Royal Adelaide Show - History

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 8 December 1840, a mere 4 years after South Australia's settlement in 1836. 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 on the Frome Road side of Botanic Park, between the Hospital and the River Torrens. 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.

Sometime before July 1868 the Agricultural and Horticultural Society applied for, and received, patronage from Prince Alfred, the Duke of Edinburgh and was therefore entitled to use the epithet "Royal" for the Society. Although in common use from around 1905, the first newspaper article to call an Adelaide Show "Royal" was in September 1918, and it wasn't until July 1926 that the Society used it in an advertisement (as "Royal Spring Show").

In 1887 the Government built the Jubilee Exhibition Building to celebrate the State's jubilee and the 50th year of Queen Victoria's reign. The Exhibition Building (now demolished) was located on North Terrace between Bonython Hall and the School of Mines (now UniSA) building on the Frome Road corner. The Show was first held there in 1895. In 1911 the Government purchased vacant land at Wayville West, but with the intervention of the First World War and with no funds to spare, the move to Wayville was not made until 1925.

In 1931 the newly formed Metropolitan branch of the Country Women's Association opened the Show Rest Room under the grandstand. Originally staffed by Mary Warnes and Dorothy Dolling, it provided an opportunity for country women to chat over a cup of tea as well as providing more basic human needs. During the Second World War the Showgrounds were taken over by the Army, and the CWA rooms became the Officers' Mess, and weren't handed back until 1947. In 1948 the CWA took over Wilkinson's Tea kiosk, which became a major fundraiser for the organization, as well as boosting the CWA's reputation as the best scone makers in the State.