Royal Easter Show Flashback: 1999 (Part II)

 

Source: Jamal, N. "Let the Show begin, and here's to the magic million". The Sydney Morning Herald, March 26: 3. 

Last week, I posted the first entry on the 1999 Royal Easter Show and in our second and concluding entry, I will share feature articles and highlights.

Highlights of the 1999 Royal Easter Show

Opening Day

Below is a review from The Sydney Morning Herald on March 27 1999.

Source: Evangeli, A. "Gates open, crowd travelling well". The Sydney Morning Herald, March 27: 2. 

Robosaurus

Robosaurus made his second Easter Show appearance following his 1994 visit. Daytime and evening sessions gave showgoers plenty of opportunities to see him in action. However, Robosaurus would not return until 2010.

Source: Gripper, A. 1999. "Robosaurus steals the Show". The Sydney Morning Herald, March 29: 3. 

Good Friday

Like the previous year, it was a wet day for the show, with 74,000 passing through the turnstiles by 5pm, down 10,000 on the previous year. At the last show in Moore Park (1997), 164 980 attended on Good Friday.

Fortunately, no events were cancelled despite the poor weather. 

Source: Dent, J. 1999. "Ennui rains on Friday's parade". The Sydney Morning Herald, April 3: 4. 

The Easter Show Wedding

On the evening of April 9, Kim Moore and Ted Sealey held their wedding ceremony in the Main Arena.

Source: Pash, R. 1999. "20, 000 invited to wedding fireworks". The Sun Herald, April 4: 17. 

A first for the Grand Parade...

Woodchoppers were permitted to participate in the Grand Parade for the first time as they marked 100 years of involvement at the Royal Easter Show.

Source: Dennis, A. 1999. "Chopping and changing every hundred years". The Sydney Morning Herald, March 31: 2. 

Other Highlights

• Billy Thorpe and Jimmy Barnes staged a closing night concert in the Main Arena, which was open to ticketholders only. From 6 pm that evening, free general admission to the rest of the show was provided.
• Troy Cassar Daly & Adam Brand led a country music concert on Easter Sunday
• Two nightly fireworks shows over the Easter Weekend
• Woodchopping celebrated 100 years at the Easter Show

How many attended?

Around one million attended, down from the previous year's record, but historically it would rate as one of the highest-attended shows. The attendance could have rivalled the record if the weather had been more favourable.

What was consumed?

• 750 000 cans of drink
• 530 000 cups of coffee
• 63 000 hotdogs
• 180 000 dagwood dogs
• 350 000 buckets of chips
• 79 000 hamburgers
• 45 000 bags of fairy floss
• 35 000 meat pies
• 16 000 slices of pizza
• 8000 cheese-on-a-stick nibbles

Source: Florez, M. 1999. " Big fall in show turnout". The Sunday Telegraph, April 11: 17. 

Next week, I will resume the series on the redevelopment East Circular Quay. I wish you all a very safe and happy Easter. 

Related Entry

Royal Easter Show Flashback: 1999 (Part I)