About 900 shots were fired to provide the crowd of predominately parents and young children with a magnificent display of pyrotechnics by Chris Pearson Fireworks at the Rologas Fields about 9pm on New Year’s Eve.
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Bruce McRae was one who set up the night’s display and described the show as “not a bad one for the size of the town”, but then he is used to working in slightly larger towns.
“For many years I did Sydney Harbour, and I have done various other places up around the North Coast and the New England area for New Year’s Eve and various other shows,” he said.
“Chris is actually a ratepayer here in Armidale, and I’m from Uralla.
“This is is the first one I have done in Armidale on New Year’s Eve.”
Bruce said he had worked at Sydney Harbour from 1988 to 2000 as a member of about 30 people, and for Sid Howard in Sydney, Brisbane and Townsville. The most frightening time he has ever had with fireworks was when the government relaxed the permit system in 2000.
“We had idiots underneath the bridge letting off fireworks up at us, and we had a lot of explosive on that bridge,” he said.
We hold it at 9pm because it is for families and the kids really enjoy it.
- Mayor Simon Murray
Armidale Regional Council Mayor Simon Murray said it was great weather for a fireworks display.
“We could put it on at 12 o’clock, that’s when the year changes, but the majority of people want to take their kids to it and the different time is a lot better for them,” Cr Murray said.
“If you leave it much later than that, it’s only going to be those who are out revelling, and most of them the next morning are not going to be able to remember what fireworks were there.”
