MARBURG, Rosewood … you name it, John Norris has been a narrator at most agricultural events in South East Queensland.
And while you might not know his name, if you’ve been to an agricultural show, you’ve heard his voice.
John is a professional master of ceremonies.
It is a role requiring live and on the spot narrating and it’s something he’s been doing professionally for 43 years.
While that number is impressive, it doesn’t beat the years spent in the meat processing industry, which is 50.
“I like supporting local country shows.
“I don’t sit in a broadcasting box, I am a roving MC who works an arena and showground,” he said.
“I like interviewing people and making them feel good about themselves.”
The work calls for stamina but John is able to maintain his positive energy from day through to night events.
“Sometimes I do 13 or 14 hour days, and people say, ‘John, how do you do it’,” he explained.
“I think its fortunate that prior to being in the meat processing industry, I was an auctioneer who had the ability to use his voice to entertain and broadcast information.”
Nowadays, John’s event list is filled with agricultural shows, campdraft events and occasions where a roving MC helps to keep the schedules rolling.
Many shows are held over two or three days.
“I do the day program and then work into the night program,” he said.
“When you work from a day to a night program that’s a whole new level because I need to continuously entertain people and keep them happy, involved and excited.
“I need to make the show society say, ‘we like the way this fellow does it and we want him back next year’.”
He believes in looking the part, shows are worked wearing a neatly pressed black sports coat, tie, hat and polished shoes.
“There’s a saying I like, it’s nice to be important but it’s more important to be nice,” he said.
“I give children a chance to talk on the loudspeaker. At Rosewood Show I interviewed a little girl no older than six.
“She spoke so well about where she was from and the horse she was riding.
“Her mum was so proud when she heard her daughter speak so eloquently and while she didn’t win a ribbon, it was an experience both will remember long after the show is over.”
At the time of this interview, he’d just completed 11 shows in a row.
“I’ve been an MC for many years but I’m not a young man anymore; I turn 70 soon,” he said.
“I’ve also only ever had one job and that’s in the meat processing industry as a livestock manager
“I am retiring at the end of the year and that will give me 50 years in the one profession.”
John has also made a name for himself as a livestock auctioneer.
“I remember being a cadet auctioneer with a company called Mactaggarts and being approached by someone looking for a radio announcer.
“I turned it down because I wanted to be a stud stock auctioneer and not a radio announcer.
“I work at most shows in South East Queensland including Rosewood and Marburg
His experience with agricultural shows has given him insight.
“All the shows are run differently and it’s not the same across the board because they’re put together by committees with a town or locality front of mind,” he said.
“Show committees bring an event to the public in a way that promotes their local area and the people who live, work and farm within it.”
