In addition to the annual Malanda Show, the Malanda Society hosts and presents the annual Beef Cattle Handling School, the Malanda Show Ball, the Malanda Debutante Ball and works with the team for the Malanda Small Farms Field Day. The Show Society also manages the Cattle Transit Yards.
History of the Malanda Show
Download the published ‘The Show Men’s Story Malanda Show 1916-1991’
1916: First show held in the vicinity of the Majestic Theatre.
First Malanda Show – 1916
1919: Showgrounds shifted to present site. J K English & P J Neal cleared the land. Grandstand and Rotunda built. The Grandstand was donated by James English at a cost of £1200. The hardwood timber came from the Ravenshoe Sawmill.
1924: Post and rail fence erected around show ring. The panels of the fence were sold for 1 guinea each with the purchaser having his name on a brass plaque mounted on the panel.
1932 Malanda Show
1945: One day Victory Show was held on October 6.
1947: Show Pavilion was purchased. This building was an army igloo at Danbulla. Mr Walter Drury was authorized to bid on this building for the Show Society. The building was purchased for £146, dismantled and carted to Malanda and erected there by volunteer labour.
1932 Show Ball
1948: Official opening of Pavilion. 800 people present.
1956: Show officially opened by Queensland Premier, Vince Gair.
1963: Floodlights were erected at the Showgrounds. Funds were raised by raffling a Valiant car or Ferguson tractor. Jim Stewart was the chief ticket seller.
Prize winner
1966: Golden Jubilee show opened by Mr W Dobson, a member of the 1916 Committee.
1981: Original Grandstand demolished, and a modern building erected in its place.
1990: New supper-room officially opened by Phil English, Eacham Shire Chairman.
1991: Seventy-fifth anniversary celebrated at Malanda will be officially opened by the President of the Royal National Association, Sir Walter Burnett.
The First Show
1916 Grand Parade
In 1915 using bullock teams, nine acres of virgin scrub was cleared on land belonging to the Malanda Pioneer, James English (where the Majestic Theatre now stands, adjacent to Eacham Park). On Boxing Day, 1915, a Sports Day was held here with foot races and horse events including jumping, and woodchops.
It was on this site, rent free of charge by James English, on 7th & 8th September, 1916 that the first Malanda Show was held.
First Show Committees
First Malanda Show Committee, 1916
Back left to right: Ted Cassells, Mick Lynch, Mark Sims, Harry Williams, Sid Whereat, Charlie Hopkinson, Bill Soley, James English.
Second row left to right: Jack Hanrahan, Chas Bromfield, Mr Jarsden, Charlie Belson, Ted Heale, Jack Foxwell, Duncan Brown, Stan Davies.
Front left to right: Bob Emerson, Harold Farlow, Paddy English.
Not shown: West Dobson
First Ladies Committee, 1916
Back: Dolly Johnston, Emma Bates (Mrs McGregor), Mrs Waugh (Merv Waugh’s mother) Mrs Geo Wilson, Mrs A Halfpapp, Mrs W J LSloan, Mrs Cameron (Tarzali).
Front: Miss E English (Mrs McFadden), Mrs Wallace, Mrs Dinny Moran, Miss Mary English (Mrs Hanraham), Mrs Pat English, Mrs Paddy Williams, Miss Emily Snodgrass, Miss Wettig (Mrs Wallace
Quotes:
“Those early pioneering days were the hardest – and best – of my life”.
Peter Kenny, Champion Axeman
1916
“The first show, held under the auspices of the Eacham A P & I Association was favoured by fine weather and a good attendance.”…Post, September 7, 1916
1930s
At Show time, the ladies supplied meals and cups of tea under the grandstand – tank water – dirt floor – water was boiled in a copper outside the grandstand for washing up and for cups of tea on a Primus. There were a few long tables under the grandstand and long stools to sit on.
Meals – 2/- and tea and sandwiches 1/-.
1930 – Willing helpers in the supper room on Show Days
1948
“The Grand Parade was a most impressive spectacle. One southern visitor said it was just like a Brisbane Parade.
“Mr Bruce said he was very much impressed with the many improvements that had been made to the grounds and buildings. He remembered when the country around was all scrub and thought all should keep in mind the heavy and arduous work of the pioneers.”
1981
“Mrs Turner has been working for the Malanda Show since the Victory Show in 1946.”
Remembering!
We stood and watched as one of our mates, clad in what looked like his Dad’s undershirt, climbed up onto the wooden platform in front of the boxing tent where the promoter eyed his gangling form and asked: “Do yer reckon yer can take it kid?” To which he replied: “I don’t know but I can give it.”
And he could, he was later to become known as Bronco Johnstone!
The bar was about where the present one is. Two storeys it had – a band-stand on top and the bar on the bottom – a dirt floor and hot beer served out a wooden keg – 6d. a pot. Jack Hanrahan ran bar in those early years. (The Bar 1930)
Crowds of brightly dressed people pushed us from place to place where we gazed in wonder at the beautiful girls in spangled tights, dark men eating real fire, monkeys capering about in baggy pants and little dresses, knock-em down stalls and a greasy-haired man yelling “I’ll guess yer weight and tell yer what yer weigh before I weigh yer”. Mum always beat him and seemed just a little proud that she weighed in heavier than she looked.
Milking
2016: Centenary Show Celebrations
The Malanda Show Society reflects on what was one of their biggest and best years yet! Celebrating 100 years of shows that have continually bought community together for merriment, exhibition and fun, this year’s event was certainly a hit.
The Malanda Show Society was very honoured to have the Queensland Governor Paul De Jersey officially open the 100th Show – a rare privilege for our little community. From all reports Governor Paul De Jersey was extremely impressed with our little piece of paradise and passed on his congratulations on 100 successful events.
Certainly one of the biggest highlights of the Centenary Show was the rebirth of the Malanda Show Queens. With an impressive 18 entrants all of exceptional character and credential, the town really embraced this reinvented concept and all the festivities that came with it, including the wonderful ball, parade and official announcement. Congratulations again to overall winner Georgia Doull as well as Runner Up Rebecca Daley.
2016 Dairy Queen Entrants and Committee Members
President Ted Morris accepting 2016 Tablelands Regional Council Australia Day Award- Event of the Year
CELEBRATING 103 YEARS –1916 – 2019
The Cairns Post of Thursday 6 November 1919 reported a successful first day for the Malanda Show “considering the weather conditions” which were warm and slightly cloudy. The dust on the new grounds was said to be “troublesome” and the grounds “somewhat rough, and the improvements a little crude”.
The Show was opened by the Hon F.W. Bamford MHR, who complimented the committee on their new ground. There were said to be about 900 on the grounds and a couple of accidents were reported, with both Mr R Crocker and Mr P English being severely kicked by horses led through the crowd. Neither produced serious results, Mr English attended on the second day on crutches. The cattle were judged by Mr A Pickles a leading breeder from Wondai and the horses by Mr E.C. Earl.
The second day of the show saw an attendance of at least 1500 people, and storm clouds which started with light showers in the morning which increased by 2 o’clock to heavy rain. By 4 in the afternoon the show grounds had to be abandoned for better shelter in the town. The inaugural camp drafting contest had to be abandoned before it was finished satisfactorily.
The Townsville Daily Bulletin of the 17th November, 1919 gave a description of the new grounds – “The situation is an ideal one, being right in the centre of the township and within one hundred yards of the railway station. The beautiful Malanda Creek forms one boundary from which the surface rises gradually to the main road which forms another boundary. About two hundred yards away the picturesque waterfalls are situated, the soothing music of the falling waters being distinctly audible from the show grounds.”
With the success of the 1919 Show providing a profit of nearly £300, the committee set to work on providing more permanent structures for the 1920 show. The main object was to erect a substantial grandstand. By the time of the show, on the 27th and 28th October 1920, an “up-to-date” grandstand, while not quite complete, was, according to the Cairns Post of 2nd November, “very useful to provide seating for many ladies and children as well as giving a splendid viewpoint from which the proceedings could be watched with advantage.”
2019 – Celebrating 103 Years of the Malanda Show –
The Cairns Post of Thursday 6 November 1919 reported a successful first day for the Malanda Show “considering the weather conditions” which were warm and slightly cloudy. The dust on the new grounds was said to be “troublesome” and the grounds “somewhat rough, and the improvements a little crude”.
The Show was opened by the Hon F.W. Bamford MHR, who complimented the committee on their new ground. There were said to be about 900 on the grounds and a couple of accidents were reported, with both Mr R Crocker and Mr P English being severely kicked by horses led through the crowd. Neither produced serious results, Mr English attended on the second day on crutches. The cattle were judged by Mr A Pickles a leading breeder from Wondai and the horses by Mr E.C. Earl.
The second day of the show saw an attendance of at least 1500 people, and storm clouds which started with light showers in the morning which increased by 2 o’clock to heavy rain. By 4 in the afternoon the show grounds had to be abandoned for better shelter in the town. The inaugural camp drafting contest had to be abandoned before it was finished satisfactorily.
The Townsville Daily Bulletin of the 17th November, 1919 gave a description of the new grounds – “The situation is an ideal one, being right in the centre of the township and within one hundred yards of the railway station. The beautiful Malanda Creek forms one boundary from which the surface rises gradually to the main road which forms another boundary. About two hundred yards away the picturesque waterfalls are situated, the soothing music of the falling waters being distinctly audible from the show grounds.”
With the success of the 1919 Show providing a profit of nearly £300, the committee set to work on providing more permanent structures for the 1920 show. The main object was to erect a substantial grandstand. By the time of the show, on the 27th and 28th October 1920, an “up-to-date” grandstand, while not quite complete, was, according to the Cairns Post of 2nd November, “very useful to provide seating for many ladies and children as well as giving a splendid viewpoint from which the proceedings could be watched with advantage.”
