Visitors to this year’s Fraser Coast Show were in for a surprise when they entered the Scarecrow Pavilion - a creative tribute from the Maryborough Hospital Auxiliary that turned heads and warmed hearts.
To celebrate the show’s 150th anniversary and acknowledge more than 170 years of hospital service in the region, the Auxiliary crafted three delightful scarecrows.
Hospital Volunteer Barb Horvath said the scarecrows had been decorated to pay homage to the history and contributions of local healthcare workers.
“We weren’t in it to win it, we just wanted to be part of the fun and honour our hospital,” she said.
“It’s our way of recognising the nurses past and present and sharing a bit of joy with the community.”
The scarecrows, one dressed in a period-accurate nurse's uniform from the 1870s, another in a current Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service nurse's uniform and a third as a hospital volunteer, drew a charming contrast between the past and present.
Barb said the process of creating the scarecrows and then seeing them come to life at the show had been one full of many laughs for the volunteers.
“We usually do serious work at the hospital, so this was a chance to have a laugh, get creative, and enjoy ourselves,” she said.
The timing couldn’t be more fitting, with National Volunteer Week held during show week.
Barb said to anyone thinking of becoming a hospital volunteer, it gives back more than it takes.
“You meet such lovely people, it fills your time, and I can't think of anything I’d rather do.”