A premier event in Junee since its formation in 1943, the carnival has grown from just 43 teams to more than 100 last year.

But the annual event is managed by a core committee of eight. With retirement now on the cards, the committee has begun to fear that there will be no-one to continue the work in their absence.

"I'm stepping down this year, so we need some young ones in," said Phil Cummins, who has held the title of president for 30 years, and has served on the committee for upwards of four decades.

"The senior and the junior vice president are all my age.

"We're all around 70 now, and it's just time we had some fitter, younger men and women."

Each year, there is no shortage of help and support on the day of the carnival.

But it is the months of preparations that goes ahead of the day that often gets overlooked.

To accommodate the lack of hands, Mr Cummins has in the past had to take up to three weeks of unpaid leave from work to get the carnival on its way.

"If we don't get new people coming on, eventually it'll have to fold. We've only ever had one carnival cancelled, and that was in 2016 because it was too wet.

"In 1996, we had to postpone it. We don't want to have to cancel it because there's too much to do."

When August kicks off each year, Junee's population is nearly doubled with an additional 4000 travellers taking up residence for the carnival.

"I think people take for granted that it just happens and that we'll always be here to make it happen.

"It's not just turning up on the day, for even the smallest thing there's a lot of work.

For example, soft drinks. We get two pallettes delivered. They need to be stored, and then packed and divided across four canteens.

"There are about 140 dozen meat pies, 80 dozen hot dogs, 60 dozen sausage rolls, and then all the egg rolls. We go through about 80kg of steak and sausages, then there are all the lollies. It all has to be divided between four canteens.

"I'm absolutely flat out all day, but there's so much to do leading up."

Mr Cummins and the other committee members are hopeful an influx of new blood will make their presence known at the annual AGM on May 30, to be held at the Ex-Services Club.