Origins
In 1973, Pakenham Shire was split from Berwick Shire. In 1974 the Pakenham Shire council, led by Deputy Shire Secretary, Ray Canobie, decided to hold a festival in the Pakenham Shire to celebrate art and culture of the growing community.
In 1975, a festival committee was established, with the first order of business to hold a competition to name the festival and design an emblem to represent it. The festival was dubbed Yakkerboo, a word derived from indigenous language meaning place of greener pastures. The Mr Yakkerboo emblem was designed by a local school teacher. The design is based on a bunyip, with the tail as a question mark as everyone wonders what Mr Yakkerboo is. The Mr Yakkerboo logo was first used in advertisements for the inaugural 1976 Yakkerboo festival.
1976 – The First Festival
The inaugural Yakkerboo festival was held over several weeks within the Pakenham district. Some of the events included a race meeting at Pakenham Racecourse, lawnbowls and tennis tournaments, arts and craft exhibitions, the Yakkerboo Festival Ball, a street parade and a family activity day.
The Yakkerboo Festival Ball was held on Friday 5th March 1976. At the ball the Queen of the Yakkerboo Festival was crowned, chosen from 13 Princesses. The 13 Princesses had been selected to represent their town in the Pakenham Shire. The 1976 Queen was Sandra Burns from Officer.
The first street parade was held on Saturday 24th March 1976. 60 floats travelled down John street and the Main street to the Pakenham Racecourse, site of the first Yakkerboo Family Day, with an estimated 3000 people in attendance. Family Day activities included little athletics competitions, barbeque, parachutist displays and amusements.
For more historical information, follow this link: https://caseycardinialinkstoourpast.blogspot.com/2016/04/yakkerboo-festival-turns-40.html
Mr Yakkerboo
The Mr Yakkerboo sculpture has been the centrepiece of every festival since 1978. The first sculpture was built as a skeleton of chicken wire by Harry James and Norn Lemin. Harry James of Maryknoll was the orginal caretaker of Mr Yakkerboo. He transported Mr Yakerboo to schools, where students hand made paper mache scales to attach to the Yakkerboo
In 1995, disaster struck, and Mr Yakkerboo was destroyed in a fire at his home of Pakenham Racecourse. A public appeal was held and a new Mr Yakkerboo was deigned and built. This time the frame and body was built from chicken wire and hessian cloth, to prevent further mishap.
In 2016 Mr Yakkerboo was reimagined by David Tucker, a local engineering and fabrication expert. Built out of fibreglass, the current incarnation of Mr Yakkerboo is friendly and welcoming.
Mr Yakkerboo is a symbol of Pakenham, with a stature erected on the main street in 2017. The statue designed by Julie Squires, an Australian sculptor, depicts Mr Yakkerboo meeting Blue, an Australian Cattle dog.
