What a ride: Family celebrates 100 years at the Melbourne Royal Show

When Marjorie Chant was a girl in the 1950s, she had the run of Melbourne’s Royal Show.

While her parents, Bill and Grace Webb, sold dolls at their stall, Marjorie was doted on by show workers. They gave her show bags and let her go on rides at the Melbourne Showgrounds in Ascot Vale.

We are family: Marjorie Chant, holding her great-granddaughter Honey, with son Chippa Chant (back, far left) and their family at the Melbourne Royal Show.Credit: Joe Armao

“I loved it. Everyone knew me,” she said.

Now Marjorie’s great-granddaughters – Frankie, seven, Cherry, 20 months, and Honey, five months – are the ones to be doted on.

Marjorie Chant as a toddler at the 1950 Royal Melbourne Show with balloon seller Digger McCarthy.

The 2024 Melbourne Royal Show kicked off on Thursday, and Marjorie, 76, will work all 11 days of it. She will be a ticket box supervisor for some of the family’s rides because she loves being at the event and feels she belongs.

“It’s in my blood,” she said. “This is my heritage. I treat this show as my home ground.”

The family link goes back 100 years: Marjorie’s father and his two brothers started selling dolls and running games at the show in the early 1920s.

There’s a photo of Marjorie as a toddler in 1950 with war veteran Digger McCarthy, who worked at her parents’ balloon stand.

She remembers that when she was a child the Royal Melbourne Show – as it was known before a 2022 rebrand – had fewer rides and they were more basic. But there were more old-fashioned attractions such as sideshow alley games, Jimmy Sharman’s boxing tent and country music performances, she said.

Marjorie travelled and later worked with her parents at shows across Victoria and NSW.

Marjorie Chant with great-grandchildren Cherry Chant, 20 months, and Frankie Chant, 7.Credit: Joe Armao

At age 18, she married Les Chant, who was also from a show family and performed a “wall of death” motorcycle act.

Les, 86, is retired, and their son Chippa – as in “chip off the old block” because his name is also Les, as was his grandfather’s – will co-ordinate the 10 Chant family members working at the 2024 show.

Marjorie, however, is quick to point out she’s “still his mum”. Her grandson, Lane Chant, will also compete in the woodchopping.

The family’s rides include the big ferris wheel, dodgem cars, a roller coaster, the Rock’n’Roll and the Rockstar.

Chippa Chant and his sister Belinda Chant working on sideshows in the 1990s.

Marjorie said she was proud of Chippa, who started as a 17-year-old with his own tent sideshow game. He steered the business through the difficult COVID-19 pandemic.

At the 2022 Melbourne Royal Show, Shylah Rodden, 26, was struck and seriously injured by a rollercoaster owned by the Chant family.

Worksafe cleared the operator of any wrongdoing and said it would not be taking action against them.

Witnesses said Rodden had been trying to retrieve her mobile phone when she was hit.

As owner of Chant Amusements, Chippa said: “The 2022 incident was a rare and tragic accident, and our thoughts are with all of those affected.

“The Rebel Coaster ride has always complied with relevant ride safety regulations and the outcome of WorkSafe’s enquiry into the incident confirms our confidence in our safety procedures and policies for this year’s show.”

More than 450,000 people are expected to visit the 2024 Melbourne Royal Show, which runs until October 6.

For more information go to royalshow.com.au 

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