Town crier making a big noise
Howarth wins the ‘loudest voice’
TOOWOOMBA’S town crier Kevin Howarth has now been officially recognised as having the loudest cry in Australia at 97.5 decibels, taking out the honour at the National Town Crier Championships in Victoria at the weekend.
Mr Howarth, who took over from Ralph Cockle last year, also won the people’s choice award.
Toowoomba Regional Council’s Geoff McDonald congratulated Mr Howarth for the achievement.
“Our town crier competed against some of the world’s best town criers, and to take out these awards was not only an achievement for Kevin but also for Toowoomba and the region,” he said.
“This year the council and the region have won a host of awards for our projects, work and achievements and now we can add having the loudest town crier in Australia to that list as well.”
Town crier Australian chief judge Mark Overell praised the
performances from all participants.
“The cries were all noteworthy. It was a tight competition as we’d expected. The standard was very high,” he said.
“Cries were judged on poise, bearing, confidence, clarity, content, pitch and protocol.
“And volume to this and criers were louder than a lawnmower.”
This year’s theme was shipwreck coast. Competitors presented two town cries up to 125 words each.
The overall winner was Stephen Clarke from the New South Wales Central Coast.