Armed with 700 saugsages, 700 eggs, 20kg of mushrooms, 30kg of tomatoes and 28 giant tins of baked beans, members of the Rocky River Lions Club and volunteers cooked up for the 'bashers,’ who had arrived the night before. "It was excellent," said the gaols managing director Tony Holland. "We want to thank all the people that made it possible and for helping to put Gladstone and the Southern Flinders on the map."

The event attracted 151 cars and 371 people to the town.

And for the local police it was a chance to take people out of gaol.

"Instead of taking people into gaol, the local officer, Nick, was directing cars out of the complex," Mr Holland laughed.

Television weather presenter Jane Reilly attended the event and stayed overnight in one of the cells. “Allan Thompson of the Northern Areas Council, David Cowin and his hard workers at the Gladstone Deopt, the Rocky River Lions Club, the people of Gladstone and the Variety Bash are to be thanked for their work,” Mr Holland said.

“We also get a lot of support from people in Port Pirie which is great.”

The gaol managment donated the use of accomodation which was valued at $5616.

“It was a great event and I don’t think anyone went to bed that night,” Mr Holland said.

PHOTO: The mud covered Variety Bash cars rolled into Gladstone. There were 371 people and 151 cars involved in the huge event that culminated with an enormous cooked breakfast to feed the small army of ‘bashers.’