contact Greg Nash on 0418 440 545.