The festival, which includes a colourful parade through the town’s main street to begin proceedings, traces back to when bricks were hurled in Stroud USA and Stroud, England in 1960. Both towns featured brickworks, and the traditional ultimately spread to sister towns in Canada and Australia. 

The Hunter town first competed in 1961 and is the last bastion of the tradition. 

The 2018 event also included a bid to set a new record for the most Akubra-style hats worn in one place, potentially taking the title from Kempsey.