IT’S time to start practising for the 2026 Stroud Brick and Rolling Pin Throwing Competition.
This unique celebration of the town’s heritage and community spirit will be held at the Stroud Showground on 11 July.
Started by the brick-making towns of Stroud in the US and UK in 1961, the competition spread to Canada and Australia the following year.
That’s when Stroud Australia added the rolling pin component for women.
Since then, it has been the only town to continually host the event.
2026 is also Stroud’s bicentenary year, so the competition takes on special meaning.
Festivities will begin with the iconic Street Parade at 10am.
Winding through the heart of town, the procession will be in keeping with the 200th anniversary theme of “Looking Back. Moving Forward” and will feature floats, vintage vehicles, marching bands, school groups, community organisations, and crowd favourites like the Marching Koalas, Whizzy the Water Drop, and Neloona the Balloona.
Team registrations are at 10.30am with categories including men, women, kids, juniors, masters, and the ever-popular rubber chicken throwing.
The main event then gets underway at 11am with Dave Layzell MP locked in to throw the first brick.
Distances are in imperial measurements to remain consistent with the UK and US, who currently hold the records for the longest throws.
These convert to 43.4m for a brick, and 47.5m for a rolling pin.
The tossing isn’t the only highlight of the day.
There are activities for kids, art awards, market stalls, a quilting exhibition and live music.
For more information go to stroudbrickthrowing.com.au.
By Sue STEPHENSON
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