If you were thinking about having a toffee apple, dagwood dog or a ride of the big dipper with the kids at the Rockhampton Show - you better think again.
With the Rockhampton Show opening its gates to the public in a little over two weeks, the Showmen’s Guild who organises carnival aspect of the show, has pulled out completely.
The Rockhampton Agricultural Show Society have been notified by the Showmen’s Guild of Australasia that they will not be attending the 2018 Rockhampton Agricultural Show.
It's part of an ongoing spat with the show's organisers about where rides and games should be located.
The Showmen's Guild organises everything from the "sideshow alley" of rides and games, to food stalls selling dagwood dogs and fairy floss.
A statement from the Rockhampton Agricultural Show Society said “they have been in ongoing discussions with the Showmen’s Guild since 2016 regarding several aspects of the show including amusement location, security, camping and code of conduct”.
The show society is a community volunteer organisation which commenced operation of the Rockhampton Agricultural Show in late 2014 after it was relinquished from the Rockhampton Regional Council.
Since this time, the show society have been endeavouring to improve the show through a series of staged changes, culminating in the reinstatement of the commercial cattle competition in 2019.
In 2016 the Show Society advised the Showmen’s Guild of Australasia the location of some amusements would be changed.
An alternative location of equivalent size was offered for the amusements. This was not accepted by the SGA.
The Rockhampton Agricultural Show Society have always maintained the SGA are an integral part of central Queensland’s largest annual community event.
In a statement, the show society said 24,000 people attended the event in 2017 and they hoped to get the same numbers this year.
The Showmen’s Guild of Australasia's president Luke Hennesey told Queensland Country Life, the guild supports shows of all sizes and were disappointed with the outcome.
“We organise for about 80 family businesses in sideshow alley, and we make sure that they are on a level playing field,” Mr Hennessy said.
"The dramatic changes that the show society make would effect the flow of customers into the back area of the sideshow area.
"There's been no compromise from the society, so we have stepped aside as our concerns were not being heard.
“We have advised our members who wish to attend this event to negotiate personally on a ‘one on one basis’ with the Rockhampton Show Society.
"It's very disappointing that we couldn't find a compromise and we couldn't find a resolution here."
Helen Walker
Helen is the Toowoomba-based journalist who loves nothing better than covering anything horse sport related, however she covers all commodities and personality yarns. Over the years she has lived in Brisbane, Rockhampton, Longreach and Roma filing stories for the 'bible of the bush'. Contact 0459 827414.
Helen is the Toowoomba-based journalist who loves nothing better than covering anything horse sport related, however she covers all commodities and personality yarns. Over the years she has lived in Brisbane, Rockhampton, Longreach and Roma filing stories for the 'bible of the bush'. Contact 0459 827414.
