The three-day show kicks off on Friday, July 15 and is not only the largest sheep show in Australia, but the largest of its type in the world.

Chief executive officer Margot Falconer said there would be yard dog trials, more than 400 sites – an increase of 45 on last year – selling a wide variety of goods, and for the first year ever, displays of the best beef breeds.

“It brings an enormous amount of money to Bendigo,” Mrs Falconer said.

The annual Women of Wool lunch will be held on the Friday, with just a handful of tickets still available a week in advance.

The guest speaker at this year’s lunch will be Jane Hayward, who was school principal in the village of Strathewen when it was devastated in the bushfires of February 2009 and has since led her school and community towards recovery.

The Annual Breeders’ Dinner will be held the following night, including the presentation of the National Fleece Competition Awards.

The Festival of Lamb will also run throughout the show and will include cooking demonstrations and the return of the popular Bob the Butcher.

Woolcraft will also be on display, with 165 entries in the competition.

Woolcraft designs will feature in fashion parades each morning of the show, along with clothing from the Australian Wool Institute and site holders.

Students interested in a career in agriculture will have the opportunity to hear the experiences of young graduates in various agricultural fields in a forum with Professor Jon Hickford from Lincoln University in New Zealand.

The best shearers in the state will also vie for a place at the national titles with the state championships to be held over the weekend.

For the first time Dohnes will compete, to celebrate 50 years of the breed in Australia.

The show was established in 1877 and moved to Bendigo from Melbourne in 1999.

For more information, visit the Australian Sheep and Wool Show website.