History
The first show was in January 1822, in the Old Market Place, just in front of the present State Parliament House. The venue of the Royal Hobart Show has varied over the past 184 years and has included Salamanca Place, Bridgewater, New Town, Tattersalls Park and even the Hobart Town Hall.
In 1903, the Royal Agricultural Society of Tasmania purchased the 40 acres (160,000 m2) of bushland then known as the “Elwick Knoll” at a cost of ₤2525. The following year the first Show was held at its current location, the Elwick Showground. In 1922 His Majesty King George V approved the granting of the prefix ‘Royal’ to the Society and in turn became known as The Royal Agricultural Society of Tasmania.
A $4 million redevelopment of the Showgrounds took place in 1980 and provided Pacing and Greyhound Racing facilities, an upgraded arena suitable for a variety of events, and the enclosed Grandstand and Amenities building which includes bars, restaurants, betting hall, meeting rooms and offices. From 2004-2008, Greyhound and Pacing facilities have been merged with Thoroughbread Racing at Elwick Racecourse, just down the road.
Read more about this topic: Royal Hobart Showground
Famous quotes containing the word history:
“What would we not give for some great poem to read now, which would be in harmony with the scenery,—for if men read aright, methinks they would never read anything but poems. No history nor philosophy can supply their place.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“If man is reduced to being nothing but a character in history, he has no other choice but to subside into the sound and fury of a completely irrational history or to endow history with the form of human reason.”
—Albert Camus (1913–1960)
“We don’t know when our name came into being or how some distant ancestor acquired it. We don’t understand our name at all, we don’t know its history and yet we bear it with exalted fidelity, we merge with it, we like it, we are ridiculously proud of it as if we had thought it up ourselves in a moment of brilliant inspiration.”
—Milan Kundera (b. 1929)