IT is billed as Australia’s largest dahlia show and while it might not have been as big as previous years there was still plenty to see in Portland at the weekend.

The 53rd version of the Portland Dahlia and Rose Show was held at a new venue, the former Mighty Cheap building in Henty St, on Saturday and Sunday, due to the Portland Civic Hall being unavailable.

And while there were a few less entries than in past shows, the 1100 or so across all categories was still a healthy number.

Portland Dahlia Society president Bruce Millard said he was pleased with the way the weekend went.

“Generally speaking it’s been pretty good,” he said.

“Unfortunately a couple of exhibitors couldn’t make it and we were a little bit down in a couple of sections, but it has been a good show.

“It’s been really well attended and we’re very happy with the venue, as well as being lucky with the weather.”

The Society welcomed more than a few new members as well.

“We’ve had a lot of interest from people wanting to know what to do with dahlias,” Mr Millard said.

There were about 560 dahlia entries from all over the state, and about 500 in the roses and cut flower sections, as well as children’s and aged care sections.

Deb Collett won the Ray Nagorcka Memorial open dahlia championship by one point from Mr Millard.

It was an eventful trip to Portland for Ms Collett, who grows her dahlias on the Mornington Peninsula and has narrowly missed out herself on a couple of championships recently.

In order to avoid the traffic, especially given the road works in and around the Westgate Freeway, she took the ferry to Geelong before travelling the rest of the way on land.

Rodney Clarke from Katandra, near Shepparton, won the intermediate championship while Society secretary Ian Hamley notched one for the locals by taking out the novice championship for the second straight year, meaning he will have to go up to the intermediate grade next year.

Another Portlander in Stephen Brown continued his good form after success at the state championships by winning champion bloom of the show with the cactus dahlia Light Accord, and another of the same variety won the intermediate champion bloom for Mr Clarke.

Mr Hamley won the champion novice bloom with a Glenmarc Shirley flower, the same variety that saw him take top honours at the Tyrendarra Show.

The open rose championship was won by George Thompson from near Mount Gambier, a first-time exhibitor at the show, while Isobel Millard of Hamilton (Mr Millard’s wife) won champion rose bloom as well as champion cut flower.

Ann Lyons won the champion open floral art title.

Another highlight came on Sunday afternoon at the presentations when Gorae West dahlia grower Alf Hardingham was finally presented with the Dahl Medal by Dahlia Society of Australia president Warren Vigor. The medal can only be held by five “living legends” at any one time – Mr Hardingham’s contribution to the species was extensively covered in the Observer last year but the presentation of the medal had been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.