The countdown is on to Australia’s largest Scouting event. Thousands of Scouts, Venturers, Rovers and Leaders from right across the country (and the world) will meet together in Maryborough, Queensland for a summer they’ll remember forever.
Here is everything we know about AJ2025 so far. The hosts of the 26th Australian Jamboree, Scouts Queensland, and the JEC (Jamboree Executive Committee) will organise the ten day scout camp. The Dates 6-15 January 2025 Key dates:
• Applications Close: Sunday 31 March 2024
• Opening Ceremony: Monday 6 January 2025
• Visitors Day: Friday 10 January 2025
• Visitors Day/Future Scout Day: Saturday 11 January 2025
• Visitors Day: Sunday 12 January 2025
• Closing Ceremony: Wednesday 15 January 2025
The Opening Ceremony is the official start of the Jamboree, attended by all participants (more than ten thousand). An arena spectacular to launch the camp featuring an official ceremony, concert and fireworks to close the night.
The Jamboree will welcome thousands of visitors to the camp-site on the Visitor Days. It’s a chance for the youth participants to show their friends and family around the Jamboree. Future Scout Day offers the opportunity for Cub Scouts to visit the Jamboree site and get a true insight into what Scouts is all about. The event wraps up at the Closing Ceremony, featuring a fantastic show, a chance to relive the past ten days and to officially bring the Jamboree to a close.
The Location AJ2025 will be held in Maryborough, Queensland. With a population of more than twenty thousand people, Maryborough is located in the stunning Fraser Coast Region of Queensland, not far from Hervey Bay and K’gari (otherwise known as Fraser Island). Maryborough is most notable as the birth place of P.L. Travers, the author of Mary Poppins. The Jamboree site will be located at the Maryborough Showgrounds and Equestrian Park. The established event centre regularly hosts major events in the region and was the home of the last Jamboree held in Queensland (AJ2013) as well as multiple Cuborees. The Participants Scouts from right across Australia and the world are invited to attend the Jamboree as part of a Unit, made up of thirty six scouts and four leaders. They will be self-sufficient during the event in their own campsite, complete with their tents, dining shelter, cooking and washing up areas and their creatively designed gateway.
For the first time ever at an Australian Jamboree, Venturers (aged 15 and 16) are invited to take part as program participants, joining the Scouts within Units. This is a great opportunity for Venturers who may have missed their opportunity to attend a Jamboree when AJ2022 was cancelled due to challenges around the Coronavirus pandemic. Venturers who are sixteen or older are welcome to attend the Jamboree as a Service Leader (more information below). Hundreds of Scout Leaders will play the vital role of Line Leaders within the Units, assisting the Scouts and Venturers throughout their daily Jamboree experience. Many Leaders and Adult Volunteers (including Rover and Venturer Scouts) will take part as Service Leaders, providing the important support the Jamboree needs to run and operate. They will run the activities and entertainment, manage the event’s operations and provide media coverage for the Jamboree. Without all the volunteers that give up their valuable time to attend AJ2025, it would be an understatement to stay that the event wouldn’t be possible.
The Contingents Every youth member and adult who will be participating in the Jamboree, will attend as part of a Contingent. Each scouting branch (state/territory) is a Contingent, including our overseas scouting friends who will be making the journey to Australia for AJ2025. The Contingents are responsible for their youth members and adults at the Jamboree, including transporting them to and from Maryborough. Here are a list of the Contingents:
· Australian Capital Territory
· New South Wales
· Northern Territory
· Queensland
· South Australia
· Tasmania
· Victoria
· Western Australia
International Contingents are currently being confirmed, but currently there are Contingents attending from Canada, United Kingdom and New Zealand.
The Cost The total cost for each attending member of the Jamboree differs based on what Contingent you are part of, as well as whether you are attending as a Scout/Venturer or as a Line Leader/Service Leader.
Please check with your Contingent (via their website or your Scout Leader/Group Leader) to find out the relevant cost for you.
The amount you will pay covers your Jamboree experience across the ten days including transport to and from Maryborough, transport to and from off-site activities, all meals, accommodation and facilities, activities, entertainment and your AJ2025 and Contingent merchandise.
The Program What Scouts and Venturers will get to do at a Jamboree is quite incredible to say the least. The campsite features various on-site activities (mix of scheduled and free-time), as well as many exciting off-site activities that take Scouts and Venturers to different parts of Queensland which neighbour Maryborough and the Fraser Coast Region.
The program team are currently working at creating an incredible Jamboree experience for the participants which will be announced very soon, but here are a few examples of some of the incredible activities from previous Jamborees.
AJ2007 – Onsite airfield where every Scout had a flight in a light aircraft
AJ2016 – A day at the Jamboroo Water Theme Park
AJ2019 – An indoor ice skating rink (in the middle of the South Australia desert)
The Socials You can keep up to date with everything to do with AJ2025, by following us on our social media platforms.
YouTube - @AustralianJamboree
Search: AJ2025