Editorial: Why the Ekka is more relevant than ever

The magic of the Ekka is those memories fuelled by tradition, and the passing of all that on to the next generation of showgoers, writes the editor.

Traditions that unite us are more important than ever in this world where social media algorithms have now over a generation funnelled us unwillingly (but deliberately) into echo chambers that divide us.

This is why the Olympic Games have such an enduring attraction, or the annual State of Origin series. These are events that rebind us as a community – as “Australians” or as “Queenslanders”. The annual Ekka that opens again today at its
inner-Brisbane home is another.

The old saying used to hold that the westerly winds in the first week of August would blow the country into town for the agricultural showcase. This year, the forecast is for less wind and more unseasonal overcast skies and rain. But there is no way that will dampen the enthusiasm of the 400,000 or so people expected through the gates over the next eight days.

The Ekka is Queensland’s biggest single annual event. It debuted on August 22, 1876, at Bowen Park as the “Intercolonial Exhibition”, a name that explains why we now know it as the “Ekka”.

It was an idea that emerged out of the success of the famed Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations in London’s Crystal Palace in 1851 – and it was instantly a runaway success, with 17,000 of Brisbane’s estimated population of 21,000 turning up to check out the 1700 individual exhibits.

The show’s focus has remained on its agricultural and industrial exhibits, unsurprisingly since the organiser is the Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association of Queensland (RNA). But of course additions over time have added to the traditions that are now just as central to the Ekka.

The first ride at the Ekka came in its second outing in 1877 – a merry-go-round. Fireworks first lit up the night skies 1894. But showgoers had to wait until the 1950s to get their first taste of dagwood dogs, fairy floss and strawberry sundaes.

It was, however, some time in the early years that exhibitors starting giving out free samples. Historians do not agree on exactly when it was, but they do agree the first was a bag of coal – the originator of what has become the eponymous showbag.

For all these additions, it is the agricultural element of the Ekka that still marks it as unique.

Some of the fondest memories of generations of city folk are getting their shoes dirty as they tour the animal stalls, or as they work their way to a stomach ache through a large fairy floss as they watch a parade or event in the main arena.

Everyone, however, has their own memories of the Ekka. For some it is the wonder of the first time they saw the woodchopping, for others the fond recall of a first kiss high on a ride at sideshow alley.

Perhaps it is the size of a soft toy prize you somehow won in a carnival game, or the new goldfish you carried home on the train every year in a little plastic bag.

Maybe the Ekka for you is more about the tang of the tomato sauce on your annual dagwood dog, the strawberry at the bottom of that sundae you spend all year looking forward to – or that cheese toastie that for some reason tastes better at the Ekka than anywhere else.

For most of us, it is a mixture of all these things. And that is why this year we will together eat 180,000 dagwood dogs, 130,000 strawberry sundaes, 37,000 of those cheese toasties – all washed down with 210,000 beers, 40,000 cans of rum, and 37,000 glasses of wine.

The magic of the Ekka is those memories fuelled by tradition, and the passing of all that on to the next generation of showgoers. Enjoy.

MEDAL HAUL SETS TEAM UP FOR BRISBANE

It is an extraordinary achievement – and one that bodes well for the 2032 Olympics in Brisbane – that Australia’s team in Paris has now won more gold medals than we have in any previous Games.

At the time of writing, the team had won 18 golds, eclipsing the previous record of 17 set at both Athens and Tokyo – and with four days of competition to go.

It is a remarkable achievement for a nation of 26 million, ranking us third behind the United States and its 333 million people (27 gold) and China’s 1.4 billion (25 gold).

It also means we have won 8.3 per cent of the Paris gold medals so far, almost the same proportion we won at our first home games in 1956 – in Melbourne (13 of 153 gold medals).

All up, our team in Paris has now overtaken our Atlanta result with 42 medals at the time of writing – 6.1 per cent of the total handed out.

That compares with the hauls of 46 in both Tokyo (4.5 per cent of the total) and Beijing (5.1 per cent), 50 in Athens (5.5 per cent) and 58 in Sydney (6.4 per cent). We won a total of 35 medals in Melbourne – 7.5 per cent of the total there.

This is of course a great result. It is also promising as we look towards 2032, as Australia (having won just eight golds in London in 2012 and also at Rio de Janeiro in 2016) is on a clear growth trajectory similar to that enjoyed by Team GB between 1996 – when it won just one event – and at home in 2012, when it won 29 golds and 7.2 per cent of all medals.

Responsibility for election comment is taken by Chris Jones, corner of Mayne Rd & Campbell St, Bowen Hills, Qld 4006. Printed and published by NEWSQUEENSLAND (ACN 009 661 778). Contact details here