Maxwelton, in Queensland’s north-west, is touting itself as having the state’s first horse racing club with an all-female executive board.

Newly elected president Tammy Bailey said the move was not deliberate.

“Like all small communities, if there aren’t volunteers, these events can’t happen,” Bailey said. “Just so happens we’re all women.”

A Racing Queensland spokesperson said there was no record of another all-female executive in its history.

Lifetime club member John Forster told the ABC in 2011 that locals in Maxwelton had been racing horses since the turn of the 20th century.

“I used to race, but my family has always raced — as far back as 1901,” Forster said.

He said the official Maxwelton Races began in 1950 as a way for amateur riders to compete.

“After World War II racing was booming in the west, but we needed some bush meetings that didn’t cost the young fellas much money,” Forster said.

“The prize money back in those days was just a certificate, a bit of cardboard.”

Since then, the annual event has struggled to attract volunteers and spectators.

A decade ago the meet was nicknamed “the last Maxi race” due to the lack of funding and support from state officials.

Although the committee found enough funding and support to continue but the races still ran into problems.

The Maxwelton Races have not run since 2017, with track maintenance, monsoonal floods and the pandemic leading to cancellations.

The new executive team has planned this year’s event with a full five-race card.

The famous “Maxi-mile” foot races are also set to return.

Bailey said she hoped the “girl-power” theme would encourage more people to lend a hand. “We’re running with it,” Bailey said.

“We’ve got a lot of working bees planned now until April 10.

“But honestly, without everybody, we can’t do anything — so that’s men, women, kids, anybody.”

– ABC / Kemii Maguire