Royal Easter Show Flashback: 1995

This week, The Royal Easter Show was to have commenced at Sydney Olympic Park, but will not proceed in 2020 due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. The last time a Royal Easter Show did not proceed was in 1919 due to a global pandemic of Spanish Flu.

Despite its cancellation, I will proceed with my annual posting of the Easter Show as it was 25 years ago. This year, the focus is on 1995. However, the coverage by newspapers was disappointing even with their preview guides. Normally they would give you great information about the Easter Show as it happens each year (including statistics on attendance etc), but this was one year of disappointment.

Above: Easter Show advertisements focused on a certain theme each day with a highlights schedule included.

Source: Royal Agricultural Society of NSW. 1995. "Untitled" (Advertisement). The Daily Telegraph Mirror, April 8:  15. 

Dates: April 7 - April 18, 1995

Admission & Transport:

Admission Prices:

Adults - $13

Children - $7

Concession - $10

Showlink tickets were available combining a return rail fare with show entry. Free shuttle buses also ferried showgoers from the city to connect with CBD rail and bus services. 

There was an opening day special of $7 entry ($8 for Showlink tickets).

Had the Easter Show proceeded as planned in 2020, it would have cost $43.50 for adults if purchased at the gate, $27.50 for Children and $28 for concession. However, discounts were to be applied if purchased online or at a Woolworths Supermarket. Public transport was also included. For an adult, assume it will cost around $10-$15 for transport to and from Sydney Olympic Park. Tourism operators were also selling tickets.

Highlights

• Exhibition of the Countrylink X2000 tilt train which was used for a trial period on the Sydney-Canberra XPT service. . 
• The Yellow Brick Road walk - $6 bought a calico bag that would be filled up with food items from different exhibitors.
• Batman spectacular each evening
• David Russell Stunt Riding (Main Arena)

Source: Countrylink. 1995. "Catch the train of tomorrow at today's Royal Easter Show" (Advertisement). The Daily Telegraph Mirror, April 5: 4 (Royal Easter Show Supplement)

Showbags

Showbags were on sale from $2 through to $10.  Had the show gone ahead in 2020, 355 showbags would have been on offer (down from 358 in 2019). 

Below is an assortment of Showbag advertisements which was one element not overlooked by the newspapers. This was your ultimate guide to what was available. Fortunately, these days, we can inspect show bags online several weeks before the show begins and see featured items. Advertising of showbags in the preview guide has been scaled back as a result in recent years.

Coca Cola

Mega Bags - Compared with 1994, they went for a smaller commercial in the preview guide.

Candy World - I am of the view that their showbags were better back in the 1990s than now. Check out the Pepsi duffle bag for $8.50 (up $1.50 from 1994)

Triple M Showbag

Nestle kept it simple.

Source: Nestle. 1995. "Nestle: The King of Showbags". The Daily Telegraph, April x: xx. 

Bensons however didn't list the contents of their bags in their advertisement.