The Ekka is the annual show of Queensland, Australia. Its formal title is the Royal Queensland Show. It was originally called the Brisbane Exhibition and therefore is now usually known as Ekka, due to the phenomenon in Australian English of shortening lengthy words. The First Ekka was held in 1876 and created quite a sensation among more than five thousand citzens who were eagerly waiting to enter the grounds. During a time when the Ekka was still young, the main purpose of the agricultural show as its name suggests, was to show off many agricultural and industrial exhibits. It was a chance for people to show off newly invented agricultural and industrial devices such as ultra modern plowing, sowing and harvesting artifacts. Cattle and other farm animals were also exhibited during the show, a practice that remains to this day, the animal nursery is still a place for children and adults alike to go and witness all the baby animals in all their glory. Since its opening in 1876 the show has only been cancelled once, in 1919 throughout the time of the Spanish flu pandemic, during this time, the grounds were employed as temporary hospital wards for the sick. An Agricultural Show or Livestock show is a judged event or display in which breeding stock is showcased. ... Capital Brisbane Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Quentin Bryce Premier Peter Beattie (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 28  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $158,506 (3rd)  - Product per capita  $40,170/person (6th) Population (End of November 2006)  - Population  4,164,590 (3rd)  - Density  2. ... Brisbane (pronounced ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, as well as the third largest city in Australia. ... Australian English (AuE, AusE, en-AU) is the form of the English language used in Australia. ... Year 1876 Pick up Sticks(MDCCCLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Chart of deaths in major cities The 1918 flu pandemic, commonly referred to as the Spanish flu, was a category 5 influenza pandemic between 1918 and 1920 caused by an unusually severe and deadly Influenza A virus strain of subtype H1N1. ...

The Ekka is held in Queensland's capital city, Brisbane, for ten days each August at the Brisbane Exhibition Ground. The Ekka is organised by the Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association of Queensland (RNA), and is held at the RNA Showgrounds in the inner-city suburb of Bowen Hills approximately 2 kilometres north-east of Brisbane's city centre. The Ekka is Brisbane's most popular event of any sort, with well over 600,000 visitors attending the show in recent years. The Brisbane Exhibition Ground is a sporting stadium in Brisbane, Australia which is owned and operated by the Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association of Queensland (RNA). ... RNA may refer to: Religion Newswriters Association, an Anglican group for responsible religious reporting Ribonucleic acid, a nucleotide polymer that plays a vital role in living organisms Romantic Novelists Association Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association of Queensland, organiser of the Ekka RNA Showgrounds (or Brisbane Exhibition Ground), where Ekka... The Old Museum -- former home of the Queensland Museum -- later, home of the Queensland Youth Orchestras Bowen Hills is a suburb in the inner north of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. ...

Sideshow alley featured attractions such as these clowns. Now on display in Canberra's Questacon.

The showgrounds are served by Exhibition railway station on the Exhibition railway line on which special QR CityTrain passenger services operate during Ekka. CityTrain passenger services do not use this line at other times. Brisbane Transport also operates two high-frequency bus routes to Ekka - Route 500 from the city centre and Route 600 from the nearby northern suburb of Windsor. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Exhibition Station is a special-purpose railway station in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. ... The Exhibition line is a special-purpose railway line in Brisbane, Australia. ... Wickham Terrace entrance to Central Station - showing Queensland Rail QR sign QR, previously known as Queensland Rail and Queensland Railways, is the corporation responsible for the operation and maintenance of the railway system in the State of Queensland, Australia. ... Citytrain is the name given to the extensive urban, suburban and inter-urban electric passenger railway network serving metropolitan Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. ... One of Brisbane Transports natural gas-powered Scania L94UB buses CityCat catamaran ferry Brisbane Transport is a division of the Brisbane City Council. ... Windsor is an inner northern suburb of Brisbane. ...

Attractions at Ekka include fairground rides, a sideshow alley, animal parades, woodchopping competitions, agricultural displays and equestrian events. Showbags, usually containing food items (such as confectionery) and novelty items are sold in the Showbag Pavilion. Side show alley in particular has been an integral part of the Ekka, however back in the earlier years of the Ekka, side show alley was a place for people to witness actual sideshows, such as freaks of nature, people carrying out superhuman feats of strength and illusionists performing for delighted audiences. A sideshow alley is an Australian term for amusements, displays, games of skill and chance and fairground rides such as rollercoasters and Ferris Wheels associated with another public event. ... A young rider at a horse show in Australia. ... It has been suggested that Candy be merged into this article or section. ...

Showbags are also an integral part of the Ekka experience. Today there are almost 500 different showbags available for visitors to spend their money on and enjoy samples of brand-name products. Showbags range from $1 (the famous Bertie Beetle Bag) to over $50. For companies such as Coca Cola® and Mars® it is a great opportunity to show off their merchandise.

The Ekka, due to its large attendance, creates an incredible injection of wealth into Brisbane's economy. Estimates of this number average around the $100 million mark, yet this amount may fluctuate with weather in Brisbane at the time (a particularly wet August may reduce attendance significantly). ISO 4217 Code AUD User(s) Australia, Kiribati, Nauru, Tuvalu, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, and Norfolk Island Inflation 3. ...

Because of the cultural significance of the Ekka, the city of Brisbane holds a public holiday on the Wednesday (the 7th day) which is known as "People's Day". School students are also involved in the entertainment of the Ekka, often schools organise excursions for students in their school band or choir were they perform and represent their school. Other South East Queensland local government areas hold public holidays for the Ekka on the Monday or Tuesday (the 5th and 6th days). The word holiday has related but different meanings in English-speaking countries, with the exception of the United States where usage differs greatly. ... The South East Queensland region. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ...

External links

• Ekka website
• Ekka History
• Ekka attractions
• The Exhibition Grounds and Buildings
• The Brisbane Exhibition Grounds and the People