ON a normal day, the population of Bingara sits around the 1500 mark.

But at the weekend, that figure more than doubled when the idyllic little town – nestled in the Gwydir River catchment 40km south of Warialda – hosted the annual Orange Picking Festival.

The festival, covered at the weekend by the Weekend Sunrise programme and emceed by Seven Network National News director and Bingara old boy, Hugh Whitfeld, was first held in 1998.

However, the orange-picking ceremony dates back to 1960 after orange trees were planted along both sides of Finch Street in the 1950s as a living memorial to the town’s fallen soldiers from both world wars.

Oranges are left untouched throughout the growing season, before being harvested by Bingara Central School students.

The orange-picking ceremony was held on Friday – the last day of school for Term 2 – and was followed by a commemorative service at Bingara RSL Club.

Gwydir Shire mayor, Tiff  Galvin, who picked oranges as a student more than 40 years ago, said the orange-picking ceremony was quite unique.

“The annual orange-picking day has been going for 65 years,” Cr Galvin said.

“It’s very unique that every orange is left on the trees, and nobody touches them.

“We’re very lucky, and I think we’re the only place in the world that does something like this.

“We also have the ‘orange police’ – the students – and they politely tell anyone that wants to pick an orange beforehand that they can’t, and explain to them why,” she smiled.

On Saturday, stall-holders and community organisations lined either side of Maitland Street for more than two blocks, as thousands of locals and visitors swelled the town’s population.

The carnival included a massive street parade which twice looped Bingara’s main street.

A rodeo and fireworks at Bingara Showground were held afterwards.

“We had a special ceremony on Friday in memory of the fallen soldiers, and that continued to the festival,” Cr Galvin said.

“This is Bingara’s biggest day of the year. A lot of people come back especially for it, and there are campers down on the river who came all the way from Victoria and Queensland.

“I think there would be nearly 3000 people. This is the biggest crowd I’ve ever seen at the festival and we’re lucky, because this is the most beautiful day – perfect weather.

“We’ve got vintage cars, market stalls, rock ‘n’ roll dancers as well as the rodeo and fireworks, and we’re very privileged to have Hugh Whitfield back with us.

“He’s a Bingara boy and has come to join us and compere the festival,” Cr Galvin said.

Work on the festival began months ago, with the entire community banding together to commemorate a unique event in a unique little town, which was built on the back of a gold-mining boom in the 1850s.

“A lot of work has gone into this,” Cr Galvin said.

“We had a working bee last weekend, with all the shopkeepers and business owners, and everyone got out and cleaned each other’s shopfronts and made the street sparkling.

“The shopkeepers have done an amazing job. They’ve decorated their windows, and there are lots of competitions going on.

“The kids and the community have been so supportive – it’s all about small towns and community spirit.

“It’s been amazing,” she said.