After trying a combined Rugby League team with Harden last year, this year Binalong is going it alone in the George Tooke Shield competition, making it arguably the smallest town in NSW to field a footy team (Go the Brahmans!).

Ray Hadley and the popular Continuous Call team – consisting of league Immortal Bob ‘Bozo’ Fulton, Darryl ‘The Big Marn’ Brohman and Steve ‘Blocker’ Roach – have informally adopted the Brahmans, meaning the wider football-loving public around NSW can now follow the progress of our local lads.

After hearing of the team’s exploits (including one player calling in to say they had lost the team bus and recounting a saga that involved a taxi to Canberra and a very late arrival home), a few of the Brahmans new Sydney-based fans decided to come down and watch the return Binalong-Harden clash. One phoned the Continuous Call team to confirm the date (July 18) – it was like pouring petrol on a bonfire.

Now Binalong folk are gearing up for another of the Big Events that Binalong does so well.

Over the years there’s been the Not Quite the 88 Show, when Binalong - figuring everyone would be too busy celebrating the Bicentenary in 1988 to come to a small village’s celebration – got in early and had a huge weekend of celebrations in October 1987. At other times there has been the Railway Centenary, Back to Binalong, the re-enactment of the shooting of John Gilbert, the grand opening of the pool and numerous other events that have given the village cause to come together and celebrate.

The ability to generate a wonderful feeling of community is one of the big benefits of village life. Binalong is not unique in that respect, many other small villages know how to party, and they also know how to come together in support in the bad times. It is when things get tough that small communities really come into their own.