Each year at the Royal Hobart Show a Living Legend is announced.
The award is the pre-eminent honour the Society can bestow on a living individual who has contributed to the success of the Society and the Royal Hobart Show.
The 2021 recipient is Henry Burbury, who first visited the Hobart Show in 1955 as a young school student. He was back the next year with his family as a young exhibitor of cattle. In the mid 1970’s Henry became involved in the peak Show Council. He became Chairman of the Beef Cattle Committee and in 1996 he was elected the Society’s President.
During his tenure as President, he oversaw a much-needed restructure and modernisation of the Society. He also oversaw the acquisition of a strategically important section of the Spurline Road, and was partly instrumental in attracting sponsorships for the Show from well known Tasmanian brands. Henry was also at the helm during a period of intense debate about the establishment of a Tasmanian AFL side to be based at the Showground.
On a social level, Henry was also prominent in the Show’s own cricket league. Every Friday night of the Show would find him in the cattle shed involved in a fierce annual cricket match played between beef cattle farmers and their supporters, and the dairy cattle community.