Get your Billy Cart on this Easter

PIC

If you’re looking for something a bit different this Easter and fancy a day trip with the family, the Australian Billycart Championships in Corowa might be just the thing.

If you happen to have an old billy cart in the shed or time on your hands, there’s still time to enter.

Organisers even have some for hire.

The traditional Easter event returned to Corowa last year after being stalled when the Covid pandemic stopped the race.

But the Lions Club and the wider community joined together to resurrect the event in 2025, with 68 entries.

This year organisers are hoping for 80 billy carts.

The racetrack is Corowa’s main street, which will see billy carts of all shapes, colours and sizes careering down the slope for Australian championship glory, bragging rights, trophies and prizes.

For more than 20 years the Corowa Volunteer Rescue Association has been a vital cog in the wheel of the Australian National Billy Cart Championships.

They play an important role at both ends of the track, running the launch operations from the ramps at the top of Sanger St, and pulling the carts back to the top of the hill after they’ve completed their race.

Members from the National Billy Cart Championships, Corowa Lions, VRA and police met last week as they finalised preparations for the upcoming championship.

Sgt Steve Marshall was there for Corowa Police as they too get their cart ready for entry this year, this time vying for speed rather than trying to suppress it.

“There were no billy cart races running when I first came to Corowa, so I didn’t know the significance of it at the time,” Sgt Marshall said.

“There used to be another cart that was built for Corowa, and it was used across the state by other police stations for billy cart races; we found it when we were cleaning out the shed.”

Senior Constable Chris Jennings has been building the new billy cart for Corowa Police, which will run the number ‘Cor 19’, their call sign when they respond to emergency calls.

And if you’d just like to take the family for a fun morning out, head to Corowa on Easter Saturday.

Activities on Sanger St during the event include buskers, market stalls, a live band, entrants from the Australian Van Nationals, and children’s entertainment, such as pony rides and games.