1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:02,960 Speaker 1: One of my favorite places here at the Royal Adelaide Show. Now, 2 00:00:02,960 --> 00:00:04,520 Speaker 1: if you'd asked me when I was fourteen, I might 3 00:00:04,559 --> 00:00:07,120 Speaker 1: have sat the Zipper or the Mad Mouse, but quite 4 00:00:07,120 --> 00:00:09,040 Speaker 1: a bit older than that now. And I've got to 5 00:00:09,039 --> 00:00:10,879 Speaker 1: tell you one of my favorite places to pomp in 6 00:00:10,920 --> 00:00:14,960 Speaker 1: there is the Archives building at the show, which is 7 00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:17,320 Speaker 1: behind the grand stands, just on the western side of 8 00:00:17,360 --> 00:00:21,680 Speaker 1: the grandstands. It's a house looking structure with the arches 9 00:00:21,720 --> 00:00:23,319 Speaker 1: at the front. You won't miss a big sign that 10 00:00:23,400 --> 00:00:27,560 Speaker 1: says show Archives similar on the front. So and it 11 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:29,720 Speaker 1: is worth having a look because one of the attractions 12 00:00:29,720 --> 00:00:33,040 Speaker 1: in there, along with photos of years gone by and 13 00:00:33,680 --> 00:00:37,280 Speaker 1: video footage of the inside of Centennial Hall and all 14 00:00:37,320 --> 00:00:39,960 Speaker 1: sorts of different things on display as well, different items 15 00:00:40,040 --> 00:00:43,840 Speaker 1: and badgers and ribbons and metals and all that sort 16 00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:47,040 Speaker 1: of thing, is a mad Mouse car and a Dongeon 17 00:00:47,120 --> 00:00:49,840 Speaker 1: car as well. I reckon I've said in both maybe 18 00:00:49,880 --> 00:00:53,840 Speaker 1: fifty odd years ago. The curator of the archives and 19 00:00:53,880 --> 00:00:56,200 Speaker 1: the Memorabilia here at the show is Aron reared It 20 00:00:56,240 --> 00:00:58,160 Speaker 1: and he joins me now, Aaron, good morning. 21 00:00:57,920 --> 00:00:59,760 Speaker 2: Welcome, good morning, thanks having me, thank you for. 22 00:00:59,720 --> 00:01:04,000 Speaker 1: Your time, and look just absolutely fascinating in there can 23 00:01:04,080 --> 00:01:07,160 Speaker 1: we just start with the show history, tell us about 24 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:09,440 Speaker 1: the beginning of the show and the lead up to here, 25 00:01:09,480 --> 00:01:13,319 Speaker 1: because this year is the ninety ninth here at the showgrounds. 26 00:01:13,400 --> 00:01:16,240 Speaker 3: Yeah, so we'll be celebrating our centenary at Wayville next 27 00:01:16,319 --> 00:01:19,600 Speaker 3: year in twenty twenty five. But the history goes back 28 00:01:19,600 --> 00:01:22,160 Speaker 3: to eighteen thirty nine, which is just a few short 29 00:01:22,200 --> 00:01:25,720 Speaker 3: years after the established the colony itself, and it was 30 00:01:25,760 --> 00:01:28,800 Speaker 3: a fairly integral part of the establishment of the colony, 31 00:01:29,200 --> 00:01:31,600 Speaker 3: the South Australian Company, which is sort of tasked with 32 00:01:31,800 --> 00:01:35,800 Speaker 3: setting up the state and dealing with a lot of 33 00:01:35,840 --> 00:01:38,039 Speaker 3: the real estate in South Australia, which was a big 34 00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:38,840 Speaker 3: part of the project. 35 00:01:38,800 --> 00:01:40,000 Speaker 2: It was a real estate project. 36 00:01:41,760 --> 00:01:44,360 Speaker 3: The Colonial manager of the South Australian Company was the 37 00:01:44,360 --> 00:01:45,520 Speaker 3: first president. 38 00:01:45,120 --> 00:01:48,560 Speaker 2: Of the Agricultural Society. That's how closely linked it was. 39 00:01:49,760 --> 00:01:52,160 Speaker 1: And that's just a shortage of people, isn't it. Back then? 40 00:01:52,200 --> 00:01:53,400 Speaker 1: I mean do every job. 41 00:01:53,680 --> 00:01:53,920 Speaker 2: Yeah. 42 00:01:55,080 --> 00:01:58,000 Speaker 3: So eighteen forty was the first show that was in 43 00:01:58,040 --> 00:02:01,360 Speaker 3: a pub on Greenfell Street around about where Region Arcade 44 00:02:01,440 --> 00:02:01,840 Speaker 3: is now. 45 00:02:02,840 --> 00:02:05,080 Speaker 2: It was a fairly small affair. It was just produced. 46 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:08,560 Speaker 3: There was no livestock or anything like that. But by 47 00:02:08,560 --> 00:02:11,840 Speaker 3: eighteen forty three we had the first livestock show, which 48 00:02:11,919 --> 00:02:14,680 Speaker 3: was again in a pub at this time on Honley Street, 49 00:02:14,680 --> 00:02:17,040 Speaker 3: with a larger pub with stockyards and that kind of thing. 50 00:02:18,280 --> 00:02:21,040 Speaker 3: You had a gradual kind of introduction of different elements 51 00:02:21,040 --> 00:02:23,480 Speaker 3: of the show. So in aiding forty four there was 52 00:02:23,840 --> 00:02:27,480 Speaker 3: poultry was introduced for the first time. Beer competition was 53 00:02:27,520 --> 00:02:31,160 Speaker 3: introduced in eighting forty four. Wine came into eighteen forty 54 00:02:31,200 --> 00:02:37,120 Speaker 3: five and the first wine competition there was one red 55 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:38,760 Speaker 3: and one white. 56 00:02:39,120 --> 00:02:39,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, so they won. 57 00:02:40,120 --> 00:02:41,200 Speaker 2: Yeah. 58 00:02:42,480 --> 00:02:45,000 Speaker 3: They've moved around a few places around the city and 59 00:02:45,600 --> 00:02:48,800 Speaker 3: eighteen sixty it kind of solidified into an area in 60 00:02:48,840 --> 00:02:53,200 Speaker 3: Botanic Park. They built a purpose built exhibition building there 61 00:02:54,120 --> 00:02:59,839 Speaker 3: and eighteen eighty seven Jubilee Exhibition Building and oval where 62 00:02:59,880 --> 00:03:03,080 Speaker 3: the show lived basically until it came to Wayville. 63 00:03:03,639 --> 00:03:04,160 Speaker 2: Of course, that. 64 00:03:04,120 --> 00:03:09,520 Speaker 3: Beautiful old exhibition which sadly no longer with us. Yeah 65 00:03:09,520 --> 00:03:13,040 Speaker 3: and so, but the coming to Wayville was actually about 66 00:03:13,240 --> 00:03:18,120 Speaker 3: fifteen years in the making. University of Adelaide was lobbying 67 00:03:18,639 --> 00:03:21,200 Speaker 3: the state government to expand their boundaries, which is where 68 00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:22,679 Speaker 3: the society was based at the time. 69 00:03:22,760 --> 00:03:26,840 Speaker 2: Nothing's changed, yeah, yeah, yeah, you see. 70 00:03:26,639 --> 00:03:32,120 Speaker 3: It all going expanding along North first, and the state 71 00:03:32,160 --> 00:03:35,680 Speaker 3: government bought land specifically for the society to move to 72 00:03:35,720 --> 00:03:39,600 Speaker 3: this site. In around about nineteen twelve, the society signed 73 00:03:39,600 --> 00:03:43,960 Speaker 3: to lease. Then unfortunately, World War One happens and the 74 00:03:43,960 --> 00:03:46,720 Speaker 3: Spanish flu which which delayed things by quite a bit, 75 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:50,200 Speaker 3: so society didn't actually get here until nineteen twenty five. 76 00:03:51,440 --> 00:03:53,480 Speaker 3: And people were concerned at the time that this site 77 00:03:53,520 --> 00:03:54,440 Speaker 3: was too far from the city. 78 00:03:54,560 --> 00:03:56,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's the thing. It was the middle of nowhere then, 79 00:03:56,520 --> 00:03:58,960 Speaker 1: wasn't it. Yeah, yeah, near the village of Goodwood. 80 00:03:59,040 --> 00:04:02,240 Speaker 3: Yeah, so it was quite a long time in the making, 81 00:04:03,160 --> 00:04:06,720 Speaker 3: but at Dada grown the area that they were in anyway, 82 00:04:06,840 --> 00:04:09,360 Speaker 3: so the first show here was a raging success, right 83 00:04:10,280 --> 00:04:11,320 Speaker 3: and ever. 84 00:04:11,280 --> 00:04:13,640 Speaker 1: Since first buildings here would have been what the sheet 85 00:04:13,680 --> 00:04:15,640 Speaker 1: pavilion cattle pavilion. 86 00:04:15,280 --> 00:04:18,320 Speaker 3: Yeah, exactly, those two. So they were actually built in 87 00:04:18,440 --> 00:04:23,000 Speaker 3: nineteen fifteen, so they existed well before the first show 88 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:27,320 Speaker 3: actually happened because of that disruption of World War One. 89 00:04:27,040 --> 00:04:30,680 Speaker 3: The cattle pavilion was originally a heavy horse pavilion, and 90 00:04:30,760 --> 00:04:36,440 Speaker 3: of course in the intervening ten to fifteen years, the 91 00:04:36,480 --> 00:04:39,280 Speaker 3: motor vehicle became more prominent and there was less need 92 00:04:39,320 --> 00:04:42,719 Speaker 3: for the heavy horse pavilions, so they transformed into a 93 00:04:42,880 --> 00:04:44,760 Speaker 3: cattle pavilion, all right. 94 00:04:44,960 --> 00:04:47,120 Speaker 1: So it's been there that way since and the show 95 00:04:47,160 --> 00:04:51,440 Speaker 1: has evolved around all of this. The archives that you have, 96 00:04:51,839 --> 00:04:54,560 Speaker 1: and it's lovely going in there. I love it and 97 00:04:54,720 --> 00:04:56,760 Speaker 1: just standing there looking at the photos and the different 98 00:04:56,760 --> 00:05:00,640 Speaker 1: bits and pieces. How far back does a collection go? 99 00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:02,080 Speaker 1: What's the history of the archives? 100 00:05:02,160 --> 00:05:04,320 Speaker 3: Yeah, we've got some items going back to the eighteen 101 00:05:04,400 --> 00:05:08,640 Speaker 3: forties and eighteen fifties. There's there's some sort of unusual 102 00:05:08,680 --> 00:05:11,800 Speaker 3: things like back in the day they had a library 103 00:05:11,839 --> 00:05:13,840 Speaker 3: as well for farmers to go and look at when 104 00:05:13,839 --> 00:05:15,919 Speaker 3: they came in. So there's things like old herd books 105 00:05:15,960 --> 00:05:18,880 Speaker 3: and that kind of thing that tell people the lineage 106 00:05:18,920 --> 00:05:22,600 Speaker 3: of the animals that they're potentially going to purchase. We've 107 00:05:22,640 --> 00:05:25,560 Speaker 3: got we've got a lot of Royal Adelaide Show publications, 108 00:05:25,880 --> 00:05:31,920 Speaker 3: so things like competition catalogs, results, main arena programs, all 109 00:05:31,920 --> 00:05:34,839 Speaker 3: that kind of thing going back. We've got those probably 110 00:05:34,880 --> 00:05:39,960 Speaker 3: going back to about the eighteen eighties, annual reports, lots 111 00:05:39,960 --> 00:05:40,560 Speaker 3: of things like that. 112 00:05:40,640 --> 00:05:43,640 Speaker 2: I think there's about fifteen hundred to two thousand Royal 113 00:05:43,680 --> 00:05:48,320 Speaker 2: Adelaide Show specific publications. But we've also got probably ten 114 00:05:48,400 --> 00:05:49,440 Speaker 2: thousand photographs. 115 00:05:50,120 --> 00:05:53,279 Speaker 3: We've got eight hundred trained photographs, and paintings and things 116 00:05:53,400 --> 00:05:53,719 Speaker 3: like that. 117 00:05:54,240 --> 00:05:56,440 Speaker 2: There's literally tens of thousands. 118 00:05:56,040 --> 00:05:59,120 Speaker 3: Of documents in archives boxes, which is correspondence and all 119 00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:03,800 Speaker 3: kinds of things. Textiles, you know, like old competition sashes. 120 00:06:05,440 --> 00:06:07,320 Speaker 2: So yeah, there's a wide variety of items. 121 00:06:07,400 --> 00:06:10,360 Speaker 1: Does that stuff hold up? I mean the older it gets, obviously, 122 00:06:10,400 --> 00:06:12,240 Speaker 1: things deteriorate over time. Does it hold up? 123 00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:18,799 Speaker 3: Okay, paper in particular is remarkably durable, and it's why 124 00:06:18,600 --> 00:06:21,520 Speaker 3: we still collect hard copies of a lot of things now, 125 00:06:22,040 --> 00:06:24,400 Speaker 3: because there's a better chance that the paper is going 126 00:06:24,480 --> 00:06:26,239 Speaker 3: to be here in a couple of hundred years, whereas 127 00:06:26,279 --> 00:06:27,840 Speaker 3: a digital version may not. 128 00:06:28,560 --> 00:06:28,920 Speaker 1: Interesting. 129 00:06:30,360 --> 00:06:33,560 Speaker 3: So yeah, things like that. Some of the textiles are 130 00:06:33,560 --> 00:06:37,279 Speaker 3: a little bit more tricky. We try to keep the 131 00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:43,840 Speaker 3: temperature and the humidity fairly constant the whole time. You 132 00:06:43,880 --> 00:06:45,960 Speaker 3: can't always have complete control over that, but we do 133 00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:46,400 Speaker 3: our best. 134 00:06:46,480 --> 00:06:50,320 Speaker 1: Okay, we're sitting in an area where years ago was 135 00:06:51,200 --> 00:06:53,680 Speaker 1: the cen Toennial Hall. We'd probably be on the back 136 00:06:53,680 --> 00:06:56,240 Speaker 1: steps of it here or close enough to, or maybe 137 00:06:56,240 --> 00:06:58,560 Speaker 1: even where the stage was, just roughly where we are. 138 00:06:59,040 --> 00:07:02,599 Speaker 1: You've got the urinals where the Beatles and Roy Orbison. 139 00:07:03,160 --> 00:07:04,920 Speaker 1: The stones would have used out the back. 140 00:07:05,120 --> 00:07:08,400 Speaker 3: Yeah, they're famously referred to as the Beatles, but as 141 00:07:08,440 --> 00:07:09,920 Speaker 3: you as you say, a lot of people would have 142 00:07:10,040 --> 00:07:15,400 Speaker 3: used them. Yeah, they're rolling stones, the Kings, Roy Orbison 143 00:07:15,440 --> 00:07:17,320 Speaker 3: and Nat King, Cole Armstrong. 144 00:07:18,280 --> 00:07:19,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's a bit of a noddity. 145 00:07:21,400 --> 00:07:24,120 Speaker 3: For some reason, they would decided that was something that 146 00:07:24,200 --> 00:07:25,600 Speaker 3: was going to be kept from Centennial Hall. 147 00:07:25,600 --> 00:07:26,640 Speaker 2: We do have a few other things. 148 00:07:26,720 --> 00:07:28,440 Speaker 1: Someone had a sense of humor probably. 149 00:07:28,280 --> 00:07:31,200 Speaker 3: Yeah, and look, they've proved to be quite popular, so 150 00:07:31,360 --> 00:07:33,560 Speaker 3: I'm more than happy to keep them. They were for 151 00:07:33,600 --> 00:07:37,080 Speaker 3: many years just above the basketball stadium or the dog Pavilion. 152 00:07:38,520 --> 00:07:41,240 Speaker 3: So we we got it back into the Archives recently. 153 00:07:41,960 --> 00:07:43,760 Speaker 3: It's made out of concrete. It took four of us 154 00:07:43,800 --> 00:07:46,160 Speaker 3: to carried in the door. It's quite heavy once. 155 00:07:46,040 --> 00:07:46,440 Speaker 1: He cleaned it. 156 00:07:46,640 --> 00:07:53,080 Speaker 3: Yeah, but we've got we've got a few Centennial Hall items, 157 00:07:53,160 --> 00:07:55,640 Speaker 3: like some of the old lambs are at lamps that 158 00:07:55,680 --> 00:07:59,960 Speaker 3: are at the front from the entrance. We've got floorboard 159 00:08:00,080 --> 00:08:03,520 Speaker 3: from the stage which which we sell to raise money 160 00:08:03,520 --> 00:08:07,480 Speaker 3: for the Archives Foundation. Yeah, we've got a few bits 161 00:08:07,480 --> 00:08:09,360 Speaker 3: and pieces like that. There's bits of the concrete and 162 00:08:09,400 --> 00:08:13,000 Speaker 3: stuff that was the issue with Centennial. So you can 163 00:08:13,040 --> 00:08:16,119 Speaker 3: see in the in these samples of the concrete and stuff, 164 00:08:16,160 --> 00:08:22,560 Speaker 3: the concrete cancer that led to its ultimates demis. But yeah, 165 00:08:22,600 --> 00:08:25,240 Speaker 3: we've also got some a few Beetles bits and Beatles 166 00:08:25,440 --> 00:08:28,560 Speaker 3: bits and pieces, so things like correspondence between the r 167 00:08:28,560 --> 00:08:29,360 Speaker 3: A and HS and. 168 00:08:29,400 --> 00:08:33,400 Speaker 2: John Martin really outlining the conditions. 169 00:08:32,960 --> 00:08:37,560 Speaker 3: Of the higher of the venue instructing the promoters that 170 00:08:37,600 --> 00:08:41,080 Speaker 3: they were not to tolerate any stomping by fans. And 171 00:08:41,120 --> 00:08:43,640 Speaker 3: we've actually got some footage of the Beatles playing at Centennial. 172 00:08:43,800 --> 00:08:44,040 Speaker 1: Wow. 173 00:08:44,160 --> 00:08:46,360 Speaker 2: So if people want to come down and see a 174 00:08:46,360 --> 00:08:47,560 Speaker 2: few minutes of that, who. 175 00:08:47,480 --> 00:08:49,559 Speaker 1: Would have gone that? Probably one of the TV stations 176 00:08:49,559 --> 00:08:52,760 Speaker 1: of the day, Channel nine. Yeah, yeah, yeah, okay, yeah, 177 00:08:52,800 --> 00:08:54,840 Speaker 1: And that's showing pretty much on a loop, isn't it. 178 00:08:54,960 --> 00:08:56,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, So that that's going all day. 179 00:08:56,760 --> 00:08:59,160 Speaker 3: We've got footage of that, plus footage from the nineties 180 00:08:59,200 --> 00:09:02,160 Speaker 3: sixty eight Lake Show just going on a loop. It's 181 00:09:02,160 --> 00:09:04,760 Speaker 3: about a fifteen minute loop in total, So whatever time 182 00:09:04,800 --> 00:09:06,319 Speaker 3: you come in, you'll be able to see it. 183 00:09:06,440 --> 00:09:08,160 Speaker 1: And it's great sitting in there. And I've done that 184 00:09:08,280 --> 00:09:10,439 Speaker 1: not this year but last year. And you say, now, 185 00:09:10,559 --> 00:09:12,280 Speaker 1: was that me as a four year old or whatever 186 00:09:12,320 --> 00:09:13,880 Speaker 1: the case may be. You look for yourself and you 187 00:09:14,320 --> 00:09:15,199 Speaker 1: do well. 188 00:09:15,240 --> 00:09:19,720 Speaker 3: We've had instances of people seeing photographs on display, you know, 189 00:09:19,760 --> 00:09:22,559 Speaker 3: and someone is saying, that was my dad, how about that? 190 00:09:22,720 --> 00:09:23,160 Speaker 2: Yeah? 191 00:09:23,200 --> 00:09:25,520 Speaker 1: And photos? And I did hear a story years ago 192 00:09:25,600 --> 00:09:30,000 Speaker 1: of there's a photo in there of the grandstand being 193 00:09:30,000 --> 00:09:33,720 Speaker 1: absolutely chock at, just every seat taken, and a lady 194 00:09:33,760 --> 00:09:35,559 Speaker 1: came in, an elderly lady. This is a few years ago. 195 00:09:35,559 --> 00:09:38,480 Speaker 1: It might be before your time. I heard this five 196 00:09:38,679 --> 00:09:41,360 Speaker 1: seven years ago, I reckon and she's saying, that little girl, 197 00:09:41,400 --> 00:09:44,840 Speaker 1: that's me. And how amazing is that? Yeah, It's incredible, 198 00:09:44,880 --> 00:09:48,120 Speaker 1: isn't it that people can recognize themselves. History of showbags? 199 00:09:48,120 --> 00:09:49,720 Speaker 1: I mean, even just sitting here, you can see people 200 00:09:49,760 --> 00:09:52,520 Speaker 1: walking around with show bags, and particularly yellow Brick Road, 201 00:09:52,559 --> 00:09:56,080 Speaker 1: which is so popular. But how far back do they go? 202 00:09:56,120 --> 00:09:58,040 Speaker 1: And they were sample bags and people always told me 203 00:09:58,080 --> 00:09:59,560 Speaker 1: they were free. I don't remember that. 204 00:10:00,200 --> 00:10:00,440 Speaker 2: Yeah. 205 00:10:00,480 --> 00:10:04,160 Speaker 3: The earliest mention we found of showbags at the Royal 206 00:10:04,200 --> 00:10:07,120 Speaker 3: Ladelaide show is nineteen twenty six. They may have been 207 00:10:07,160 --> 00:10:09,760 Speaker 3: before that, but that's the earliest mention we've found in 208 00:10:10,320 --> 00:10:11,520 Speaker 3: old newspaper articles. 209 00:10:12,720 --> 00:10:14,120 Speaker 2: And there has always been. 210 00:10:13,960 --> 00:10:18,679 Speaker 3: Some commendation of free and paid bags. That ratio has 211 00:10:18,760 --> 00:10:19,400 Speaker 3: changed over. 212 00:10:19,240 --> 00:10:20,000 Speaker 1: Time, honestly. 213 00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:23,640 Speaker 3: So a lot of the early showbags from the nineteen 214 00:10:23,679 --> 00:10:28,120 Speaker 3: twenties were things like household goods, canned fruits and really 215 00:10:28,240 --> 00:10:30,839 Speaker 3: sample so you know, small versions of the products you 216 00:10:30,920 --> 00:10:33,400 Speaker 3: might buy in the supermarket, like a small bottle of 217 00:10:33,480 --> 00:10:38,360 Speaker 3: rosella tomato sauce or you know, things like that. And 218 00:10:38,400 --> 00:10:41,000 Speaker 3: of course it's evolved over time. But the earliest showbags 219 00:10:41,040 --> 00:10:46,240 Speaker 3: Australia wide that we're aware of where showbags from the 220 00:10:46,240 --> 00:10:48,640 Speaker 3: ECHA the Brisbane Royal Show in eighteen seventy six. 221 00:10:48,760 --> 00:10:50,160 Speaker 2: They're giving away bags of coal. 222 00:10:50,600 --> 00:10:54,160 Speaker 3: Really yeah, which famously is a punishment at Christmas. 223 00:10:54,200 --> 00:10:56,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, just like Sandra was about to say, So, that's 224 00:10:56,559 --> 00:11:01,520 Speaker 1: amazing you're opening out. It's over the nine till five 225 00:11:01,640 --> 00:11:01,760 Speaker 1: or so. 226 00:11:02,480 --> 00:11:03,440 Speaker 2: We were nine to five. 227 00:11:03,480 --> 00:11:05,920 Speaker 3: We changed it from ten to six because we found 228 00:11:05,960 --> 00:11:08,640 Speaker 3: it was very quiet in the morning, but you know, 229 00:11:08,679 --> 00:11:11,520 Speaker 3: we're having to kick people out of five, so we've 230 00:11:11,600 --> 00:11:15,200 Speaker 3: changed the hours to accommodate more people. So yeah, ten 231 00:11:15,240 --> 00:11:16,520 Speaker 3: till six every day of the show. 232 00:11:16,720 --> 00:11:19,280 Speaker 1: Okay, what are you doing in the future? You mentioned 233 00:11:19,280 --> 00:11:23,440 Speaker 1: digital before, that's obviously where it's heading. And heading everywhere 234 00:11:23,440 --> 00:11:25,120 Speaker 1: of course in libraries and collections. 235 00:11:25,320 --> 00:11:29,560 Speaker 3: Yeah, so we're scanning and digitizing large chunks of the collection. 236 00:11:29,640 --> 00:11:32,120 Speaker 3: And that's not to replace the hard copies stuff that 237 00:11:32,160 --> 00:11:34,679 Speaker 3: we've got. We want to keep that stuff forever if 238 00:11:34,720 --> 00:11:38,080 Speaker 3: you can. But the digital copies allow us to put 239 00:11:38,080 --> 00:11:40,280 Speaker 3: things on the website so that people can access. 240 00:11:39,920 --> 00:11:40,560 Speaker 2: It more easily. 241 00:11:41,120 --> 00:11:44,480 Speaker 3: It also serves us a backup in case the worst 242 00:11:44,559 --> 00:11:49,640 Speaker 3: happens and we lose the hard copies. It also means 243 00:11:49,640 --> 00:11:53,120 Speaker 3: there's less manual handling of these old hard copies because 244 00:11:53,120 --> 00:11:56,679 Speaker 3: people can access the digital version. So we've been putting 245 00:11:56,679 --> 00:11:58,520 Speaker 3: a lot of that stuff on our website over the 246 00:11:58,600 --> 00:12:01,040 Speaker 3: last year. I think we've scanned about thirty five thousand 247 00:12:01,080 --> 00:12:05,000 Speaker 3: pages of documents. Still plenty more to go, and one 248 00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:07,040 Speaker 3: of the goals is that we want to have all 249 00:12:07,080 --> 00:12:10,560 Speaker 3: the results from the one hundred years of the show 250 00:12:10,600 --> 00:12:12,439 Speaker 3: at Wayville up. 251 00:12:12,400 --> 00:12:13,040 Speaker 2: By next year. 252 00:12:13,120 --> 00:12:15,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, right, for the one hundredth anniversary. What else are 253 00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:16,560 Speaker 1: you doing? You're doing tours or anything like that for 254 00:12:16,600 --> 00:12:17,320 Speaker 1: the hundred years. 255 00:12:17,400 --> 00:12:20,360 Speaker 3: Yeah, we're launching history tours of the showground next year 256 00:12:20,400 --> 00:12:25,319 Speaker 3: as part of the centenary celebrations, So they'll happen intermittently 257 00:12:25,400 --> 00:12:30,520 Speaker 3: throughout the year, but particularly for South Australia History Festival 258 00:12:30,679 --> 00:12:32,199 Speaker 3: next year. We want to get it up and running 259 00:12:32,200 --> 00:12:36,319 Speaker 3: before then and that'll just be a way for people 260 00:12:36,320 --> 00:12:39,120 Speaker 3: to come in, walk around, go through all the different 261 00:12:39,120 --> 00:12:41,600 Speaker 3: buildings when there's no one else here, have a look 262 00:12:41,640 --> 00:12:42,560 Speaker 3: and get a bit of the history. 263 00:12:42,679 --> 00:12:46,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, right now, the show. I love this fact about it. 264 00:12:46,640 --> 00:12:49,800 Speaker 1: One hundred and eighty five years coming up and all 265 00:12:49,880 --> 00:12:53,400 Speaker 1: this year is that and two hundred and forty seven 266 00:12:53,520 --> 00:12:55,679 Speaker 1: shows seems to be the number. Everyone talks about it, 267 00:12:55,679 --> 00:12:57,319 Speaker 1: and I use that as a filler in the commentary 268 00:12:57,320 --> 00:12:59,000 Speaker 1: when I'm doing the wood shopping or in the main 269 00:12:59,040 --> 00:13:01,360 Speaker 1: arena at night that this is you know, this is 270 00:13:01,400 --> 00:13:04,680 Speaker 1: a fact and with the royal prefix to the show, 271 00:13:05,360 --> 00:13:06,920 Speaker 1: that's a record number around the world. 272 00:13:07,000 --> 00:13:10,360 Speaker 3: I understand, that's my understanding. Yeah, so because of the 273 00:13:10,360 --> 00:13:12,920 Speaker 3: autumn show obviously, you know, because there were two shows, 274 00:13:12,920 --> 00:13:16,600 Speaker 3: the two shows a year for many years. There's been 275 00:13:16,640 --> 00:13:19,640 Speaker 3: a few gaps over the years where there were no shows. 276 00:13:19,679 --> 00:13:22,400 Speaker 3: So in the eighteen fifties during the gold Rush, Yeah, 277 00:13:22,679 --> 00:13:24,880 Speaker 3: they canceled the show because so many people were in 278 00:13:25,840 --> 00:13:26,600 Speaker 3: chasing riches. 279 00:13:27,400 --> 00:13:29,400 Speaker 1: It's a powerable of its stay yeah, exactly. 280 00:13:29,960 --> 00:13:32,440 Speaker 3: World War One there was a bit of a gap, 281 00:13:32,480 --> 00:13:36,440 Speaker 3: and in World War Two, the wave like Wayville was 282 00:13:36,520 --> 00:13:39,680 Speaker 3: taken over by the military, so there was no show 283 00:13:39,720 --> 00:13:42,880 Speaker 3: held from nineteen forty to nineteen forty six. So there's 284 00:13:42,880 --> 00:13:45,120 Speaker 3: been some gaps there sometimes where there were two year 285 00:13:47,600 --> 00:13:50,360 Speaker 3: but it's yeah, we believe that it's the most. 286 00:13:50,480 --> 00:13:53,400 Speaker 1: Okay, that's incredible. When did the autumn show end? 287 00:13:54,520 --> 00:13:58,640 Speaker 3: I think that was I think it was in the nineties. 288 00:13:58,640 --> 00:14:01,840 Speaker 1: Some homework, Yeah, if you let me know in due course. 289 00:14:02,120 --> 00:14:04,280 Speaker 1: But all right, that's that's interesting. Now are you looking 290 00:14:04,280 --> 00:14:06,440 Speaker 1: for more things? I mentioned you're always looking for what 291 00:14:06,520 --> 00:14:08,600 Speaker 1: somebody might find in the back covered or the shed 292 00:14:08,600 --> 00:14:10,319 Speaker 1: they don't even know they've got at the moment. Yeah. 293 00:14:10,400 --> 00:14:13,400 Speaker 3: Absolutely, And we've had quite a few donations come in 294 00:14:13,480 --> 00:14:16,640 Speaker 3: during the show, which often happens. What you know, people 295 00:14:16,640 --> 00:14:21,040 Speaker 3: are here, it's on the mind. Look, there's if people 296 00:14:21,120 --> 00:14:23,800 Speaker 3: do have something they would like to donate, they can 297 00:14:23,840 --> 00:14:27,560 Speaker 3: contact me via our email address, which is history at 298 00:14:27,560 --> 00:14:30,480 Speaker 3: Adelaide Showground dot com dot are you okay? That's Adelaide 299 00:14:30,520 --> 00:14:31,920 Speaker 3: Showground singular. 300 00:14:31,600 --> 00:14:34,320 Speaker 1: Okay, not grounds ground. 301 00:14:34,960 --> 00:14:38,640 Speaker 2: And just send an email with a description or an image. 302 00:14:38,680 --> 00:14:40,440 Speaker 2: If you have what the item is. 303 00:14:40,760 --> 00:14:45,440 Speaker 3: Sometimes we might already have the item. 304 00:14:44,040 --> 00:14:46,400 Speaker 2: But some of the dream things I would love. I'd 305 00:14:46,480 --> 00:14:49,160 Speaker 2: love to get some more old carnival things. 306 00:14:49,760 --> 00:14:53,520 Speaker 1: What do you mean, tickets or even parts of rides 307 00:14:53,560 --> 00:14:54,360 Speaker 1: and things like that. 308 00:14:54,480 --> 00:14:58,200 Speaker 3: Yeah, like you know, for example, parts of the old 309 00:14:58,200 --> 00:15:00,800 Speaker 3: ghost train. Yeah, great, stuff like that. 310 00:15:01,240 --> 00:15:04,840 Speaker 2: Some vintage side show stuff would be amazing. 311 00:15:06,840 --> 00:15:07,040 Speaker 1: Yeah. 312 00:15:07,200 --> 00:15:09,560 Speaker 3: Look, if they gave me the whole gord A pavilion, 313 00:15:09,760 --> 00:15:11,280 Speaker 3: I try and find a way to fill it out. 314 00:15:11,760 --> 00:15:13,520 Speaker 1: Well, where do you put all this stuff so old? Right? 315 00:15:13,560 --> 00:15:15,520 Speaker 1: I mean you've got the Dodge and car on display 316 00:15:15,560 --> 00:15:18,800 Speaker 1: and the Mad Mouse car on display. I mean it 317 00:15:18,840 --> 00:15:20,880 Speaker 1: takes room. Yeah, where do you put it all? 318 00:15:22,200 --> 00:15:27,320 Speaker 3: We have to get creative with our space management when 319 00:15:27,920 --> 00:15:30,120 Speaker 3: we don't have a lot of space at the moment. 320 00:15:31,360 --> 00:15:33,720 Speaker 3: But I'll deal with that problem if someone most to 321 00:15:33,720 --> 00:15:34,920 Speaker 3: donate something nice. 322 00:15:34,760 --> 00:15:38,240 Speaker 1: Something big. Yeah, all right. Now, the master plan is 323 00:15:38,280 --> 00:15:40,840 Speaker 1: coming out in the next year or so, and or 324 00:15:41,080 --> 00:15:45,800 Speaker 1: later this year, I understand, even And now what does 325 00:15:45,840 --> 00:15:49,160 Speaker 1: that mean? Looking forward? I imagine if they do some 326 00:15:49,200 --> 00:15:51,560 Speaker 1: of the things that I know they want to do, 327 00:15:52,480 --> 00:15:55,239 Speaker 1: you're gonna have a lot more material soon because buildings 328 00:15:55,440 --> 00:15:58,240 Speaker 1: might be replaced. You see it and can come out 329 00:15:58,240 --> 00:16:00,200 Speaker 1: of say stands or whatever the case be. 330 00:16:00,320 --> 00:16:04,720 Speaker 3: Moving forward, well, I'll lobby for more space Oka, But 331 00:16:04,760 --> 00:16:08,080 Speaker 3: the Archives Foundation, who I answer to as the museum 332 00:16:08,080 --> 00:16:11,400 Speaker 3: and Archives coordinator, are incredibly supportive. A lot of those 333 00:16:11,400 --> 00:16:15,160 Speaker 3: are also on the board of the society, and they're 334 00:16:15,280 --> 00:16:19,480 Speaker 3: very supportive of capturing and keeping the heritage of the grounds. 335 00:16:20,640 --> 00:16:22,760 Speaker 3: So I'm confident we'll find a solution. 336 00:16:23,040 --> 00:16:25,760 Speaker 1: It is important and for those of us who well 337 00:16:25,800 --> 00:16:27,880 Speaker 1: like me for instance, grew up here in the sixties 338 00:16:27,920 --> 00:16:31,360 Speaker 1: and particularly seventies, and you look around now and there 339 00:16:31,440 --> 00:16:34,160 Speaker 1: is a lot of that remains. A lot of the 340 00:16:34,200 --> 00:16:36,480 Speaker 1: look and feel of the place remains, but at the 341 00:16:36,520 --> 00:16:41,080 Speaker 1: same time, through time a lot has changed. So you know, 342 00:16:41,160 --> 00:16:43,920 Speaker 1: for a younger person like yourself, for instance, you know 343 00:16:44,000 --> 00:16:46,640 Speaker 1: a different older show than what I know and what 344 00:16:46,680 --> 00:16:49,160 Speaker 1: many people listening know. So you know, there's a lot 345 00:16:49,240 --> 00:16:51,640 Speaker 1: of things that have obviously ordered during the years, and 346 00:16:51,680 --> 00:16:54,160 Speaker 1: it's great to keep that. And there's nothing better I 347 00:16:54,240 --> 00:16:56,840 Speaker 1: reckon than coming to the show. And I still feel 348 00:16:56,920 --> 00:16:59,320 Speaker 1: the excitement I did as a kid coming here, and 349 00:16:59,360 --> 00:17:01,400 Speaker 1: you love to look back at the old stuff and 350 00:17:01,440 --> 00:17:03,640 Speaker 1: say I remember all of this. It was really cool. 351 00:17:03,800 --> 00:17:06,199 Speaker 3: Yeah, and that's one of the great things during the 352 00:17:06,200 --> 00:17:08,159 Speaker 3: show of having all the people come through in the museum, 353 00:17:08,560 --> 00:17:10,080 Speaker 3: I get to speak to people who have been coming 354 00:17:10,080 --> 00:17:13,000 Speaker 3: here for many, many decades and telling me their stories 355 00:17:13,280 --> 00:17:16,199 Speaker 3: and their experiences at the show. So I learned a 356 00:17:16,200 --> 00:17:17,879 Speaker 3: lot during the show from the people who come into 357 00:17:17,920 --> 00:17:18,560 Speaker 3: the museum. 358 00:17:18,840 --> 00:17:21,879 Speaker 1: Is there the opportunity for a verbal history of the 359 00:17:21,880 --> 00:17:24,359 Speaker 1: show where people record their stories and that can be playing. 360 00:17:24,440 --> 00:17:28,280 Speaker 3: Yeah, There's been some moral histories totally past and something 361 00:17:28,320 --> 00:17:29,479 Speaker 3: we'd be keen to do again. 362 00:17:29,640 --> 00:17:30,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, for sure. 363 00:17:30,359 --> 00:17:32,560 Speaker 1: I've heard a couple of them actually on your website, 364 00:17:32,560 --> 00:17:35,760 Speaker 1: which is fantastic too. So yeah, all right, lovely meeting 365 00:17:35,800 --> 00:17:37,800 Speaker 1: you today or speaking to you today. We've met before, 366 00:17:37,800 --> 00:17:40,720 Speaker 1: but speaking with you today here on air, and thoroughly 367 00:17:40,760 --> 00:17:44,200 Speaker 1: recommend it for people who have been to the show. 368 00:17:44,240 --> 00:17:46,560 Speaker 1: Got old memories, Well, come and look at the archives. 369 00:17:46,640 --> 00:17:49,879 Speaker 1: It is unreal and you look at those, particularly the 370 00:17:49,920 --> 00:17:52,640 Speaker 1: Dodgem Car and the Mad Mouse and I know I've 371 00:17:52,640 --> 00:17:55,120 Speaker 1: written on both those carriages at some stage. I would 372 00:17:55,160 --> 00:17:56,119 Speaker 1: have absolutely would have. 373 00:17:56,320 --> 00:17:58,040 Speaker 3: The Mad Mouse car is one of the most commented 374 00:17:58,080 --> 00:18:02,119 Speaker 3: things people come in that people reliving their past traumas 375 00:18:02,760 --> 00:18:05,159 Speaker 3: going on it if I can just give the website 376 00:18:05,160 --> 00:18:08,040 Speaker 3: a yeah please. So a lot of the stuff we 377 00:18:08,119 --> 00:18:10,040 Speaker 3: digitize and put on the website so you can you 378 00:18:10,040 --> 00:18:11,760 Speaker 3: can have a look there. It's a really great family 379 00:18:11,840 --> 00:18:15,880 Speaker 3: history resource. But that's rahshistory dot com dot au. 380 00:18:16,080 --> 00:18:18,320 Speaker 1: Fantastic erin great having you on the show. Thank you, 381 00:18:18,560 --> 00:18:21,160 Speaker 1: thank you very much. Aaron Ridon, who is the historian, 382 00:18:21,200 --> 00:18:23,720 Speaker 1: the curator at the Royal Adelaide show. Go see the 383 00:18:23,840 --> 00:18:26,080 Speaker 1: archives behind the main grand stand, just west of the 384 00:18:26,080 --> 00:18:28,879 Speaker 1: grand stand, near where you'd know it is where Taste, 385 00:18:28,880 --> 00:18:30,920 Speaker 1: they say, used to be. They've got a new place 386 00:18:30,960 --> 00:18:33,080 Speaker 1: this year. But next to Aggie's farm. If you look 387 00:18:33,119 --> 00:18:35,440 Speaker 1: at that, the entrance to Aggie's, that's where you'll find 388 00:18:35,480 --> 00:18:38,520 Speaker 1: the archives. It's an old looking house, big archers out 389 00:18:38,520 --> 00:18:40,720 Speaker 1: in the front of it. You can't miss it, says archives. 390 00:18:40,840 --> 00:18:41,800 Speaker 1: Pop in, have a look.