Liz and Melvin Greenham, who were named first place winners, were responsible for the overwhelming display on the corner of Berkeley and Griffin Streets.

Judge of the competition, Lee Anderson of Tea Gardens said she had never imagined such a complex and detailed collection of Christmas garden decorations.

“You can barely perceive what the house or garden is really like – it’s obviously a passion for the owners,” she said.

Mrs Greenham said she had indeed been collecting the wide assortment of Christmas items for many years, and loved to put them all on display for people to enjoy.

The Greenham’s received a $200 electricity voucher courtesy of Country Energy.

Best Business Christmas Lights was awarded to the Stroud Pharmacy, with five encouragement awards going to 12 Avon St Stroud, 234 Stroud Rd, Washpool, 10 MacIntyre St, Stroud Rd, 8 Anderson St, Wards River and 38 Memorial Ave, Stroud.

Prizes of gourmet food and wine were donated by Councillor Karen Hutchinson, Brian Eastoe of Gap Hill Wines and Robin and Eileen Blackmore of Stroud Valley Wines.

Santa paid a special visit to the Stroud Central Hotel on the night, with lolly cups for all the children, and the young-at-heart.

Part of the evening was reserved for the official launch of the Visit Stroud Valley website, an initiative of the Stroud Valley Promotional Group, supported by Great Lakes Tourism and the NSW Department of Industry and Investment.

Project coordinator, Shona Hunter Howarth said the site has been designed to promote Stroud as a tourist destination, highlighting much of the untapped potential of the area.

Locals were invited to offer feedback on the site’s design and provide any additional information that ought to be included.

The Visit Stroud Valley project has been funded to implement a number of other initiatives, including the Stroud Country Fair held October long weekend, the Christmas Lights Competition, the website and also a local tourist map, currently being developed in conjunction with Cartoscope.