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Ekka

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other uses, seeEkka (disambiguation).

Royal Queensland Show
Ekka
Sideshow Alley viewed at dusk from the John MacDonald stand
GenreAgricultural show
FrequencyAnnual
Location(s)Brisbane Showgrounds,Australia
Years active142
Inaugurated1876
Previous event12–20 August 2023
Next event10–18 August 2024
Attendance~400,000
Organised byThe Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association of Queensland(RNA)
Websitewww.ekka.au

TheEkkais the annualagricultural showofQueensland,Australia.Its formal title is theRoyal Queensland Show,and it is held at theBrisbane Showgrounds.It was originally called theBrisbane Exhibition,but it is more commonly known as theEkka,short for "exhibition". It is run byThe Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association of Queensland(RNA).

The Ekka is Queensland's largest annual event, which welcomes an average of 400,000 visitors each August.[1]The show welcomes 21,000 competition entries, 10,000 animals, and hours of free family entertainment, including a night program. The Ekka features asideshow alley,showbagpavilion, and nightlyfireworksdisplays.

The significance of the first exhibition held in 1876 was described by locals as the most important event since theseparation of QueenslandfromNew South Walesin 1859.[2]

In 2009 as part of theQ150celebrations, the Ekka was announced as one of theQ150 Iconsof Queensland for its role as an "event and festival".[3]

History

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Bird's eye view of first Ekka (Queensland Exhibition), 1876
Bird's eye view of first Ekka (Queensland Exhibition), 1876
Grand parade of prize-winning animals,1935
Chocolate Wheel at the Ambulance stall, Exhibition Ground, Brisbane, 1938.
Farriercompetition, Ekka, Brisbane, 2015
Cake decorating competition with traditional and novelty designs, Ekka, Brisbane, 2015
An Ekka strawberry sundae

The first show, held between 22 and 26 August 1876, attracted 17,000 visitors.[4]The centrepiece of the grounds was the timber exhibition building which housed 1,700 individual exhibits in total.[2]One of the first popular attractions was a timber bridge built by saw-miller William Pettigrew. All visitors to the show were given a free bag of coal; this is considered the first example of what would become theshowbag.[5]The show was a spin-off from the famous International Exhibitions being held in Britain and worldwide dating from theCrystal PalaceExhibition of 1851.

A newgrandstanddesigned by Claude William Chambers was open for the 1906 show.[6]It was later named the John Macdonald stand in recognition of a long-serving member of the Royal National Association. In 1920, the show was visited by the Prince of Wales (who later became KingEdward VIII) who was asked and gave permission for the name of the association to change to the Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association of Queensland.[6]

During a time when the Ekka was still young, the main purpose of the agricultural show, as its name suggests, was to show off many agricultural and industrial exhibits. It was a chance for people to show off newly invented agricultural and industrial devices such as ultra modern ploughing, sowing and harvesting artefacts. Cattle and other farm animals were also exhibited during the show, a practice that remains to this day. The Animal Nursery, which has been running since 1964, features around 500 baby farmyard animals for visitors to meet and greet.

Every Ekka has been opened by theGovernor of Queenslandor theGovernor-Generalwith vice-regal involvement present throughout the whole event. This is a long tradition, with the first president of the RNA in 1875 beingGovernor Sir William Cairns.[7]

Since its opening, the show has been cancelled four times,[6]first in 1919 throughout the time of theSpanish flupandemic, where the grounds were employed as temporary hospital wards for the sick, then in 1942, due toWorld War II.During theCOVID-19 pandemicshows were cancelled in 2020 due to health concerns and again in 2021 as South East Queensland was then inlockdown.[8][9]It is also planned to be cancelled in 2032 due to theBrisbane Olympics.[10]

Location

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The Ekka is held in Queensland's capital city,Brisbane,for 10 days each August at theBrisbane Showgroundsin the suburb ofBowen Hills.The Ekka is run by the Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association of Queensland (RNA). The Ekka is Brisbane's most popular event of any sort, with around 400,000 visitors attending the show in recent years.[1]

The showgrounds covers an area of 22 hectares.[6]

During Ekka, theExhibition railway lineis operational with special trains (some of them historic steam trains) carrying passengers to theExhibition railway stationin the middle of the Brisbane Showgrounds.

Attractions

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Attractions at the Ekka includefairground rides,aSide Show Alley,animal parades,woodchoppingcompetitions, agricultural displays andequestrianevents.

Showbagsare also an integral part of the Ekka experience. Usually containing food items (such asconfectioneryand novelty items), showbags are sold in the Showbag Pavilion. The contents of the showbags are tested to ensure they comply with safety standards.[11]In 2015, there were 362 different showbags available for visitors to spend their money on and enjoy samples of products. Showbags range from $1, $2 (the famousBertie BeetleBag) and up to $108, providing companies the opportunity to offer their merchandise to the public at discounted prices.[12]

Competitions remain at the heart of the Ekka. Since the very first show in 1876, the Ekka has been rewarding and recognising those dedicated to producing the best of the best. The competitions include agricultural products such as livestock, fruit and vegetables, and skills in areas as diverse asfarrieryandcake decorating.[13][14]

The Ekka strawberry sundae was introduced in 1950 byPaul's dairy company.[15]In 1989, the sale of the strawberry sundaes became a joint initiative between the RNA and thePrince Charles Hospital Foundation,with sale proceeds going to the latter to fund medical research.[16]The sundae consists of a cup ice cream cone filled with vanilla ice cream, chopped strawberries and strawberry ice cream, topped with whipped cream and a whole strawberry. At Ekka 2014, around 117,000 strawberry sundaes were consumed.[17][18]

The stud beef competition is the largest annual showing of studbeefin the southern hemisphere.[19]

Impact

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The Ekka, due to its large attendance, raises a large amount of revenue. Estimates of this number average around the$100 million mark, yet this amount may fluctuate with weather in Brisbane at the time (a particularly wet August may reduce attendance significantly).[20]

Because of the cultural significance of the Ekka, theCity of Brisbaneholds a Wednesdaypublic holidayknown as "People's Day".[21]The Ekka starts on the first Friday in August, except if the first Friday is before 5 August, in which case it starts on the second Friday of August. People's Day is then the Wednesday after the Ekka commences.[22]To avoid overcrowding, some surrounding regions have the public holiday on alternative days.

Ekka Winds

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Frequently, in the week leading up to the Ekka, the chilly Ekka winds descend onBrisbane.These are westerly winds caused by high pressure systems in theGreat Australian Bight.[23]

References

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  1. ^ab"Ekka attracts 400,000 visitors for the third year".Queensland Country Life.20 August 2012. Archived fromthe originalon 3 April 2013.Retrieved20 February2013.
  2. ^abScott, Joanne; Ross Laurie (2008).Showtime: A history of the Brisbane Exhibition.Brisbane: University of Queensland Press. pp. 1–4.ISBN9780702236587.
  3. ^Bligh, Anna(10 June 2009)."PREMIER UNVEILS QUEENSLAND'S 150 ICONS".Queensland Government.Archived fromthe originalon 24 May 2017.Retrieved24 May2017.
  4. ^Mirosch, Natascha."Ekka food offers a taste of history and source of nostalgia".The Courier-Mail.Archived fromthe originalon 20 September 2008.Retrieved4 August2008.
  5. ^"Ekka's history".Archivedfrom the original on 23 July 2022.Retrieved10 April2021.
  6. ^abcdGregory, Helen; Dianne Mclay (2010).Building Brisbane's History: Structure, Sculptures, Stories and Secrets.Warriewood, New South Wales: Woodslane Press. pp. 164–170.ISBN9781921606199.
  7. ^Fagan, David; King, Madonna (2021).The Governors of Modern Queensland.University of Queensland Press. pp. 7–8.ISBN9780702263019.
  8. ^"2020 Ekka Cancelled".Archivedfrom the original on 6 April 2020.Retrieved6 April2020.
  9. ^"Producers, exhibitors reeling as massive Brisbane show Ekka is cancelled with just days to go".abc.net.au.2 August 2021.Archivedfrom the original on 2 August 2021.Retrieved2 August2021.
  10. ^"Ekka cancelled for fifth time in its history for 2032 Olympics".Courier Mail.News Corporation. 18 August 2024.
  11. ^Witham, Katrina."Dangerous toy recalled from Ekka showbag".Brisbane Times.Archived fromthe originalon 8 August 2008.Retrieved4 August2008.
  12. ^"Ekka 2015: Full list of showbags".The Courier-Mail.5 August 2015.Retrieved9 August2015.
  13. ^"Farriers & Blacksmiths"(PDF).Royal Queensland Show.2015. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 24 September 2015.Retrieved9 August2015.
  14. ^"Cookery"(PDF).Royal Queensland Show.2015.Retrieved9 August2015.[permanent dead link]
  15. ^"History of the Strawberry Sundae at the Ekka".The Common Good.14 July 2022.Archivedfrom the original on 8 August 2022.Retrieved8 August2022.
  16. ^"Ekka's most iconic treat sets a new benchmark"(PDF).Ekka.21 July 2011.Archived(PDF)from the original on 16 March 2022.Retrieved8 August2022.
  17. ^Kehren, Kerstin (8 August 2013)."Ekka's famous sundaes chalk up milestone".Brisbane Times.Archivedfrom the original on 23 August 2018.Retrieved8 August2022.
  18. ^"How Ekka's strawberry sundaes taste great and help save lives".ABC News.12 August 2015.Archivedfrom the original on 27 July 2022.Retrieved8 August2022.
  19. ^Dennis, Julius (1 August 2022)."Cattle arrive for the Ekka as organisers ramp up biosecurity measures against foot-and-mouth disease".ABC News.Retrieved28 December2023.
  20. ^Crawford, Fiona (10 August 2007)."Ekka Flu".Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived fromthe originalon 8 August 2014.Retrieved31 July2014.
  21. ^Williams, Patrick (10 August 2018)."Ekka: Everything you need to know to get the most out of the Royal Queensland Show".ABC News.Retrieved28 December2023.
  22. ^"Public holidays".Queensland Government.Archivedfrom the original on 25 July 2017.Retrieved25 July2017.
  23. ^"One key difference at this year's show".Retrieved8 August2017.
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