The St George Cotton Growers Association brought a touch of glamour, class and Las Vegas to town when they recently hosted their Cotton Grower Award Gala.

With the Showground’s main pavilion turned into a glittering and stylish casino, and the 130 guests looking as if they were ready to be extras in a James Bond film shot in Monte Carlo, the scene was set to recognise the efforts of growers and all the industry supporters during the 2023–2024 season.

Award winners recognised during the evening were:
• Grower of the Year over 400 Ha – Balonne Plains
• Agronomist of the Year over 400 Ha – John Mulholland
• Grower of the Year under 400 Ha – Wangola
• Agronomist of the Year under 400 Ha – Phil Lockwood
• Service to the Industry Award – Mark Robertson
• Young Achiever’s Award – Lucy Sevil

The evening also gave Cotton Australia the opportunity to acknowledge the wonderful work that Sally Rigney had done during her time as the Cotton Australia Regional Manager for St George, Dirranbandi and Mungindi. In making a presentation to Sally, Cotton Australia General Manager Michael Murray highlighted Sally’s gift as a storyteller, and the wonderful work she had done through her videos, especially A Season with Saunders.

With wallets stuffed with “funny money”, the evening turned to the gambling tables. For most, by the end of the night the funny money was all gone, but for a lucky few, they were probably wishing they had had the same run at the Gold Coast Casino.