A History of the Sydney Royal Easter Show

The Royal Easter Show in Sydney is the country's largest yearly event, attracting over 900,000 visitors to its site in Homebush Bay. Historically a showcase for New South Wales' primary and secondary industries, as well as the promotion of agricultural education and improvement, the Show now focuses more on commercial and entertainment goods. The Show has brought 'the country to the city' for decades, and it remains an important part of Sydney's cultural life, particularly for youngsters.

The Sydney Royal Easter Show is Australia's largest ticketed event and one of the largest in the world. The Agricultural Society of New South Wales (formed a year before the event) held its first Show in 1823 with the initial goal to promote the colony's rural industry. The show originally started in Parramatta Park in Sydney's west. It first featured horses, cattle, sheep, pigs, and poultry.

The event was relocated from Parramatta to Prince Alfred Park in 1869 with extensive displays, including machinery, fine arts, manufactured goods and items sent from the other Australian colonies and from overseas. They demonstrated the colonial triumph of 'civilisation' over the natural world.

The Agricultural Society was given land at Moore Park by the New South Wales government in 1881, and the show was held there for the next 116 years. The exhibition and demonstrations of farming techniques became more diverse, and during the twentieth century there was a strong focus on agricultural education and government initiatives in the rural sector. The Royal Easter Show has played an important part in the development of stock breeding in Australia through its emphasis on improved breeding and awarding of competitive prizes. Competitive classes for wool, wine and dairy products remain important. The District Exhibits have been a showcase for the fruit, vegetables, grains, preserves and other agricultural produce of the regions of New South Wales. These complex displays, which can involve more than 2,000 items, are assessed according to a point system.

In 1891 Queen Victoria granted permission for the 'Royal' prefix to be added to the Society's name, so that it became the Royal Agricultural Society of New South Wales (RASNSW).

In the arena at the centre of the Moore Park Showground, livestock were judged, and equestrian events and special attractions held. In 1907 the Grand Parade was introduced, becoming an increasingly elaborate display of almost 800 prize-winning goats, cattle and horses. From the 1930s, rodeo activities became a regular feature of the ring. Over time, however, many of the performances held in the central arena became less directly related to agricultural pursuits and were (and are) unashamedly entertainment.

The event was relocated to a new showground within the Sydney Olympic Park district at Homebush Bay in 1998. The former Sydney Showground in Moore Park has subsequently been transformed into Fox Studios Australia, with an adjacent development known as The Entertainment Quarter.

At Homebush Bay, the RASNSW has access to extensive purpose-built display facilities, including 20 pavilions, with a rail link and 10,000 car spaces for visitors. This complex of buildings includes the massive dome and hall of the Exhibition Building, the largest timber span structure in Australia. Every year over 1.5 million people visit the Sydney Showground at Homebush Bay to attend conferences, musical activities and trade displays. The RASNSW remains a vibrant active organisation, with more than 13,000 members. Its Royal Easter Show has flourished in its new venue, and remains an important event for the celebration of the traditions and innovations in Australian culture.

The show has aired continuously since 1869, with the exception of 1919 (during the Spanish flu outbreak), 1942 to 1946 (during World War II), and 2020 (during the COVID-19 pandemic). It begins on the Friday before Easter and finishes on the Tuesday after Easter (with closures on Sundays and Good Friday). On that Thursday, it is designated as Children's Day, and items such as cheap showbags are on sale.

In response to public outcry, the performance was later scheduled to open on Sundays and Good Friday. The event was expanded to 16 days due to the relocation to Homebush Bay. It was cut to 14 days in 2000. In 2007, a revamped programme took into consideration changes to NSW School Holidays, with the show beginning on the Thursday before Good Friday to provide families more time to attend. Over 922,000 people visited the exhibition in 2017, compared to a projected 850,000. The previous high point was 964,000 in 2004. The exhibition returned to its original 12-day run in 2018. If Easter falls in March, the show is held throughout the school year.