G.O.A.T winners star at the Ekka

Visitors to this year’s Royal Queensland Show (Ekka) in August couldn’t miss the artist-inspired fibreglass goats on display – but they were about more than just turning heads.

Learning about Australia’s dynamic goat industry in a fun and interactive way was the focus of a new initiative: the G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Time) Competition at the Ekka.

The G.O.A.T Competition involved Queensland school students learning about Australian food production through use of Meat & Livestock Australia’s (MLA) Australian Good Meat educational school resources, while also showcasing what makes their local region the ‘greatest of all time.’

In the lead up to this year’s Ekka, 155 Queensland primary schools created an artistic design concept on a goat-shaped template.

Students could take inspiration from their family, school, town or local agricultural industry to influence their design, with entries accompanied with a 20–100-word explanation to support their artistic direction.

From the entries, 19 finalists were selected to receive a life-size fibreglass goat model to bring their concept to life. The meaning behind picking 19 finalist was to celebrate the herd of 19 goats that arrived in Australia with the First Fleet in 1788. 

The finalists’ eye-catching goat models were displayed in the Ekka Ag Education Hall at the RNA Brisbane Showgrounds where winners were selected.

The winning entries and their prizes were:

• First Place: Upper Brookfield State School (Mathilda, Grade 4); $500 prize, virtual “Meet a Goatmeat Farmer” experience, goat product hamper, trophy and sash;
• Second Place: Beenleigh State School (Jenna, Grade 6); $300 prize, trophy, and sash;
• Third Place: Bullyard State School (Shiloh, Grade 2); $200 prize, trophy, and sash.
• People's Choice Winner: Livingstone Christian College (Bryton, Grade 5) chosen by public vote during the Ekka; G.O.A.T showbag, trophy and sash.

Prize money will be used by the winning classes to support purchase of classroom resources.

MLA Schools and Education Manager, Susan Howe, said the competition was a great opportunity to generate teacher awareness of MLA’s Australian Good Meat Education school resources provided as part of MLA’s wider Australian Good Meat program.

“Our free curriculum-aligned Australian Good Meat Education school resources are designed to support teachers to educate students about the Australian red meat and livestock industry,” Susan said.

“The resources are for primary and high school students and cover paddock to plate education and are easily accessible from the Australian Good Meat website.

“The G.O.A.T competition provided MLA with an opportunity to support teachers with classroom-ready educational materials for younger students to learn about primary production by exploring the goatmeat industry, a smaller but rapidly growing sector within Australian agriculture.

“MLA’s Australian Good Meat program exists to engage and inform the community about the Australian red meat and livestock industry, with a focus on animal welfare, environmental management, and the role of red meat in a healthy lifestyle.

“Royal Shows like the Ekka are an effective platform for the red meat industry via the Australian Good Meat program to reach a large audience who are interested in learning more about these topics. Additionally, it attracts MLA members and other key industry stakeholders allowing MLA to demonstrate how it is building community trust.”

The People's Choice Winner.