With the seventh Shoalhaven River Festival almost here, we've turned back the clock to another significant event on the river.
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Nowra Sailing Club was formed in 1963 and celebrated its official opening on October 5, 1963.
Twenty-eight boats from Sydney also joined in the festivities and around 39 boats in total started at the opening of the Nowra Sailing Club season.
President of the Shoalhaven Shire Council, B.F McIntosh officially opened the sailing season.
He said he was most impressed at the glorious site on the river that day, and now realised that we have not used our river to advantage in the past, but could see that the time lost would be picked up and the river used more now with the formation of the Sailing Club.
Before we had the Shoalhaven River Festival, we had the Lyre Bird Festival and the first event was held on the same day as the official sailing club opening.
The event was hailed a success by honorary secretary of the festival committee, Mr Artie Smith, who declared it would become a statewide tourist attraction after the success of the first 1963 festival.
"Already tourists who have travelled to Nowra for the long weekend have said they would be back for next year's festival," Mr Smith said.
The festival featured a variety of sports, from athletics, trotting, rugby league, football, soccer, and woodchops, to sailing, marching girls and boomerang throwing.
The highlight of the program was the rodeo where more than 1000 pounds was raised to improve the sporting facilities at Bomaderry Sports Oval.
The majority of the money raised was through the Queen Quest, which was won by 19-year-old, Carol Haigh.
Ms Haigh was sponsored by the Shoalhaven Cricket Association and won the quest from four other contestants. She received a trip valued at 100 pounds to any place of her choosing.
The evening entertainment started with the firing of a flare from Greenwell Point signifying the start of the 10-mile relay.
An hour later Nowra athlete Darrell Thompson entered the showground which his burning torch, circled the ground and then lit the main torch in the centre of the ring.
Hundreds of people took up positions and lined Junction Street for the procession of floats on Saturday afternoon.
More than 20 floats took part in the procession from East Street to the showground.
