150th Royal Show Packed By A Cast Of Thousands

The Age

Monday September 19, 2005

DANIEL ZIFFER, ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER

WARM sunshine and plentiful showbags drew thousands to the 150th Royal Melbourne Show yesterday.

An ocean of prams and pushers swamped the Showgrounds, reduced in size by redevelopment works. Some people were unhappy with the crush of people. "It's just packed," said Glen Millot, of Moonee Ponds.

"We couldn't get on to any of the kids' rides. They've halved the size of the area, but there's the same amount of people."

Show spokesman Brian Morley said the the space available at the Showgrounds had been cut by about a quarter.

"The reconfiguration is working well," he said. "We will have the whole new Showgrounds ready to go next year."

The new developments include an enclosed Grand Pavilion, a new exhibition space and outdoor animal competition area, a "Town Square" and a facelift for the main entrance.

The good weather had drawn "one of the best crowds we've had in a long time", he said. Attendance figures will be released after the Show closes on Sunday. More than half a million people are expected to visit.

The Show has been held annually since 1848, when it began as a ploughing competition. Some traditional events, including horse showjumping and the famous Grand Parade, have not been held this year because of the reduced space in the main arena. But for the first time in Melbourne, chips flew as women's woodchopping events were held yesterday.

Teams from Victoria, NSW and Tasmania feverishly hacked into logs, splitting and cutting them in seconds.

"A lot of people say swinging an axe must be hard, but it depends on what you're good at," said Australian women's axe team captain, Cathy Munday.

The timberyard worker from NSW won the underhand event - in which the axeman stands on top of the block and cuts down through the wood.

In 2002 Sydney was the first major show to have women's axe events.

TODAY AT THE SHOW

9am

CATTLE Judging, Beef Paraders Competition (Judging Ring)

HORSES Riding Competitions, Pope Cup (Arena)

10am

ANIMAL NURSERY Animal talks, cow and goat milking, working dog, shearing and horse demonstrations (Animal Nursery)

PETS Demonstrations, small animal displays and competitions (Wonderful World of Pets)

WORKING WITH WOOD Primary school-aged children, and younger, can create their own memento to take home (Pioneer Village)

10.30am

WOODCHOP COMPETITION (Woodchop Stadium)

POULTRY Chook-washing demonstration (Poultry Pavilion) Also at 1.30pm and 3.30pm

11.30am

MONSTER TRUCK (Arena)

12pm

SHEEP Ram Sale (Rural Finance Pavilion)

1pm

HUMAN CANNONBALL, ROCKETMAN (Arena)

7.30pm

MONSTER TRUCK, ROCKETMAN, HUMAN CANNONBALL (Arena)

© 2005 The Age

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