To many the show is a place of magic where one can find fun and excitement in dazzling, sideshow alley enjoy fast rides amidst cacophonous screams or be regaled with mouth watering rich, fast foods.
The show honours the country and agricultural scene with a diverse range of animals, exhibits, machinery, and competitions such as wood chopping, show bags, fireworks, pavilion and displays.
There is judging of animals and produce, art and craft displays, cooking demonstrations, commercial stands, clowns, restaurants
and so much more. A lot of the old traditions and crafts are rarely seen these days such as lace making, spinning and weaving and most of the modern shows today try to keep these ancient skills alive.
There are many shows in Australia including every capital city and numerous smaller cities and towns and many of the shows have a lot in common.
The oldest and largest show is the Sydney Royal Easter Show spanning a two-week period over Easter.
The Sydney Show first opened its gates to the public in 1823 and the then Queen Victoria granted permission for the word ‘Royal’ to be associated with the show.
Early shows including Sydney’s started up to encourage and celebrate yearly the rural Australia theme within trades, craftsman and industries. Numerous pavilions were set up to display and sell goods, offer advice, learn new technology or methods or entertain the crowds.
Today the Sydney Royal Easter Show is held in Sydney’s Olympic Park at Homebush Bay after many venue changes since the first opening in 1923.
The Royal National Association first opened their gates in 1876 in a 6.8 hectare site known as Bowen Park where today the Brisbane Exhibition or ‘Ekka” still resides.
The show was created for agricultural displays where new inventions in the pioneering days such as ploughs and harvesters stole the show.
The word ‘Royal’ was conjoined to the show name in 1921 when His Majesty King George V granted that as part of the new name. The original purpose of this show was to encourage rural agricultural as it was in most rural areas where Australia’s early wealth was based whether on the land, farming animals or produce.
As trends change the Brisbane show has moved with the times as we now see interesting animals such as Alpacas and Ostriches, alternative medicines and new technologies. The Brisbane Show today is over a ten day period in early August and hosts numerous displays including a variety of baby animals with their mothers to tantalise young children, equestrian events, arena shows, selling novelty items and over 500 show bags, haunted houses in side show alley and more.
The Royal Melbourne Show first began as a ploughing competition in 1948 in Moonie Ponds where it is still held today in September of every year in the Royal Melbourne Showgrounds at Ascot Vale.
The show became the largest event in Victoria and recently it celebrated the 150th show in 2005.
Today the Royal Melbourne Show opens its gates over 11 fun filled days with featuring artists providing quality music, bands, entertainment and a miasma of activities.
The Melbourne show has maintained a strong link between urban Australia and rural communities and accommodates the largest display of animals in the southern hemisphere and it has competitions, horticulture, wine, food, leisure activities and much more.
Adelaide’s Royal Show has the second largest number of patrons visiting the show annually in Australia and it runs for a period of nine days.
South Australia’s Agricultural Society held their first show in 1840 as a produce show. When the gates opened for the first time there were displays of wheat, wool, cheese, maize onions, potatoes and other crops.
Soon afterwards there was a separate Spring Livestock Show held at different times of the year until later the two shows melded to become one show.
The Royal Adelaide Show kept increasing in patron numbers yearly so a new permanent building was built in 1859 and at that stage it was the largest floor area in colonial Australia.
The Adelaide show has moved sites a few times since but today it resides at Wayville when the Government purchased land in 1911 for future shows but the show centre was not built until 1925 due to the war.
With a new name change to the Royal Agricultural & Horticultural Society of South Australia the Adelaide show is the largest community event in South Australia attracting almost half of the population of the state. It is a fun show full of entertainment rides and show bags but it has always maintained its strong rural connection.
Western Australia hosts the Perth Royal Show and this event is held annually in Perth, at the Claremont Showgrounds.
The early Royal Agricultural Society was formed in 1831 and they held their first show in the Claremont grounds in Perth which today is still home to the Perth Show.
The first show was created to showcase the states agriculture and local industry and this included sheep dog trials, equestrian events, the sport wood chopping and many different breeds of farming animals.
Today these events are still integral to the lifeblood of the show but there has been a stronger focus and shift to a commercial fairground atmosphere where sideshow alley has taken over from the original show.
Monster trucks now dazzle spectators in the arena with horse racing, massages, gardening displays, household items, foodstuffs and new products. The Perth Claremont Showgrounds buzz with activity for eight during the September/October school holidays, as there are carnival experiences of haunted houses, dodgem cars and the Python Loop, which is a medium sized roller coaster ride. There are games, retail exhibits and an array of entertainment. There are also informational exhibits, rides, show bags, agricultural competitions and animal displays and much more while attracting over 500,000 people annually.
As the show has grown over the years one problem has plagued the show society and that is parking as the show is still held on the original Claremont grounds. But surrounding houses, a local school and other buildings offer their vacant land for parking during the show at a cost which helps solve the parking nightmare.
Despite this the Perth Royal Show is a fun filled event with a great atmosphere for patrons, which promotes agriculture, retail and commercialism and this all supports the Western Australian tourism and economy.
The Darwin Royal Show is a popular event in the North Australian Territory and it is held over three days in July every year. This show is the smallest of all Australian capital cities because Darwin still has a relatively low population to most other capital cities.
The Darwin Show brings together sea, country and city where many competitions are held, some being quite strange such as the traditional fire lighting and spear throwing competition.
Contemporary Darwin proudly exhibits its cosmopolitan character, especially the manner it has integrated particular tenets of Asian culture into its own.
Darwin is a city full with excitement, adventure and this spirit is set in the Festival and events of Darwin. Darwin Festivals and Events comprise everything from Free Outdoor events, to theatre, dance, music, cabaret, films, workshops and sensational cuisine. Festivals and Events in Darwin, possibly best reflect the freethinking spirit of the city, which celebrates every occasion with fervour and excitement. One of the famous Festivals and Events in Darwin is the Royal Darwin Show, Darwin.
The Royal Darwin Show is the leading event on the Top End community calendar and it is located on the ideally situated Stuart Highway, 12 kilometres from the city centre and close to the Darwin Harbour.
Being the newest show in Australia and having its birth in 1951 the show site has had more planning and this includes being set on 22 beautifully landscaped acres where tropical gardens abound amid a lazy country atmosphere and charm.
As the top end is more laid back the Darwin Show is seen more as a competition event as all over the city and country alike patrons gather together and team up for three days of spirited competition. Surround the competitions is a gala of entertainment coupled with demonstrations of primary industry, horticulture, art, craft, cooking and photography.
Following the official opening on a Friday there are grand parades of various animals and machinery.
Patrons share fun and daring watching the equestrian events of dressage and show jumping. Many exciting rides are driven by music and some include the popular Ferris Wheel and the Sling Shot where the visitors receive a photo of themselves during the ride.
There is live entertainment which draws the crowds in too or just sit back, relax and enjoy. There is an eclectic array of Australian and cultural foods and drinks to tempt the hungry pallet, all of which reflects the diverse cultural nature of Darwin City. There are more than 250 stalls demonstrating or exhibiting their numerous products or services while young children can see many baby animals in the animal nursery.
A very popular recent attraction to the Darwin Show is the ‘Wine Tunnel’ where tastings of South Australian wines are sampled followed with cooking demonstrations and food samples which all mingle to delight everyone’s taste buds. The highlight of the Royal Darwin Show and the finale is the splendid display of fireworks shooting up from the show arena.
Australia’s Capital hosts the Royal Canberra Show, which is run, annually by the Royal National Capital Agricultural Society and it is the biggest event the Capital puts on.
Again agriculture is the hub of this show, but over the years as times have changed an expansion has introduced a wide range of educational exhibits, entertainment and modern exhibitions of health, garden, products and more.
The show’s earliest history was shaky as 1915 saw the end of the last show which only started in 1908 at Ginninderra in Canberra because the Federal Government resumed the land.
Attempts were made to hold a semblance of a show during the war years but it was when the Ginninderra Farmers Union was formed in 1924 that the new show could be formed. Still a small show was held in 1924 but when the Federal Government gave an extension to the showgrounds soon after the new event was given a green thumb.
In 1927 the first recognised Royal Canberra Show was held by the Royal National Capital Agricultural Society and it was a one-day event. In the same year the association changed name to the Advance Hall Pastoral and Agricultural Association, and the sole feature of this show was agricultural and livestock parades. Success proved victorious for this second attempt at a Canberra Show as public support boosted the 1931 show to a two-day event.
One of the greatest supporters was Sir Walter Merriman who is still considered Australia’s best Merino Sheep breeder.
Another change occurred in 1961 when the National Agricultural Society was constituted and in 1963 a new 40-hectare site was selected for development of a new show and that year also marked the last show at the Hall Showground.
Today the show resides at the Canberra Showground and as the early 70’s saw attendance figures rose dramatically, a three-day event was given approval.
As many visitors to the show were overseas tourists and with threefold further expansion the showground arena kept pace with international standards becoming the largest enclosed show arena in Australia.
It was not until 1979 that the Canberra Show was given the ‘Royal’ decree and ever since the show has been expanding and increasing in exhibits with attendance figures following.
The show is held in annually in February for three days gaining in popularity every year with 2008 seeing a record crowd of 200,000 people. The show still highlights agriculture such as sheep shearing demonstrations, fruit bottling but now carnival rides and entertainment and an overseas theme of multiculturalism and brilliant weather have combined to give the Canberra Royal Show new heart.
Tasmania’s Royal Agricultural Society goes back to 1821 when locals of the then Van Dieman’s Land sought and won approval for the establishment of a Society to protect local native animals. Tasmania earned the distinctive title of being Australia’s first harbinger Agricultural Society when the Van Dieman’s Land Agricultural Society was created in Hobart on 1st January 1822.
The first show commenced days later in January 1822, in the Old Market Place. But since the first venue the show has changed their site many times and these included Salamanca Place, Bridgewater, New Town, Elwick Race Course and the Hobart Town Hall.
It was in 1903 that the show society brought 40 acres of scrub at the Elwick Knoll and development was undertaken to turn this site into the new showgrounds. 1904 saw the first show and in 1922 His Majesty King George V approved the title of ‘Royal’ to the Show Society where the appellation changed to The Royal Agricultural Society of Tasmania.
1980 saw the grounds grow to include the Pacing and Greyhound racing with improvements to events, amenity buildings and the Grandstand.
The Tasmanian Royal Agricultural Society hosts many other shows on its site such as the Royal Hobart International Wine Show where all exhibitors display their best and quality produce or services.
The Hobart Show has become an annual event held at the Showgrounds in Glenorchy over four days from the last Wednesday to the last Saturday in October.
The show is replete with Tasmanian rural exploits and highlights livestock judging and wood chopping. There is something for everyone with rides, show bags, also popular at the event are show bags and rides fire shows, roving entertainers, motorbike demonstrations, heritage cart rides, the Snake Man and the grand finale of the Saturday night fireworks.