 | |
| Location | New Exhibition Road, Wandal, Queensland |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 23°22′7″S150°29′56″E / 23.36861°S 150.49889°E |
| Owner | Rockhampton Regional Council |
| Tenants | |
| Rockhampton Agricultural Society | |
The Rockhampton Showgrounds is a multipurpose recreational venue in Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia. [1] It is situated in the suburb of Wandal. [2]
It was opened in its current location in 1886 by the Fitzroy Pastoral, Agricultural and Horticultural Society, replacing an earlier showground in William Street. [3] The plan for the new showground venue in Wandal, at a cost of £2000, was approved in December 1885. [4]
Since its opening in 1886, the venue has undergone numerous upgrades, improvements and additions. [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]
The Rockhampton Showgrounds currently encompasses numerous pavilions, grandstands and buildings which are located around the perimeter of the main show ring. They include the Walter Pierce Pavilion, the James Lawrence Pavilion, the Robert Schwarten Pavilion, the Kele Pavilion, the McCamley Pavilion and the Robert Archer Grandstand. [10]
Annual, biennial and triennial events which are held at the Rockhampton Showgrounds include:
The showgrounds has also been used for many years as a local speedway with motorcycle racing having been held since 1925. [22] [23]
Concerts are regularly held at the Rockhampton Showgrounds. Johnny Cash, John Denver, Australian Crawl, Shannon Noll, Split Enz, Cold Chisel, Powderfinger, You Am I, Amy Shark, Timberwolf, Busby Marou, Troy Cassar-Daley and Fanny Lumsden are some of the notable artists to have performed at the Rockhampton Showgrounds. [24] [25] [26] [27]
Motorcycle speedway has been held at the venue since 1925 and throughout its history has held many important events, including qualifying rounds of the Speedway World Championship, starting in 1982, [28] [29] the finals of the Australian Championship in 1962 and 1963 [30] and the Queensland Solo Championship on multiple occasions since 1960. [31]
The Showgrounds hosted the Australian Sprintcar Championship in 1984. Unfortunately for the locals, it was an all-New South Wales podium with Garry Rush winning his 6th Australian title (and 4th in a row, a record yet to be beaten as of 2024), from fellow Sydneysiders George Tatnell and John Walsh. It was the only time that Rockhampton has hosted Australia's premier car speedway category's National championship with all times held in Queensland since being held at the Archerfield Speedway in Brisbane.
The noise created by concert and speedway events has generated complaints from residents living near the venue. In an attempt to appease local residents, a 10:30 pm curfew was imposed for event organisers. [32] [33] The decision to lift the curfew for selected events, however, has also been met with criticism. [34] [35] The ongoing issue has prompted discussions about moving the venue out of the city and away from the residential area in Wandal. [36]
In 1912, American aviator Arthur Burr Stone used the Rockhampton Showgrounds to demonstrate flight with his Blériot monoplane. [37]
In 1927, the finals scenes of what is believed to be Australia's last silent film, The Kid Stakes were filmed at the Rockhampton Showgrounds. [38]
In 1996, a prize bull escaped from its handlers at the Rockhampton Agricultural Show and charged a lunchtime crowd at the showgrounds resulting in some injuries to attendees. [39]
In 2018, two prison inmates from the Capricornia Correctional Centre escaped from the Rockhampton Showgrounds where they were completing a community work order. [40] They were both later captured separately in Mackay. [41] [42]
In mid-2018, a dispute arose between the Rockhampton Agricultural Society and the Showmen's Guild of Australasia over space allocation at the venue for the wood-chopping contest at the Rockhampton Show. [43] The disagreement prompted the showmen to boycott the Rockhampton Show leaving the event at the showgrounds without any of the regular sideshow alley amusements. [44] The guild instead established their own rival event at Callaghan Park on the other side of the Fitzroy River, held simultaneously in direct competition with the Rockhampton Show. [45] [46]
In late-2018, two Rockhampton Regional Council councillors voiced their objections to a decision to relocate the popular steampunk convention CapriCon from the library precinct in the city centre to the Rockhampton Showgrounds. Proponents for the move believe the event had grown in such popularity since its inception that a move to the Rockhampton Showgrounds was essential for the event as it offered larger venue space, improved security and increased accessibility. [47]
Rockhampton is a city in the Rockhampton Region of Central Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, the population of Rockhampton was 79,293. A common nickname for Rockhampton is 'Rocky', and the demonym of Rockhampton is Rockhamptonite.
Melbourne Showgrounds is located in the inner north-western suburb of Ascot Vale, Victoria, Australia, next door to Flemington Racecourse. The largest and most flexible indoor/outdoor venue space in Melbourne the Showgrounds is the home of the annual Melbourne Royal Show, as well as major exhibitions, trade shows, and music concerts, including the Supanova Pop Culture Expo, the Caravan & Camping Touring Supershow and MotoExpo.
The Brisbane Showgrounds is a multi-purpose venue located in Bowen Hills, Brisbane. Established in 1875, it hosts more than 250 events each year, the largest being the Royal Queensland Show (Ekka).
Browne Park is a rectangular football stadium located in the Rockhampton suburb of Wandal, Queensland, Australia. The venue has been the home of rugby football in Central Queensland since 1890 and today also hosts rugby union and soccer matches. It hosted a match of the 2008 Rugby League World Cup. The ground was named Browne Park in 1958 as a posthumous honour to long serving president of Rockhampton Rugby League, Jack Browne who died in office.
The former Sydney Showground (Moore Park) at Moore Park was the site of the Sydney Royal Easter Show in New South Wales, Australia from 1882 until 1997. The Show was moved to the new Sydney Showground at Sydney Olympic Park, built for the Sydney 2000 Olympics.
Rockhampton City is the central suburb of the city of Rockhampton in the Rockhampton Region of Queensland, Australia. It is also known as the Rockhampton CBD. In the 2021 census, Rockhampton City had a population of 2,059 people.
Allenstown is an inner southern suburb of Rockhampton, Rockhampton Region, Queensland, Australia. It is situated 1.6 kilometres (0.99 mi) by road south-west of the Rockhampton CBD. In the 2021 census, Allenstown had a population of 2,762 people.
Graeme William Acton was an Australian cattle baron, who was also known for his involvement in the Australian sport of campdrafting.
Beef Australia is an international exposition held triennially in Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia. The week-long expo has been held in the city during the month of May triennially since the inaugural event in 1988. The event is promoted and used as an opportunity to facilitate international trade opportunities for those involved in the beef industry. However, it is also considered more generally as a celebration of the local beef industry in Central Queensland. In 2015, almost 90,000 people attended the event.
Ridgelands is a rural locality in the Rockhampton Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, Ridgelands had a population of 195 people.
Alton Downs is a rural locality in the Rockhampton Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, Alton Downs had a population of 1,324 people.
Kalapa is a rural locality in the Rockhampton Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, Kalapa had a population of 97 people.
The Rocky River Run is a half-marathon fun run held in the Australian city of Rockhampton in either late May or early June each year.
The Pilbeam Theatre is an indoor performance venue in Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia.
Rockhampton Zoo is a zoo in the Australian city of Rockhampton, Queensland.
Callaghan Park is a horse and greyhound racing venue in Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia. It is located in the suburb of The Common.
The Rockhampton Music Bowl is an outdoor sound shell music venue in Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia, situated in the suburb of Parkhurst.
Nine Mile is a rural locality in the Rockhampton Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, Nine Mile had a population of 84 people.
The Rockhampton Heritage Village is a tourist attraction and multipurpose venue located in Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia.
Thomas Alan Wyatt is an Australian horticulturalist best known for his 40-year association with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in Queensland for which he hosted a weekly program called Gardening Talkback on the ABC Local Radio network.