The Sydney Royal Easter Show Begins Today! And oh, how I wish I were there.
Age doesn’t matter, really it doesn’t. The buzz of the Sydney Easter Show is incomparable to any other show I’ve been to.
It’s the atmosphere, the people, the events, the rides, the show bags, the wood chopping events, the domestic and farm animals, the food, sideshow alley, the art, the displays….
Nothing ever grows old at the Sydney Show. Last Easter my youngest son Adam and I took a trip to Sydney to go to the show. For Adam, it was his first time; for me, the umpteenth time.
Rain on the day didn’t dampen my spirits, we just took an umbrella. And the simple fact that we were in Sydney was thrilling enough for Adam. He has spent so little time in this great city, which I intend rectifying over the next few years, before he becomes too mature and too cool to travel with his mum!
We had planned on going back to Sydney for this year’s Easter Show, but unfortunately business commitments are keeping me tied to the Tweed area during April.
But I can do the next best thing, and show you some photos taken at last year’s show.
The district agricultural displays are an incredible sight. I don’t think that my photos really do them justice. The amount of creativity that goes into these displays is unbelievable.
You will notice, however, that wood chopping photos are missing, along with the animals and the rides, all outdoor events, in fact. And my camera isn’t waterproof (remember, it was a rainy day).
The show bag pavilion is also noticeably missing for a different reason. Our hands were too full of show bags, and gifts we had bought to take home to the family, to be able to juggle the camera into photo taking position!
I found a very informative Wikipedia site, (link added here)which shows some of the outdoor events at the show. I was also interested to read that the show began in 1823, is the largest event in Australia, which comes as no surprise, and is the sixth largest in the world.
Adam will only be fifteen next Easter and I’m sure it won’t take too much convincing for him to head off to the Sydney Easter Show with me again. Heck, if he doesn’t want to go, I’ll go alone! 🙂
In My World 
I have never EVER heard of this Sydney show, Joanne. You’ve educated us a bit about something many of us would probably love to see when we visit you in Australia. **grin** Did you know we were coming? P.S. Love the scowl on that baby’s face, too, and want some fruitcake.
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Kathy, my first reaction was, of course, excitement…when? where will you be going to? do you have friends here you’ll be seeing (eg, ME!)? Then I wondered if, like me, you know you will go to a country, one day, but no definite plans have been made. I’m going to England, and France, and America, one day!
We’ll have to talk some more about your trip, Kathy! 🙂
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Yep, it was kind of like thinking that SOMEDAY, surely, I will find myself in Australia. 🙂 (No plans for the immediate future…but you never know…)
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Joanne, you have bought back a lot of lovely memories! Growing up in the western suburbs of Sydney meant I attended the Easter Show many, many times and absolutely loved it. We visit agricultural shows over here (in England) but they just don’t compare. So, thank you very, very much for the words and the photographs.
Gary
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For heavens sake Gary, did you??? And here we are, meeting from opposite sides of the world over the internet!
When I was first born my family (who are all English, mind you!) lived in St. Marys. When I was only one year old we moved to the Blue Mountains. Now I’m wondering, where did you live? And are you Australian or English?
I’m so pleased that you enjoyed my Easter Show post. I feel quite down that I’m unable to go to Sydney this Easter. Having been there yourself, you will understand the excitement and the atmosphere of the show. I’ve never felt anything like it at any of the country (NSW) shows I’ve been to either.
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Sorry, only just spotted your reply. And what a coincidence!
While I was born in London, my parents decided to become 10 pound Poms when I was five and we moved to Oz. having grown up and lived in Australia for 35 years, I generally consider myself Australian but I rather enjoy having two passports.
Now for the weird bit…I grew up in Kingswood and went to school at Penrith High! I left after the HSC in 1974. So, not a million miles from St Marys!
After we were married, my wife and I bought a house in Katoomba and lived there for four years. We loved it!
See? The Internet just made this small world even smaller!
Gary
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WOW!! My eldest sister went to Penrith High School, back in the 1950’s, before I was born! And my parents and three sisters were “Ten Pound Poms” too!
You are so lucky to have lived in both countries. I would love to go to England, but have warned my family that if I do, I’ll be buying a one way ticket! I believe I could have the two passports also, as I have such close family who are all English.
Who would think that two people, living on opposite sides of the world, would have so many similarities in their lives, and “accidently” meet? Unbelievable….
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Wow – this looks a lot like our six-state agricultural fair, Eastern States Exposition, only yours in Sydney sounds as if it is a lot bigger! Those cakes are works of art and the baby looks so real. It must be fun to anticipate going there every year, or almost every year… I’d love to come see it some day, too….
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Is the Eastern States Exposition an annual event Barbara? So much love and effort goes into staging the Sydney Easter Show every year and it is really something special. If you plan a visit to Autralia, try to make it here over Easter! 🙂
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Yes it’s an annual September event, but I haven’t been in quite a few years. http://www.thebige.com/ese/ When I was in 4-H (http://www.4-h.org/) or Girl Scouts, I sewed a skirt-suit to earn a badge and modeled it on a stage up there. Our neighbors raised a couple of cows and showed them and had them judged there. When we got to be teens it was the amusements we wanted to ride. There’s something for every one. 😉
I wonder if I will ever make it to Australia, but it is on my wish list!!! 🙂
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I see there’s a countdown for the days leading up to the Eastern States Exposition on their website, so can imagine the anticipation leading up to the show opening. I was sorry not to be able to visit the sheep, cattle and various other livestock at the Sydney Show last year. The rain prevented us from leaving the pavillions!
4-H sounds very much like the group I was in as a child, the Brownies, for up to eleven year olds, then later you would progress through to the Girl Guides. We earned badges by achieving various goals too and also went on a lot of excersions, which were always fun.
Ah yes, the wish list…I think mine has now grown longer than my house! I do hope you make it to Australia one day. 🙂
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