Perth Royal Show

The Perth Royal Show is an annual agricultural show held in Perth, Western Australia at the Claremont Showground. It features informational exhibits, agricultural competitions and display animals, a fairground and rides, and showbags. It has been held for over 100 years and is organised by the Royal Agricultural Society of Western Australia. It is held during the spring school holidays, either the last week of September or the first week of October and at its peak, attracted attendance of around 460,000 people.[1]

Perth Royal Show
StatusActive
GenreAgricultural show
FrequencyAnnual
VenueClaremont Showground
CountryAustralia
Inaugurated7 November 1834 (1834-11-07)
Previous event28 September-5 October 2019
Next event25 September-2 October 2021
Organised byRoyal Agricultural Society of Western Australia
Websitewww.perthroyalshow.com.au

History

The Royal Agricultural Society held its first Fair and Cattle Show at Guildford on 7 November 1834.[2][3][4] It included equestrian events, sheepdog trials, wood chopping, and prizes for cattle and sheep. (These events are still part of the show today.) The primary purpose of the show was to showcase Western Australian industry, primarily agriculture. It has been the venue for the display of new animal breeds and sports.

The show was moved to the Claremont Showground in 1905,[5] when it became known as the Perth Royal Show.[6][7] That year 30,000 people attended.[8]

In 1929 the Centenary Pavilion was erected, making it one of Perth’s largest undercover venues.

The show was suspended throughout the war years of 1940-1944.

In 1965, show attendance reached 250,000 for the first time.

In 1995 a new Showgrounds Railway station was opened.

In 2004 the Royal Show was named an "Icon of Western Australia" by the WA government and the National Trust of Western Australia, as part of the Western Australian 175th Anniversary celebrations.[8]

In 2015 the show was attended by 353,000 and lost $1.8 million.[9]

This show was cancelled thrice in its history, in 1917–18 because of the Great War, 1942–44 because of World War II, and 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The modern show
Showgrounds railway station, a common entry point to the Royal Show

Transport and parking

The show attracts around 500,000 people. This has created new problems for the Claremont venue, which was selected over 100 years ago.

Parking at the show is notoriously difficult due to a lack of parking spaces around the Claremont area. To facilitate the growth of the show, parking space is hired on private front lawns and school/club parking areas proximal to the show. This activity is community natured, and is often organised by school children or run as a fundraiser for a school or club.

Showgrounds railway station is on the Fremantle line of the Perth public transport system, which provides transport during the show and for other major events at the showground. Bus services also operate to the nearby area. A family going to the show can purchase a FamilyRider ticket from railway station ticket machines or on buses.

Sideshow alley

Showbags and Sideshow Alley

The scope of the show has also expanded. Although it includes traditional events – such as animal competitions – its agricultural focus has been somewhat replaced by a commercial fairground atmosphere.

The "showbags", which became part of Australian shows as an advertising gimmick, are now sold at prices ranging from $1 to $150[10] each, and contain a number of cheap novelty toys and lollies. Showbags are related to a particular lolly product, television show, product brand name, or "jumbo" bags containing a number of brands. They are a focal point of the show for many younger children.

The show also hosts a sideshow alley. Rides are paid for at the venue. Rides include several haunted houses and bumper cars, among others. The show features the "Mega Drop", the world's fastest and fastest accelerating drop ride, reaching speeds of up to 204 km/h in 1.8 seconds. Sideshow Alley also features numerous show games. These include fishing, shooting, and tossing games. In fishing games the player must use a fishing rod to fish out a small plastic duck or other object, which has a prize number on the bottom. Shooting games, common at many shows, involve shooting down tin cans using a low-powered air rifle and usually, corks as ammunition. "Tossing" games involve throwing balls into buckets.

District displays

Shows and performances

An entry fee applies to enter the grounds. This fee covers the more "traditional" aspects of the show in providing information to Western Australians. For example, free events at the show include:

  • Various events in the main arena including wood-chopping, equestrian events such as horse racing and – more recently – monster trucks
  • A large number of various shows in pavilions, exhibiting such things as animals (including sheep, alpacas, cats, dogs, domestic poultry, pigeons and goats) and new products (foodstuffs, gardening and household tools and massages are common displays)

The fee covers events such as a nightly fireworks show.

Funding the show

The show was originally funded entirely by the Royal Agricultural Society. The current show is funded by the society, the Western Australian Government, visitors' entry fees, competitors' fees and commercial sponsorships.

References
  1. "History". Perth Royal Show.
  2. "THE WESTERN AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL". The Perth Gazette And Western Australian Journal. II (97). Western Australia. 8 November 1834. p. 386. Retrieved 4 May 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. "We've Been Showing Off Since 1834". Daily News. LXVII (23, 237). Western Australia. 3 October 1949. p. 6 (FINAL). Retrieved 4 May 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. "THE FIRST SHOW—AND TODAY". The Mirror. 14 (753). Western Australia. 3 October 1936. p. 31. Retrieved 4 May 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. Vigilans et Audax (3 November 1905). "The West Australian". p. 4. Retrieved 5 July 2012.
  6. "ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SHOW". The West Australian. XXI (6, 122). Western Australia. 31 October 1905. p. 9. Retrieved 4 May 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. "THE FARMER'S DAY". Sunday Times (Perth) (409). Western Australia. 5 November 1905. p. 4. Retrieved 4 May 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. "October – Royal Show". The Constitutional Centre of Western Australia. Government of Western Australia. 12 June 2015. Archived from the original on 15 March 2019.
  9. Acott, Kent (17 October 2017). "Perth Royal Show: Poor crowds leave Royal Agricultural Society with $1.7 million loss". Perth Now.
  10. "Baker s bag breaks record – The West Australian". yahoo.com.

Further reading
  • Cooper, William., Moore, Garrick and Michael White.(2004) Adversity and achievement : a history of the Royal Agricultural Society of Western Australia Claremont, W.A.: The Society. ISBN 0-646-43969-3

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