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Still thrills after 80 shows
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February 19-25, 2009
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The smell of smoke triggers life-anddeath memories for SONYA FLADUN.
All the fun of the show, August 1965. Photo courtesy National Archives. Phone 6262 9100 Fax 6262 9111 GPO Box 2448, Canberra City 2601 www.citynews.com.au Editor: Ian Meikle ed@citynews.com.au Senior writer & arts editor: Jorian Gardner, 0415 516286 Lifestyle editor: Megan Haggan, 0411 045592 lifestyle@citynews.com.au Arts writer: Helen Musa, 0413 466121 Design and photography: Silas Brown, 0412 718086 Designer: Joran Dilucian
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FOR me, smell triggers memories: The aroma of face powder reminds me of my mother, a leg of lamb baking in the oven reminds me of my childhood, while a particular baby wash always conjures up images of my children as babies. Then there are odours that bring back less-pleasant memories – like the smell of smoke. My parents were hobby farmers in the Adelaide Hills. On a particularly hot, windy day in 1983, I was 15 and home alone recovering from a wisdom teeth extraction. By lunchtime, there was thick smoke all around. Then the power went out and the phone went dead. By mid-afternoon, the sky was as black as night and there was a strange chemical smell as sparks burnt holes in my nylon dress and singed my hair. A wall of flame flew down the hill toward our house and I have never been so terrified or felt so totally helpless. This could have ended very badly – and for many it did – but I was lucky. Being inexperienced farmers, my parents had overstocked the paddocks and hungry animals had eaten just about every blade of grass so that the fire didn’t get much of a hold. For days after Ash Wednesday the air carried acrid smells of burning bush, burnt out homes and dead animals. I have never forgotten that smell. So when, decades later, the skies went black as fires tore through the suburbs of Canberra and that old, familiar smell of burning bush brought back unwelcome memories and emotions, I was immediately a nervous wreck and had my bag packed and was out the door in two seconds flat. The horrific fires in Victoria make me think that no matter where we go in this beautiful but all-too-flammable land, it’s not such a bad thing to be hyper-sensitive to the merest whiff of smoke and to flee.
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that the number-one attraction is the animals, so I’m sure everyone will be glad to know that the horses are back. “We weren’t quite sure, following the equine influenza outbreak which affected the show last year, whether or not people would return to showing horses; but we have as many entries as we did in 2007. “In many ways, some attractions are old-style, such as the arts and crafts displays – visitors like to see what’s new each year, but they also love the traditional.” This year’s showbags have been carefully examined by a panel of experts – otherwise known as kids from Cranleigh School – as well as Fair Trading. The kids test-drove this year’s sample bags at the show’s official launch, and gave the bags the thumbs up: the new WallE Showbag and old favourites Bertie Beetle and Mega Sumo proved popular. The Hello Kitty Showbag was judged to be the hottest bag this year, with Cadbury named the best value. The 2008 ActewAGL Royal Canberra Show will be held from Friday, February 27 to Sunday, March 1. For more information, visit www.rncas.org.au.
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WHETHER you want to meet a llama, check out the “Supertank Fishing Show”, ask questions of TV vet Dr Harry or just enjoy the rides and sample bags of Sideshow Alley, the 80th ActewAGL Royal Canberra Show has something for everybody, says chief executive officer Geoff Cannock. “It doesn’t matter what you like, whether it’s an extreme ride, or whether you enjoy quietly look at the embroidery displays, or whether you’re an animal lover: if you look at a family group, there’s something for everyone, from grandma to a little two-year-old,” Mr Cannock said. “There are new events this year, but generally it’s what’s old that brings people back to the show.” The show can trace its history back to the Gininderra Farmers’ Union events of the early 1900s until 1915; and the first Canberra Show proper was held in 1927. “The Canberra Show started off at the Hall Showgrounds in 1927,” Mr Cannock said. [It wasn’t held for two years during World War II, hence the 2009 80th birthday.] “In those early days, it was all about horses, sheep and poultry. “We know from our research
Sensing the smell of fear
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CityNews February 19-25