In 1942 the show schedules had already been printed, but due to the worsening war conditions, coupled with severe drought crippling the region, the show was cancelled.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Luckily for the townsfolk however, the show dance was still held and along with some show entertainment including a poultry show, and a non-competitive wood chopping event.
A military encampment was also prepared as a demonstration to the viewers.
The decision to go ahead with the 1943 show was highly contentious due to the deaths of some local soldiers.
Despite the resignation of a committee member in protest and other some committee objections, the show went ahead.
That same year the name was changed to the Far South Coast National Show, following a request made by Ken Taylor of Tanja and Bega representatives exhibited wine for the first time at the Sydney Show.
The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester came to Bega for the 1946 show, flying from Canberra to Frogs Hollow in an Anson plane.
They were then chauffeured to Bega in their pre-delivered Rolls Royce where president Tom Kelly escorted them through the exhibits.
The royal couple were then served afternoon tea by the CWA ladies.
A lady by the name of Mrs Irwin had brought in a pair of fine china cups and saucers and a mix up occurred when the china was given to a local lady who quite liked the upgrade and took a sip.
Mrs Irwin noticed the mistake and grabbed the cup from the lady, wiped the edge and presented the correct cup to her Highness, minus one sip.
A viewing dais was also built for the royal couple outside the main pavilion door, appropriately named the Duke Stand.
It was later used for band performances and remained until the 1980s, when a side show operator backed a truck into the platform and demolished it.
During 1946 there were discussions to move the show to the racecourse, however they were ruled out due to possible flood damage and it was resolved to instead level the showground.
There was also discussion around handing the showground back to Bega Municipal Council so low cost loans could be secured.
This caused terrible arguments and tempers skyrocketed during the Society's meeting. Violent insults were thrown around the room
At the end of the meeting though, it had been settled that the Society would continue to control their own grounds.
RECENT NEWS:
The works to level the showground cost £2677, with £1620 raised from life memberships, and £200 loaned interest free from the Bega Jockey Club.
The government RED scheme for unemployed people covered 60% of the cost and another RED scheme developed the ring side seating.
In 1952 the show was cancelled due terrible bushfires that claimed the lives of three individuals and thousands of domestic and wild animals.
That year, the pavilion was used for the storage of hay for starving cattle.
During the 1950s, tent shows were incredibly popular, including tents containing 'girly shows'.
There was Baby Doll the belly dancer, and another girl called The Bolivian Bombshell who was a judo expert and during her show she dared the men in the audience to kiss her ruby red lips.
One of the local lads tried his luck and she threw him over her shoulder. The audience laughed and with his wounded pride he jumped up and knocked her unconscious.
Around the same time the kids lifted the tent flaps to get a peak in the boxing tent, but the operators knew the tricks and would sneak up and hit the kids on the head.
One day the kids decided to get even and so painted a face on a stone and the operator yelled when his fist hit the stone.
Another side show was an African American man they called Ran Tan The Leopard Man because he had large white spots all over his skin, likely caused by a pigmentating condition.
He was posed in shorts within a cage inside the tent and the spruiker invited people in, after they had paid of course, to feel the spots on his skin.
In the 50s a man named Boomer Le Verge ran illegal card and dice games.
He dodged the police when they appeared by folding a game cloth into a handkerchief and slipped his money bag to his daughter who disappeared into the crowd.
Olympic show jumping was introduced by Bill Howard and Dick Ainsworth n 1959.
Mr Ainsworth also designed the scale model that was later used by local district equestrian and Rome 1960 Olympic gold and silver medallist Neale Lavis.
In 1961 Mr Lavis was a gest of honour at Bega Show when he led the grand parade in full Olympic dress.
In that same year an elephant race was held with Tom Otton and Roy Howard as the jockeys. They rode two elephants up Carp Street as a publicity stunt by the Lion's Club and Ashton's Circus.
With the more carefree attitude of the 1960s, women became more involved with the Society.
In 1962 the Mirror Show Girl contest commenced with Bega entering the quest the next year.
Miss Kay Brown (later Mrs Colin Rogers, who was also a Bega Valley Shire Councillor) was selected from six entrants as the first Miss Bega Show Girl in 1963.
Miss Kay went to Wollongong for the zone finals where judging took place before large crowds in the City Mall.
Miss Bega and Miss Nimmitabel Show Girl were the only two representatives parading without name sashes to publicise their towns. Nonetheless Miss Kay went onto the finals at the Sydney Royal Easter Show.
In 1972 the Society staged their centenary of exhibitions show, and the premier of NSW, Sir Robert Askin and his wife Lady Askin, presented the Society with a cheque for $1000.
Total attendance at the show that year was 7660, plus members with takings in excess of $5000 and the liquor booth having took $3000.
The inaugural animal nursery exhibition commenced in 1976 in the Rural Youth Pavilion.
A duckling water slide and cages were installed, and the baby animal display was so well received that it became an annual feature.
The first woman secretary of the A P & H Society was Mrs Edna Duncanson in 1974, who also went on to be Bega's first female Mayor from 1989 until 1992.
At first many were sceptical however she was very capable and in 1977 through negotiations $21,550 was received from council for land for the Bega Saleyards.
In 1975 the dance was run by Radio 2BE and ran at a loss and so soon after the show dances became a things of the past.
Dairy goats were included in the show in 1983 on the suggestion of Ray Keft and Ted Byers from Kemps Creek was the first judge.
In 1985 Sunday Shows commenced, which raised a taboo within the committee that religion should not be debated, such a decision led to the resignation of one committee member.
The cattle yards at the time were still unshaded, very small, too few, and bulls gored each other in the cramped space. So in 1986 $1000 was donated by Campbell Cochrane to get the ball rolling for a new cattle pavilion, which was completed two years later.
The Haslingden Stand was demolished in 1978 to make was for the brick caretakers residence costing $65,000, for which a loan of $50,000 was taken from the Lands Department.
The last grand parade of cattle was held in 1994 and during the 90s the four daughters of Ken and Veronica Northcott, dairy farmer of Stoney Creek, became a very well known quartet.
They won art, floral and fashion awards, and all were interested in Rural Youth.
A branding board was suggested by Jack Burgess for the 1998 anniversary show.
In November 1997 a barbeque was organised where almost 200 cattle brands from antique to modern were heated, and their mark seared into the timber for historical preservation.
The 125th anniversary show was held on the second weekend of February and was attended by the His Excellency Governor General Sir William Deane and Her Excellency Lady Helen Deane.
The opening ceremony was held on Friday evening, in line with the judging of Miss Bega Showgirl.
Show festivities were held with a $3000 fireworks display, marching bands, fanciful horse parades and other anniversary ring events.
During the year before the show, the stud and commercial cattle section were amended to allow for British and European breeds.
A new brick judges box was built and during working bees, concrete pathways around public areas of the showground and the main entrance of the showground were built.
A new ticket office built of bricks also replaced the old wooden structure. Twenty trees were planted and a scarecrow competition was arranged for the pavilion.
- Compiled with thanks to Margaret Evan's History of the Bega Show commissioned for the 125th anniversary of the show in 1998.