by Guy Lerner
May 9, 2004
What
do you get when you bring together over 3,000 head of livestock, a million
people and a generous sprinkle of 21st century commercialism in one of the
finest sporting and recreation venues known to man? Well, if you happen to be in
Sydney over Easter, then the Royal Easter Show of course.
With its roots back in the heyday of Australia’s rural-inspired birth in the early 1800s, the Royal “Agricultural” Show (or simply the “Show” before Queen Victoria’s permission to use the “Royal” moniker was given in 1891) has become the showpiece of rural life in Australia. Over the years the show has evolved from its humble beginnings in Parramatta, west of Sydney, where one William Bull was awarded a prize for “good conduct and faithful service,” to become one of Australia’s finest examples of public-inspiring celebration.
The first RAS in Sydney was held in 1869 in Prince Alfred Park, attracting 37,500 people to compete for prizes for “livestock, farm produce, wines, horticulture, poultry, manures, farm machinery and articles of colonial manufacture." A special feature was a fine arts exhibition designed to "improve taste and develop artistic faculty."
In 1882 the show moved closer to the city, to a “wasteland” called Moore Park, where it would remain for the next 115 years. From here the show quickly developed its own persona; fireworks were used for the first time in 1884, and the first grandstand was erected in 1886. By 1888, the emergence of “sideshows” and crafts were transforming the show from an agricultural faire into a widely anticipated social event.
At the turn of the century, the show took on the elements that continue to make it such a thriving enterprise today. Showbags – those delectable goodies that bemuse kids of all ages – made their debut in 1900. It was noted that business was slack except “where there was an opportunity to receive a free product sample, even if it was not particularly useful.” Soon after, companies started placing samples of products in labelled bags.
The first mechanical ride appeared in 1901 as part of an automobile exhibition “where 2 "carriages" were sent around at an "exhilarating" 30 miles per hour.” Woodchopping made its mark in 1908 with the first national championships at the show. It was not unusual, apparently, for a competitor to be so drunk that he could not stand on his log.
The twentieth century was kind to the show, with all forms of wild and weird paraphernalia joining in the party year-on-year. Freak shows, rodeos, exotic performers, commercial exhibitors (yes, this was considered strange in 1935), “real” American cowboys, a flea circus, Ferris wheels and even the Queen of England made their appearance at the show. An agricultural parade from the show even marked the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge in 1932.
So many milestones were made at the show that by 1994, when it was confirmed the show would be moving from Moore Park to Homebush Bay (the site of the Olympic Games in Sydney and much nearer to its Parramatta origins), the weight of history and tradition ensured not only its survival but future prosperity and growth.
A visit to the Royal Easter Show has become as mandatory as a morning latte at the Opera House or a stroll across the Bridge on a warm summer’s day. It’s as Aussie as a barbie (a barbeque) and as multicultural and varied as Chinatown in the heart of English antiquity in inner Sydney. To my delight it is far superior to any show of its kind I have seen, paling into insignificance similar replicas in Olde English colonies, and even in the mother country herself.
Join me as I take a stroll through the Sydney Royal Easter Show for the first time, looking back on 180 years of toil and adventure, invention and barbarism, glamour and glory, all combined in a unique modern-day experience that owes as much to nostalgia for the past as it does to the colour and crassness of commercial exploitation today.
Footnote: Why Digital?
While some may argue that digital photography is still in its infancy, there is little doubt that today's sensor technology rivals some of the best 35mm film stocks available, so good in fact that it's pushing larger-format film - favoured by nature and landscape photographers - for market share. The camera I use, a Canon 10D digital SLR (single lens reflex) is based on the traditional 35mm frame with the exception of a 6.3 megapixel CMOS imaging sensor. While a direct comparison to film is always subjective, the prints produced by a digital SLR using technology found in the 10D and similar cameras rival the best prints produced from the highest-resolution 35mm slide emulsions, at sizes up to 19" x 13" or more. In other words, for gallery-quality prints, the time of the digital SLR camera has arrived.
Technicalities aside, the real reason I used a digital camera was this: I would not have been able to capture any or all of the photos you'll see here if I was still using a film camera. Why? Because the time it took me to make these photographs - considering I was travelling with my family (read: zero allowance for slow and meticulous photography) - was limited, and therefore I had to make sure all the elements of the photograph were in place (exposure, composition, focus, and did I mention exposure) on the fly. Sure I'd have taken my chances with film, but I'd have also burned up a few dozen rolls in the process. Since my film isn't sponsored, I probably would have given up on some of these opportunities to save what little film I could afford.
Many photographers (of all walks, professionals and hobbyists alike) will find themselves in this situation at one time or another, and will benefit immensely from the speed and accuracy of today's digital cameras. Digital SLRs are by no means as "cheap and affordable" as some pundits will have you believe, considering the price upfront often excludes must-have extras like lenses, batteries and (if you don't own one yet) a high-powered PC and software for post-processing. However, if you shoot and shoot often, just the time saved on developing and scanning prints and slides means the value is there form day one, even before you discount the cost of film.
In developing the travelogue series, I hope to encourage the idea that digital photography is anything but a sidebar to the real thing. In a few years, film will be long resigned to museum halls and family albums, but the art and soul of photography will live on forever.
You'll also find a full review of the camera I used for this travelogue here.
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