I’ve just had a peculiar email:
From: Kim Holden
Subject: Show Girl
Date: 3 January 2006 1:00:26 PM
To: johnboy@the-riotact.com1. The Prestigious Showgirl Competition is conducted throughout NSW at some 116 agricultural and Pastoral shows and is one of the many highlighted events conducted at the Sydney Royal Easter Show. The comments some postive [sic] are welcomed and appreciated, others are not. We request that the image and comments be removed from this site within 24hrs. Action Pending
President Mr Michael Harriden
Kim Holden
Publicity Officer
Showgirl Coordinator
Web Page Adminastrator [sic]
Send instant messages to your online friends http://au.messenger.yahoo.com
I suspect it’s related to this story from a few days ago which bears a similar comment.
I was referring to a story on the front page of the Queanbeyan Chronicle and, just so no-one gets confused I’ve reproduced the text of the story below.
Now, just what is going on here? I’m guessing that President Mr Michael Harriden is some relation of the lovely Leah Harriden. His relation to “Web Page Adminastrator” [sic] Kim Holden is unclear, as is her exact authority to pass on legal sounding threats on his behalf.
Regardless, I consider our use of the Queanbeyan Chronicle’s image to be fair as it was both attributed and the original was linked to. As that article refers to Ms Harriden’s family links to the show in the first and second paragraphs I am bewildered as to how my own comments can be thought to be unfair.
This new development does, however, make me wonder more about this paragraph from the article which appears to me to advance her family’s commercial interests, from my extremely limited understanding of the recent fracas over the Queanbeyan Showground:
‘‘It’s a great place to live and the recent controversy about the showground’s future shows how important it is to keep it in the heart of the city,’’
If anyone could please explain an error or inaccuracy in my comments I would be delighted to clear it up. I have offered Mr. Harriden, via Kim, a complete right of reply. But as it took her several days to sort out a legitimate logon and start commenting on the site I’m not holding my breathe.
Show success
By Kate Filor
THIS year’s Queanbeyan Showgirl put her family knowledge to good use — wearing flat shoes to the show and slipping into her heals for the official announcements.
Leah Harriden’s family has been involved with the show for generations and the one concern the 2005 showgirl had was that people would not think she won the honour fair and square.
She said the judges were impartial and that she won the competition on merit.
The registered nurse said she nominated as a show girl contestant because she wanted to have the opportunity to be an ambassador for the show society and for the city.
‘‘It’s a great place to live and the recent controversy about the showground’s future shows how important it is to keep it in the heart of the city,’’ Ms Harriden said.
This year’s show looked set to break last year’s visitor numbers, with about 6000 people estimated to have passed through the gates.
Show secretary Dawn Mayne said the increase in patronage could be due to the good weather and the renewed interest in the show ground and what it had to offer.
More Queanbeyan Show pictures page 8.