Bendoc’s biggest and best day in decades is how local hotel owners and organisers of ‘A Day in Bendoc’, Jon Marshall and Caroline Marshall have described the inaugural event.

More than 500 people attended the Bendoc event on Saturday, 8 November, bringing people together from across south east NSW and eastern Victoria.

Jon said the day was an ‘unbelievable success’ and has given organisers the encouragement to hold an annual event.

“It was an amazing day for our community,” Jon said.

“We haven’t organised anything like this before, it surpassed our expectations.

“From chatting to long time locals, it would be the largest event Bendoc has had in about 40 years.”

The idea behind the day was to showcase what a terrific community Bendoc is. Since Jon and Caroline, took over the Bendoc Hotel in September 2022, the duo hasn’t looked back.

Bendoc is located just over the NSW/Victorian border, with Delegate its closest town in NSW, only 20 minutes away, and Orbost its closest Victorian town, about 90 minutes away.

Caroline said a highlight of the day was the woodchop.

“It’s the first woodchop event in Bendoc for 40 years. We want to make the woodchop the main attraction, there’s not many places where the woodchop is,” Caroline said.

Entrants from the North East Gippsland Axemen’s Association and South East Axemen’s Association competed, along side competitors from Queensland and the ACT.

Jon and Caroline thanked all the sponsors, stall holders and visitors for making the inaugural Bendoc day a success.