Royal Easter Show Flashback: 1999 (Part I)

Above: The cover of the preview guide published in The Sun Herald on 21 March 1999.

Friday marks the start of the annual Royal Easter Show at Sydney Olympic Park. The year of focus in 1999 and will be presented in two entries.

This week, I will focus on key facts and the showbags, and I will share feature articles next week. For those following the series redevelopment of East Circular Quay, it will resume on Easter Monday (1 April)

Date:         26 March to 10 April 1999

The Easter Show ran for 16 days in 1997 and 1998, and it will run for 12 days in 2024. 

Admission

Ticket prices increased by $2 in all categories from 1998

Adults: - $17
Tertiary Students - $13

Children: - $9.50

Showlink tickets were also available and could be prepurchased at train stations for use on any one day of the show, including show buses. 

Adults: - $21
Tertiary Students - $15

Children: - $11

In 2024, ticket options are broader, but the general prices are listed below:

Adults - $ 45.00 (down $2 from 2023)

Concession - $34 (up $3.50 from 2023)

Child - $28 (down $1.50 from 2023)

PWD - $28 (down $1.50 from 2023)

Early bird tickets are available with discounts of up to 20% available, with further discounts if entering after 4pm.

Tickets in 2024 include free return travel on public transport on the day of the visit, and date of the visit must be pre-booked. 

Transport

As in 1998, the Olympic Roads and Transport Authority (ORTA) oversaw public transport arrangements. The network of special regional bus services was maintained. The maps below were featured in preview guide published in The Sun Herald on 21 March 1999.

Showbags

It has been reported online that there as many as 400 showbags on offer in 2024. In 1999, 290 showbags were offer, still a large number. Showbags a quarter of a century ago ranged between $2 and $15, compared with $4 and $36 in 2024.

The images were obtained from the preview guide that was published in The Sun Herald on March 21 1999.

2DAYFM, A little luxury and Girls bag o' pressies (Girlfriend Magazine)

Sadly, 2DAYFM and A little luxury showbags are no longer sold despite their popularity at the time. 2DAYFM in 1999 was number one on the FM band and Nova was two years away from broadcast. The "Ugly" Mug was that of "Ugly Phil" who hosted the nightly top 30 countdown with Jackie O at the time. 

Bensons

With the Cadbury range, it was simpler. No "mega" bags or "budget" bags.

The Greatest Showbag on Earth and The Original Idiot Showbag are still on sale in 2024, provided you are prepared to pay $32 for each bag.

 

Coca Cola

Another best seller from 1999 not selling a showbag in 2024.

Triple M and Gag Magic

New Concept

New Concept also offered showbags for TV Shows and films. There were three themed bags for The Simpsons, South Park, and A Bug's Life, and there was even a Sydney Olympics Showbag. In 1999, Friends was one of the most watched television shows in Australia. In 2024, a showbag from that show is on offer, though no longer on screen. Oddly, in 1999, there was no bag. 

Showbag Factory

The Showbag Factory is an operator that has sadly disappeared from the Easter Show. One good aspect of their bags was their ability to focus on variety within their bags, e.g. Choc Favourites did not exclusively have to be from one brand. It also had the legendary Sunny Boy show bag and what I remember offered the best "big bags". 

Mega Showbags

That concludes Part I. Next week, I will share some feature articles and highlights from the 1999 Royal Easter Show in Part II.