Quercus Park (Agfest Site)

Agfest is a renowned annual agricultural field day held in the Australian state of Tasmania. It was first held in 1983 and is run by the Rural Youth Organisation of Tasmania with profits assisting Tasmania Rural Counselling. It has grown to the state's largest single event and attracts up to 70,000 visitors during three days in May each year at the 200-acre site in rural Carrick.The event was first held at Symmons Plains, near Perth, Tasmania in 1982. It was soon recognised by the organising committee that a larger site was required. In 1986, they purchased land on Oaks Road, Carrick from the Peterson family. The land had originally been part of "Oaks Estate" belonging to Thomas Haydock Reibey, father to Premier of Tasmania Thomas Reibey. The 229-acre site was named "Quercus Rural Youth Park"; Quercus is the genus name for oak. The first Agfest field days on the new site ran from 7–9 May 1987. Up to A$25 million is contributed to the Tasmanian economy by Agfest.