A glorious day last Saturday provided the picture-perfect backdrop to a long lunch in the garden and some serious auction bidding in Walcha.
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The St Patrick's Primary School Parents & Friends committee held its inaugural High Country Long Lunch event in the historic garden of Warwick and Jackie Fletcher 's property 'Cairnie', and close to 300 people attended.
The standard of the event staging was high thanks to the generosity of some heavy hitters in local industry: Marchant Brothers, Betts Transport, Henry Earthmoving Group, Stack's Law Firm and Fox and Lillie Rural.
Former MP (and former St Patrick's teacher) Kevin Humphries was the emcee for the day, and he kept the pace moving with some amusing anecdotes and observations.
Local providores, distillers and craft brewers ensured everyone was well catered for , and then the live auction began.
The drought effect was nowhere to be seen in either the verdant surroundings or in the generous bidding by supporters of the small school.
There were five major auction prizes: a week's holiday in Yamba ( courtesy of former Walcha mayor Janelle Archdale and her husband Miles); paintings by two locally based artists Kate Durack and Paula Jenkins; the ultimate gin, wine and beer pack courtesy of the distillers and brewers present; a T6 Texan aerobatic flight or Gorge Flight donated by parents Bec and Matt Macarthur Onslow; and Waratahs tickets and hospitality for six people in Sydney.
There was also a silent auction of nine items and a raffle with more than a dozen prizes.
While the profit after costs is still to be finalised, the organisers expect to raise more than $30,000 from the lunch which will go towards the construction of a new playground area at the school.