“Show Stopping” by Julia Coddington
“Show Stopping” is a project based on the agricultural shows in eastern Australia.
I grew up in a small country town in central western New South Wales in Australia - on the edge of the ‘Outback’. The local agricultural show was a major annual event and it was an exciting time when the sideshows came to town. My grandmother was the show president at one time, my mother was involved in the art and flower arranging competitions, my father entered competitions with his wheat and fat lambs and my grandfather brought his merino sheep. And of course I entered the photography and art competitions. It was a family affair!
In 2021 my partner Gerry Orkin and I travelled to north Queensland and explored and documented seven agricultural shows there over several months. We continue to photograph local shows when we get a chance. This series of images includes some made in recent years, including several made with a panoramic film camera.
Agricultural shows have a long tradition in rural Australia and remain an important part of country life here. Covid had a huge impact on the shows and the high cost of insurance is also hitting them hard. Many of the age old arts and crafts are also dying out as the diehard show organisers age. But nevertheless they still bring excitement to many country towns every year.
