Royal South Street Society volunteer Sandra Fishwick has served Australia’s longest running eisteddfod for almost a third of its 125 year history.
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Mrs Fishwick has seen every eisteddfod since 1981 – bar one – and is now joined in her volunteering by her mother Yvonne Biggs, daughter Jodie Vickers and granddaughter Miranda Roscoe.
She became involved with RSSS when her daughter began competing in the 1980s and has watched almost every eisteddfod since.
“I love seeing the children dance on stage and come off stage and say ‘that’s the best I can do’.
“You see the children grow and they’re now bringing their children.”
“It just evolved from there, it’s not just the dancing, the highlight is the friendships you make.”
Mrs Fishwick has seen children grow from dance troupe performers aged five and six to performers in their early teens.
“It’s been a big part of my life for many years, the highlight is the friendships and the children, they come up to you and say ‘are you my friend?’ and the next year they remember you.”
The baton has most recently passed to Mrs Fishwick’s granddaughter, 17-year-old dance teacher Miranda, who began shadowing the volunteers this year.
Already she would be at the eisteddfod from morning till late, chivying dance troupes from her mother’s dance school.
“There’s a lot of older volunteers so eventually there’s going to have to be some new people coming in to help out,” Miranda said.
“I know lots of the older volunteers as well who volunteer with nan and grandma, I’ve known them since I was dancing here and they’re still here so it’s nice to do it with them.”
Royal South Street Society Eisteddfod runs until October 29.
From August to October over 11,000 performers will have taken to the stage from around Australia.
This year is Royal South Street Society’s 125th year with a record number of entrants.
For a full time table for 2016 visit www.royalsouthstreet.com.au.