The Cottee's Passiona stand at the 1956 Royal Easter Show in Sydney. Photo: Fairfax Archives
Record crowds at the Show
The Herald joined a record crowd of 153,668 at the Royal Easter Show. "Last night every seat in every stand was occupied. People were sitting on the lawns and standing on the bitumen in front of the stands. Constant appeals to move were made to children sitting with their legs hanging over the trotting track." In all, 1450 schoolgirls, dressed in pink, blue, red and white costumes, performed a variety of international folk dances.
50,000 cups of tea
"Walking around the ground breeds a colossal appetite," the Herald wrote. "Here is what one caterer, Mr A. Ross, said he hopes to feed his patrons on between now and the closing day: 120,000 pies. 30,000 bottles of soft drink. 50,000 cups of tea. 2½ tons of fruit salad." He said "we have 75 women serving". "They pass the customers through at the rate of 15 a minute. We expect to serve 7000 meals today."
The wail of lost children
"Police had a relatively quiet day at the Show. The only discordant note was the wail of 25 lost children. The police said that known pickpockets and other criminals had not been seen. They reported no arrests. The ambulance unit treated 25 persons, mostly for minor cuts and bruises. One man who lacerated a toe on a lawnmower was taken to St Vincent's Hospital. Two persons were treated for dog bites."
Most Commented
Articles