Fred Brophy GA, the fourth-generation showman whose boxing troupe has become part of Outback folklore, has announced that 2025 will be the final year his boxing tent runs during the Birdsville Races weekend in September – the very event that helped kickstart his legendary run on the road.
The 73-year-old, who has taken his unique brand of travelling tent boxing to the remote Queensland town each September for 43 years, said the decision was bittersweet but timely as he and wife Sandi begin winding back.
“Birdsville was the first major event we committed to so it deserves to be the first place we say goodbye,” Brophy said. “We love going on cruises so would like more time for that, and more time to spend with our family and the grandkids in particular.”
The Brophy’s will step away from the iconic race meet that they have become synonymous with after providing much loved off-track sport and entertainment to thousands of race goers on their annual pilgrimage to the region.
“Fred’s departure is going to be a big loss to punters, and to our family. We have a long history, and we feel privileged to have had both he and Sandi as such an important part of the growth of the races. It won’t be the same without Fred’s rally ringing out across Birdsville each night after the races. We will miss them for the unique show Fred is the ring-master for, and as a friends. Our hope is that while the boxing tent won’t return, Fred and Sandi will and that they’ll then be able to join us for a red around the fire after a day at the races. On behalf of the Birdsville Race Club we wish them the very best as they wind down, and thank them for their long commitment to the Birdsville Races,” said David Brook, Birdsville Race Club President.
“I have grown up knowing Fred and his family as an integral part of the races. It’s hard to imagine not having their tent taking up the corner opposite the Birdsville Hotel after this year. The races will evolve and his departure is an opportunity for new things for 2026 and beyond, but without a doubt we’re all going to miss Fred and his boxing troupe. I feel grateful for all the years I’ve been able to enjoy his special brand of boxing – and consider it a truly bucket list experience. I encourage everyone to get in early and grab tickets to be part of the last year that Fred Brophy’s boxing troupe is at the Birdsville Races,” said Gary Brook, Birdsville Race Club Vice President.
“The Birdsville Races really helped put us on the map so it’s not been an easy decision to walk away from the fun and the great crowds. But it’s time,” added Brophy. “Sandi and I aren’t getting any younger, and Birdsville is our most remote gig. Everyone better grab a ticket and come have a final big hurrah with us this year.”
Outside of the boxing ring the Birdsville Races has held a special place in the hearts of the Brophy’s. It’s where Fred took Sandi on their first date and the couple have been inseparable ever since, raising a family while crisscrossing regional Queensland with their travelling boxing troupe.
“I always said if I win a TAB Birdsville Cup, I’ll make an honest woman out of Sandi,” laughs Fred, referring to his long-unfulfilled promise of marriage. Fred has entered horses in the race for years, but a Cup win has remained just out of reach.
Fred Brophy’s ties with boxing extend well beyond his years at the Birdsville Races. The son of a sideshow operator and a trapeze artist, Brophy entered the ring at the age of five. By his late 20s, he had built his own boxing troupe – the last of its kind anywhere in the world – with a unique drum rally before each show calling on locals and larrikins to “have a go” in the ring against one of his seasoned fighters.
While tent boxing has been banned in most states since the 1970s, Brophy’s outfit has endured in Queensland, protected by cultural significance and the tacit understanding that it was more than just sport – it was tradition.
The Birdsville Races, often dubbed the “Melbourne Cup of the Outback”, will be held on 5–6 September 2025 with Fred Brophy’s final bouts of tent boxing running across the evenings of Thursday 4th, Friday 5th and Saturday 6th September.
