A 98-year-old poultry veteran who first competed at Melbourne's Royal Show in 1939 and his 10-year-old great-grandson have had their 2026 show aspirations dashed after organisers cancelled all poultry competitions and exhibitions due to the rising threat of H5N1 bird flu across Australia.

Alf Woods, of Greenvale in Melbourne's outer north, has spent nearly nine decades competing with chickens and had planned to bring 19 entries — including Old English Game fowl — to the Melbourne Showgrounds next year. Alongside him, young Blair had registered his five Pekin bantams, gifts from his great-grandfather, for what would have been his first Melbourne Royal Show. Those plans are now on hold.

A Legacy Interrupted by Bird Flu

Woods, who turns 99 on October 26, said he felt terrible about missing the event but fully understood the decision. "If one bird at the royal got the disease, they could kill every bird in the royal," he said.

The cancellation was announced in August, with organisers citing the surge in H5N1 cases detected in wild birds around the country. It marks one of only a handful of times Woods has missed the show in his lifetime — the others being the wartime cancellations during World War II and the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite the disappointment, Woods spoke warmly about what the show means to him beyond the ribbons and trophies. "I don't mind if I win or don't win a prize. I talk to my old friends and the new friends coming along. I just love talking to people," he said.

At home, Woods keeps his birds in covered pens designed to prevent contact with wild birds — a key transmission risk for the virus.

Young Blair's Debut Placed on Hold

The cancellation is a particular blow for Blair, who had already tasted competition success this year, winning best junior at the Pekin Bantam Club of Victoria's annual show in Ballarat. Woods had described his great-grandson as ready "to take on the big boys" at his first Melbourne Royal Show.

"It's a passing of the baton to a younger person, and I think it's great," Woods said of Blair's growing passion for the hobby.

The pair's story highlights how deeply the cancellation has affected the broader poultry-fancying community — a tight-knit group that gathers each year to exhibit breeds judged against the Australian standard.

Competitors Disappointed but Supportive of Decision

Michael Holmes, head of the show's poultry committee and a competitor of 45 years based in Wangaratta, said the mood among exhibitors was one of resigned disappointment. "A lot of people are disappointed," he said, describing it as "an empty feeling" not to be competing. Nevertheless, he backed the call, saying it was the right move for biosecurity and expressing hope that the competition would return the following year.

Tony Milton, from Healesville, who had planned to exhibit his Rhode Island reds and Sebright breeds, agreed it was "better to err on the side of caution."

The Bird Flu Situation in Victoria

According to the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, no cases of H5N1 have been detected in poultry in Australia. However, among non-poultry birds, 220 positive detections have been recorded across 32 local government areas in Victoria, spanning 21 different species.

A mandatory housing requirement is in place for flocks of 50 or more birds in Victoria's coastal and southern municipalities, requiring birds to be kept indoors to minimise contact with wild birds. The Victorian government is also urging owners outside those zones to take similar precautions. For more on how the H5N1 threat is spreading along the coast, see our earlier reporting on Victoria's first confirmed H5 bird flu case, and how NSW activated its bird flu response plan following detections in wild seabirds.

For now, Woods remains optimistic — tending his birds in their covered pens in Greenvale and hoping that 2027 will bring both him and young Blair the chance to finally share a show together.