Royal Adelaide Show

The Royal Adelaide Show is an annual agricultural show/fair held in Adelaide, South Australia that begins on the first Friday in September, or the last friday in August, and runs for 9 days. It is held at the Royal Adelaide Showgrounds, located in Wayville and is attended by thousands. It features food, rides, a Ferris wheel, competitions and animal races.

The Royal Show is primarily an opportunity for the State's farmers to show examples of their livestock. There is Horticulture on display with the freshest fruit and vegetables. It also includes rides, competitions, demonstrations and food of all tastes (i.e. gourmet food as well as waffles, hot dogs, hot chips, donuts etc.) and styles.

History

The first Show staged by South Australia's Agricultural Society (later called The Royal Agricultural & Horticultural Society) was held in the yard of Fordham's Hotel, in Grenfell Street, Adelaide, on December 8, 1840. It was a produce show consisting of wool, wheat, oats, barley, maize, cheese, potatoes and onions and was non-competitive.

In 1843 the fourth produce show and the first livestock show was held. The two shows — the Autumn Produce Show and the Spring Livestock Show were held separately from 1843 to 1923.

February 1844 saw a combined show held under marquees and tents among the gum trees in Botanic Park. The Botanic Park site became an ever expanding display of marquees, stalls, booths and amusements until 1859. A permanent exhibition building was built at a cost of £2,000 near the old marquee site and contained the largest floor area of any building in the Australian colonies. It was completed by the end of 1859 and was ready for the 1860 Autumn Show.

In 1887 the Government built the Jubilee Exhibition Building to celebrate the jubilee of Queen Victoria's reign. The show was moved to there in 1895. In 1911 the Government purchased vacant land at Wayville, but with the intervention of the First World War and with no funds to spare, the move to Wayville was not made until 1925.

The Show Today

Today, the Royal Agricultural & Horticultural Society of South Australia organises the biggest community event in the State. The Royal Adelaide Show attracts almost half of the population of the entire State and even interstate and overseas visitors attend. The economic impact on the State is considerable with the latest study showing an annual economic impact of over(AU)$148 million.

howbags

One of the most notable and well known aspects about the Show are the Showbags. They are usually bags that are sold in the Showbag Pavilion next to the Main Arena, and are mainly promotion for the companies that produce the products contained within the bag, although some Showbags contain a variety of products that are made by various companies. Showbags originally started as a free sample bag that were given to visitors at the Show. As the original Showbags grew in popularity, they eventually ceased to be free and a small fee of threepence or sixpence applied to those who wished to have one. Nowadays, a single Showbag can range from $1 to $40 depending on its contents and the company promoting it. The Showbags are mostly popular with young children and teenagers although there are some more contemporary showbags such as the Charlesworth Nuts and Darrell Lea Chocolates aimed at an adult market.

Rides

The rides are extremely popular among young people and teenagers, many attending the Show for the single purpose of going on the rides. Some larger rides range in price from $5 to $30 (for the Slingshot ride - where you receive a video of yourself on the ride). The most well known ride at the show is the Ferris wheel.

In 2004, 'The Wine Tunnel' was introduced to showcase South Australia's Wines. There are tastings at The Wine Tunnel, which is located in the Taste SA! area, which also has cooking demonstrations and food samplings. The Wine Tunnel is generally popular with over 35s but younger adults also attend.

In 2000, the 'Spin Dragon' collapsed, injuring around 40 people [ [http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0009/03/sm.05.html Collapse of the Twin Dragon in 2000] ] , whilst in 2006, part of the 'Twin Flip' ride collapsed. [ [http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200609/s1731272.htm Collapse of the Twin Flip] ]

At the end of the 2007 Show on 15 September, the "Mad Mouse" roller coaster was retired from service. The track will be dismantled, the cars due to be auctioned off (one will be donated to the Royal Show's archives). Plans are being made to replace the Mad Mouse with a roller coaster that can be dismantled at the end of each show and reassembled. It has been replaced with a large roller coaster, "The Big Dipper", imported from Italy. It features steep climbs and drops, as well a loop. It was very popular at the 2008 show, drawing record crowds. Other new additions for the 2008 show include a new logo (replacing Banjo the border collie dog, will now feature fireworks) and other new rides.

See also

* Agritourism

External links

* [http://www.theshow.com.au/ The Royal Adelaide Show's official website]
* [http://www.adelaideshowground.com.au/ Showground web site]

References