We Built This City

Words by Emily Kerton

Photo: Andrew Tremain | The Maryborough Showgrounds in the early stages of Jamboree preparation.

Photo: Andrew Tremain | The Maryborough Showgrounds with AJ2025 in full swing.

For ten jam packed days, from 6-15 of January 2025, the 26th Australian Jamboree will be home to almost 10, 000 Scouts and Leaders from around Australia and the world - but this city wasn’t built overnight. Many Service Leaders have poured endless hours, over the last year or more, into planning and preparing for this quest. They have worked incredibly hard to build the infrastructure, food, entertainment, activities, administration, merchandise, transportation and marketing - as well as many other departments - before any youth even set foot on site.

The "Logistics including Catering" team unpacking boxes into The Shed ahead of AJ2025.

People have been onsite from the later part of 2024, starting construction for the Big Day when Scouts arrived.

During the opening ceremony Governor and Chief Scout of Queensland, Her Excellency Dr. Jeannette Young AC PSM, described the creation of this “mini city [as] a truly remarkable achievement."

As you walk around the Jamboree over the next nine days, take a look around and consider the work that has gone into building our site. If you see any of our many support team members, a thank you will go a long way. Thank your Unit Leaders and any of the many other Service Leaders you meet around site, who have volunteered countless hours to help bring you this amazing opportunity.

It is often said that "It takes a village to raise a child" and, in our case, this child is named AJ2025.