The Glen Innes Show, that popular, most varied and longest running event in Glen Innes is on again next week.
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However 100 years ago it didn’t happen and it had nothing to do with war, fire, flood or drought.
After much discussion at a special meeting chaired by the president Major James Frederick White and barely a month out from the advertised Show date it was decided that the Glen Innes Pastoral & Agricultural Show should not go ahead in 1919.
Barely a month out from the advertised Show date it was decided that the Glen Innes Pastoral & Agricultural Show should not go ahead in 1919.
On Thursday 20 February 1919 this notice appeared in The Examiner: “Glen Innes Show. Abandoned. In deference to the express wish of the Government that no big gatherings of people should take place owing to the danger of spreading the influenza epidemic the coming show has been abandoned. Signed: George A Priest secretary.”
The “Spanish flu” pandemic emerged at the end of World War I and killed more than 50 million people worldwide.
Although there had been an immediate quarantine response in October 1918, cases had started to appear in Australia in early 1919.
Glen Innes had staged a hugely successful National Show in 1910.
The Examiner Friday 11 March 1910 enthused “everything is in keeping with the King of Shows held in the Queenly capital of New England. Excelsior…”
Bill Hughes says in It Just Goes to Show… “A prize schedule of £1,200 was announced for the National Show of 1910, including a government subsidy of £500. The carnival extended over four days, and was opened by the Premier the Hon. C G Wade.
The show was a record for the north and over 3,000 entries were received. A monster smoke social was also held.
Mr Cadell defrayed all expenses…”. It appears that smoke socials were popular men only events in the late 19th and early 20th century and usually run by run by community groups – where men gathered to socialize and smoke tobacco together.
In the Centenary Pavilion the historical society is setting up a Colonial Kitchen (no mod cons in those days!) and a classroom where children will be able to use slate boards and write with quills and ink.
There will also be advice about researching family trees etc.
Photo: Life Members of the Pastoral and Agricultural Society in 1983. Standing L-R: Bill Cameron, David Lynn, Doug Abbott, Ray Stibbard, Lloyd Rees, Bill Hutchison, Bob Weir, Ray Lynn, Jimmy Hutchison, Gordon Kiehne. Seated L-R: John Ogilvie, Len Judge, Elva Chappell, Bill Hughes
