Jacaranda Festival Candidate 2026 Lochy Elward

24/06/2026

Go away for one day and somehow I’ve been replaced… by myself! 🤣

I’m not quite sure how that works, but seeing myself call the 100’s club winner definitely left me scratching my head 🧐.

Congratulations to our latest 100’s Club winner here at the South Grafton Ex Servicemens Club🎉

A huge thank you to everyone who continues to support me and get behind the 100’s Club each week. Your support is always appreciated.

Who wore it better – me or the cardboard version? 😅

21/06/2026

I had an absolute ball attending the 2026 Coffs Clarence Song Competition Awards Showcase as a sponsor representative of the South Grafton Ex-Servicemen’s Club and as a Jacaranda Candidate.

It was fantastic to see so much local talent on display, with artists sharing their original songs and stories through music. The passion, creativity, and dedication shown by every performer was incredible. Congratulations to everyone who entered, performed, and received awards. The courage it takes to get up on stage and perform your own music in front of a crowd is something I truly admire.

I’d also like to congratulate the organisers, volunteers, and everyone involved in putting the event together. It was exceptionally well organised and ran seamlessly from start to finish.

On behalf of the South Grafton Ex-Servicemen’s Club and myself, thank you for the opportunity to be part of such a wonderful evening celebrating local talent.

19/06/2026

18/06/2026

18/06/2026

What a cracking night watching Origin at the South Grafton Ex Servicemens Club! 🏉🍻

There’s a reason the saying “State vs State, Mate vs Mate” has stood the test of time. Whether you’re backing the Blues or the Maroons, Origin brings people together for plenty of laughs, banter, and an atmosphere that’s hard to beat.

Of course, no Origin night is complete without 99¢ wings and jugs of beer, keeping everyone well fed and refreshed while the friendly rivalry unfolded. 🍗🍺

To top off the night, I managed to jag the club’s First Try Scorer promotion and walked away $240 richer! 🎉💰

A huge thank you to everyone who came along and made it such a memorable evening. It was another great reminder of what makes the club and community so special.

Now, I won’t comment too much on some of the refereeing decisions… but it’s good to see the roosters make both teams as good as they are; Sydney roosters are the real winners😅🐓

Who’s ready for Game III?

13/06/2026

What an amazing long weekend representing the Jacaranda Festival at the Clarence Harvest Celebration in Maclean and being part of such a fantastic community event.

One of the best parts was seeing so many familiar faces along the footpaths, running into friends at the markets, and being a part of the incredible atmosphere that makes events like this so special. From the community spirit, stylish floats 😉 to the outstanding live entertainment, it was great to see everyone coming together and supporting such a proud local tradition.

A big thank you to my fellow candidates, junior candidates, committee members and VPS Hire for making the weekend such a memorable experience and success.
Looking forward to what’s ahead! 💜🙌🏽

02/06/2026

A long overdue thank you following my Biggest Morning Tea 🫶🏽🥲

To say our community showed up and supported this event would be an understatement. The generosity shown throughout the day was truly incredible, and it reminded me just how much our little old Grafton community has to offer. WE RAISED JUST UNDER $2,000 😵🤯

A heartfelt thank you to every individual and family who went out of their way to bake, donate, and contribute goods for the morning tea. The amount of food that came through the doors was unbelievable, and every contribution helped make the day so special.

A shoutout to the chefs at the South Grafton Ex-Servicemen’s Club for the delicious food provided on the day — your efforts and creativity did not go unnoticed.

To the small local businesses that jumped on board at such short notice to donate raffle prizes, thank you for your generosity and support. It helped bring even more excitement to the day and was greatly appreciated. Unfortunately due to the amount of people I can tag I am unable to tag everyone, so I’ll add those that donated on the day: Prince Street Barbers Birdscage Clothing & Gifts

I would also like to sincerely thank Bob Carnaby from the Prostate Group and Jeanette Nethercott from the Breast Cancer Group for the amazing insight, knowledge, and conversations shared with us. Your time and contribution added so much value to the day.

Lastly, a huge thank you to my employer/sponsor South Grafton Ex Servicemens Club and my incredible team for helping bring this event together and for the fantastic service provided to all patrons throughout the day. Events like this simply would not be possible without the people behind the scenes.

To everyone who attended, donated, supported, or played a role in making the day what it was — thank you. I am incredibly grateful and already looking forward to doing it all again next year.💜😁🙌🏽

28/05/2026

Kid needs to smile more 😅

Jacaranda Festival Candidate 2026 Lochy Elward
Sponsor: South Grafton Ex Servicemens Club

How long have you lived in the Clarence Valley and what makes it such a special place to call home?
I moved to Grafton at 3 months old from western Australia; what makes Clarence Valley so special to me is how I have left a couple of times for university and somehow always welcomed back with open arms. The constant support we provide is truly incredible.

What do you love the most about living within a regional community? I love how it creates a ‘closer together’ community; I’ve lived in the city twice for university and it lacks the feeling of community support due to its large diversity and population. There are always people at pubs and cafes but if you notice closely its sectioned to groups of who knows who, in the Clarence Valley, you don’t see that, people support people no matter what.

What inspired or motivated you to nominate as a 2026 Jacaranda Candidate?
From a young age I have always attended the festival itself and as I grew in my field of work I got to understand a little more about how the festival contributes to the community through its candidates. Because of my social butterfly personality, I figured I’d be a great addition to help promote our amazing festival.

As a 2026 Jacaranda Candidate, what are you looking forward to the most as you commence your jacaranda journey?
I would like to say minimal stress and extra sleep, but I believe that won’t happen; for me it’s about bringing the community together and showing how supportive and great we are whether it’s for local businesses, individuals or groups.

What are some of your favourite memories from attending previous Grafton Jacaranda Festivals?
I think my favourites have been the ones where I have attended with my little sister, she is a little chaotic, asks for just about anything in sight and is a sweet treat addict but I always get a good laugh out of it.

What is your favourite event to attend during the Grafton Jacaranda Festival each year?
It may not be the most exciting, but I enjoy the floats the most; I used to always participate whether it be with a sporting club or with my school, I always used to play Where’s Wally and see who I knew on the side of the streets. Now I play from the sidelines and see how creative the floats have gotten since I was young.

What are some of your hobbies or interests?
I dabble in just about everything, do I enjoy everything, yes for about 15 minutes before I’m off to try something new.

Should you receive the honour of being crowned during the 2026 Grafton Jacaranda Festival, which title will you choose, King, Queen, or Ambassador?
There is a running joke with a few patrons at my work as well as family and friends that say I'm a bit of a drama queen and that queen is most fitting. However, I believe King is my calling.

Are there any words of encouragement you would like to extend to others who may be considering nominating as a Jacaranda candidate one day?
I would say from my current experience; it's awesome, everyone is super supportive, friendly and makes you feel welcomed and if you enjoy tradition and community then it’s for you. It’s rather easy because of the past knowledge and experience previous candidates have to offer and the motivation the committee and past royal parties provide.

💜

28/05/2026

Jacaranda Festival Candidate 2026 Lochy Elward
Sponsor: South Grafton Ex Servicemens Club

How long have you lived in the Clarence Valley and what makes it such a special place to call home?
I moved to Grafton at 3 months old from western Australia; what makes Clarence Valley so special to me is how I have left a couple of times for university and somehow always welcomed back with open arms. The constant support we provide is truly incredible.

What do you love the most about living within a regional community? I love how it creates a ‘closer together’ community; I’ve lived in the city twice for university and it lacks the feeling of community support due to its large diversity and population. There are always people at pubs and cafes but if you notice closely its sectioned to groups of who knows who, in the Clarence Valley, you don’t see that, people support people no matter what.

What inspired or motivated you to nominate as a 2026 Jacaranda Candidate?
From a young age I have always attended the festival itself and as I grew in my field of work I got to understand a little more about how the festival contributes to the community through its candidates. Because of my social butterfly personality, I figured I’d be a great addition to help promote our amazing festival.

As a 2026 Jacaranda Candidate, what are you looking forward to the most as you commence your jacaranda journey?
I would like to say minimal stress and extra sleep, but I believe that won’t happen; for me it’s about bringing the community together and showing how supportive and great we are whether it’s for local businesses, individuals or groups.

What are some of your favourite memories from attending previous Grafton Jacaranda Festivals?
I think my favourites have been the ones where I have attended with my little sister, she is a little chaotic, asks for just about anything in sight and is a sweet treat addict but I always get a good laugh out of it.

What is your favourite event to attend during the Grafton Jacaranda Festival each year?
It may not be the most exciting, but I enjoy the floats the most; I used to always participate whether it be with a sporting club or with my school, I always used to play Where’s Wally and see who I knew on the side of the streets. Now I play from the sidelines and see how creative the floats have gotten since I was young.

What are some of your hobbies or interests?
I dabble in just about everything, do I enjoy everything, yes for about 15 minutes before I’m off to try something new.

Should you receive the honour of being crowned during the 2026 Grafton Jacaranda Festival, which title will you choose, King, Queen, or Ambassador?
There is a running joke with a few patrons at my work as well as family and friends that say I'm a bit of a drama queen and that queen is most fitting. However, I believe King is my calling.

Are there any words of encouragement you would like to extend to others who may be considering nominating as a Jacaranda candidate one day?
I would say from my current experience; it's awesome, everyone is super supportive, friendly and makes you feel welcomed and if you enjoy tradition and community then it’s for you. It’s rather easy because of the past knowledge and experience previous candidates have to offer and the motivation the committee and past royal parties provide.

💜