The Perth Royal Show is an annual

agricultural show An agricultural show is a public event exhibiting the equipment, animals, sports and recreation associated with agriculture and animal husbandry. The largest comprise a livestock show (a judged event or display in which breeding stock is exhibit ...

held in

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth i ...

, Western Australia at the

Claremont Showground The Claremont Showground near Perth, Western Australia is home to the annual Perth Royal Show. In 1902, of land were reserved in the Perth suburb of Claremont for a new showground to replace the Guildford Showgrounds. The Royal Agricultural S ...

. It features informational exhibits, agricultural competitions and animal showcases, a

sideshow alley {{Unreferenced, date=June 2008 A sideshow alley is an Australian term for the cluster of attractions that may accompany public events such as agricultural shows. It is similar to the American term ' midway'. Australian sideshows typically compris ...

and rides, and showbags. It has been held for over 100 years and is organised by the

Royal Agricultural Society of Western Australia The Royal Agricultural Society of Western Australia (RASWA) was established 1831 in Western Australia. Early history It held its first annual agricultural show, the Fair and Cattle Show, at Guildford, Western Australia, Guildford on 7 November ...

. It is held during the spring

school holidays An academic year or school year is a period of time which schools, colleges and universities use to measure a quantity of study. School holiday School holidays (also referred to as vacations, breaks, and recess) are the periods during which sch ...

, either during the last week of September or the first week of October and at its peak, attracted attendance of around 460,000 people.

History

The

(RASWA) held its first Fair and Cattle Show at Guildford on . It included equestrian events,

sheepdog trial A sheepdog trial (also herding event, stock dog trial or simply dog trial) — is a competition or test for working abilities of herding breeds dogs. It is a type of dog sport that emerged in the 1860s in New Zealand. By the 1870s regular trials ...

woodchopping Woodchopping (also spelled wood-chopping or wood chopping), called woodchop for short, is a sport that has been around for hundreds of years in several cultures. In woodchopping competitions, skilled contestants attempt to be the first to cut or s ...

, and prizes for cattle and sheep (these events are still part of the show today). The primary purpose of the show was to showcase Western Australian industry, primarily agriculture. The show was moved to the Claremont Showground in 1905, when it became known as the Perth Royal Show. That year 30,000 people attended. At some point a September/October timeframe to hold the show was established to align with the calendars of farmers. The

Great War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

interrupted the show between 1915 and 1918. 1919 saw the show return. In 1929 the Centenary Pavilion was erected, making it one of Perth's largest undercover venues. In 1940, because of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

the show went on a hiatus through to 1944. 1945 saw the show return. In 1965, show attendance reached 250,000 for the first time. In 1995 a new Showgrounds railway station was opened; 460,000 people attended the show in 1997. In 2004 the Royal Show was named an "Icon of Western Australia" by the Western Australian government and the

National Trust of Western Australia The National Trust of Western Australia, officially the National Trust of Australia (W.A.), is a statutory authority that delivers heritage services, including conservation and interpretation, on behalf of the Western Australian government and co ...

, as part of the

Western Australian 175th Anniversary The Western Australian 175th Anniversary of European settlement was celebrated in 2004. The anniversary celebrations were different in style to the 1929 centenary events, and limited in their extent compared to those of the 150th anniversary i ...

celebrations. In 2015 the show was attended by 353,000 people, down from 410,000 in 2014. 311,000 attended in 2016, while exhibitors cited 2017's show as "one of the worst years they have experienced" in terms of attendance. The drop in attendance during this period, mostly attributed to poor weather, led to some suggestions to move the show to a different time of the year or a new venue. The WA government's withdrawal of a subsidy that provided free tickets to children under 12 years of age also impacted attendance. In 2020 the show, initially scheduled to start on 26 September 2020, was cancelled due to the

COVID-19 pandemic in Western Australia The COVID-19 pandemic in Western Australia is part of the ongoing worldwide pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Western Australia (WA) confirmed its first case of COVID-19 on 21 February 2020, and its first deat ...

as "implementing an appropriate COVID-19 safe plan for this year's show was not possible". The cancellation cost RASWA more than $2 million. In 2021 the show returned, opening on 25 September 2021. The WA government contributed $4 million to help RASWA recover financially from the 2020 cancellation, and to help stage a COVID-safe event. A walk-in

COVID-19 vaccination A COVID19 vaccine is a vaccine intended to provide acquired immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID19). Prior to the COVID19 pandemic, an est ...

clinic also operated on site during the course of the show. The 2021 show implemented a daily 60,000 attendee cap; partially because of this the show sold out for the first time in its history on opening day.

The modern show

Events and exhibits

An entry fee applies to enter the show. This fee covers the show's more "traditional" events that showcase Western Australia's agricultural sector and other industries. These events at the show include: * Various events in the main

arena An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators ...

including woodchopping, equestrian events such as show jumping, sheepdog trials, parades, and in more recent years

monster truck A monster truck is a specialized off-road vehicle with a heavy duty suspension, four-wheel steering, large-displacement V8 engines and oversized tires constructed for competition and entertainment uses. Originally created by modifying stock p ...

sprint car racing Sprint cars are high-powered open-wheel race cars, designed primarily for the purpose of running on short oval or circular dirt or paved tracks. Sprint car racing is popular primarily in the United States and Canada, as well as in Australia, N ...

and

freestyle motocross Freestyle motocross (also known as FMX) is a variation on the sport of motocross in which motorcycle riders attempt to impress judges with jumps and stunts. The two main types of freestyle events are: *Big air (also known as "best trick"), in whi ...

. * A large number of various events held in

pavilion In architecture, ''pavilion'' has several meanings: * It may be a subsidiary building that is either positioned separately or as an attachment to a main building. Often it is associated with pleasure. In palaces and traditional mansions of Asia ...

s, including animal exhibits (such as sheep, alpacas, cats, dogs, domestic poultry, pigeons, and goats), arts and crafts and cooking workshops, showcases for regional industries, and competitions in art, cuisine, and animal grooming. * Exhibits and demonstrations by various public and private organisations such as the

Western Australia Police Force The Western Australia Police Force, colloquially WAPOL, provides police services throughout the state of Western Australia, an area of 2.5 million square kilometres, the world's largest non-federated area of jurisdiction, with a population ...

St John Ambulance Australia St John Ambulance Australia (also known as St John) (SJAA) is a charitable organisation, dedicated to helping people in sickness, distress, suffering or danger. It is part of an international organisation that consists of eight priories that f ...

Scitech SciTech, Scitech or Sci Tech may refer to: Businesses and organizations * Scitech, a not-for-profit science and technology organization in Western Australia * Sci-Tech Daresbury, a science-related business campus near Daresbury, Cheshire, England ...

, and Channel 9 Perth. The show also features entertainment such as musical acts, roving performers,

professional wrestling Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...

, and a nightly

fireworks Fireworks are a class of low explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. They are most commonly used in fireworks displays (also called a fireworks show or pyrotechnics), combining a large number of devices ...

show. Although the show continues to showcase traditional events, its agricultural focus has been somewhat replaced by a commercial fairground atmosphere.

Showbags and Sideshow Alley

Like at other agricultural shows around Australia, showbags – themed or branded bags containing products and merchandise such as toys or confectionery – are sold at the Perth Royal Show by a number of vendors. They are a focal point of the show for many children, though some showbags (chiefly aimed at adults) can cost over $100. The show also features an expansive area called

Sideshow Alley {{Unreferenced, date=June 2008 A sideshow alley is an Australian term for the cluster of attractions that may accompany public events such as agricultural shows. It is similar to the American term ' midway'. Australian sideshows typically compris ...

, which hosts several

amusement rides Amusement rides, sometimes called carnival rides, are mechanical devices or structures that move people especially kids to create fun and enjoyment. Rides are often perceived by many as being scary or more dangerous than they actually are. This ...

on the west side of the showground. Entry to each of the rides costs extra for attendees and is paid for at the attraction. Rides at the show usually include several

haunted house A haunted house, spook house or ghost house in ghostlore is a house or other building often perceived as being inhabited by disembodied spirits of the deceased who may have been former residents or were otherwise connected with the prope ...

s and bumper cars, a

chair lift An elevated passenger ropeway, or chairlift, is a type of aerial lift, which consists of a continuously circulating steel wire rope loop strung between two end terminals and usually over intermediate towers, carrying a series of chairs. They ...

, a

Ferris wheel A Ferris wheel (also called a Giant Wheel or an observation wheel) is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating upright wheel with multiple passenger-carrying components (commonly referred to as passenger cars, cabins, tubs, gondolas, capsule ...

and a number of thrill rides, and often at least one small roller coaster. Sideshow Alley also features numerous show games; these include fishing, shooting, and tossing games. In fishing games, the player must use a fishing rod to fish out a small plastic duck or other objects with a prize number on the bottom. Shooting games, common at many shows, involve shooting down

tin can A steel can, tin can, tin (especially in British English, Australian English, Canadian English and South African English), steel packaging, or can is a container for the distribution or storage of goods, made of thin metal. Many cans ...

s using a low-powered air rifle, usually with corks as ammunition. Tossing games involve throwing balls into buckets.

Transport and parking

The show attracts several hundred thousand people each year, which usually creates problems for visitors heading to the Claremont venue, which was selected over 100 years ago and is now surrounded by residential housing. RASWA and the Town of Claremont encourages visitors to take public transport to the show if possible. Parking at the show is notoriously difficult due to a lack of parking spaces around the Claremont area. To facilitate the increased demand for parking during the show, parking space is hired on private front lawns and school/club parking areas near to the showground. This activity is community-natured and is often organised by school children or run as a

fundraiser Fundraising or fund-raising is the process of seeking and gathering voluntary financial contributions by engaging individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies. Although fundraising typically refers to efforts to gathe ...

for a school or club. Showgrounds railway station is on the

Fremantle line The Fremantle line is a suburban railway and service in Western Australia that connects the central business district (CBD) of Perth with Fremantle. History The railway on which the service runs opened on 1 March 1881 as the first suburban rai ...

of the Perth

public transport system Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typica ...

, which provides transport during the show and for other major events at the showground. Bus services also operate in the nearby area. A family going to the show can purchase a FamilyRider ticket from railway station ticket machines or buses.

Funding the show

The show was originally funded entirely by the Royal Agricultural Society of Western Australia. The society funds the current show, alongside the Western Australian government, visitors' entry fees, exhibitor and competitor fees, and commercial sponsorships. Despite this, the show has operated at a loss in some recent years.

References

External links

*
Royal Agricultural Society of Western Australia
{{authority control

Claremont, Western Australia Spring (season) events in Australia Recurring events established in 1834 1834 establishments in Australia Culture in Perth, Western Australia Events in Perth, Western Australia