The show is a popular annual rural festival
The annual festival of farming returns to the Camden Showground at the end of March again. The show has been the most crucial country festival in the district for over 100 years. In 2019 the show attracted over 40,000 visitors and was a huge success.
In the early days, it was a celebration of agricultural modernism. By the inter-war period, it had matured into a permanent part of the local landscape.
The Second World War and the poor state of the show’s finances saw the show disappear for the duration of the conflict. It is now more vital than ever and not to be missed.
Histories of the Camden Show
There have been two histories produced of the Camden Show. The first was on the show’s centenary in 1986 and written by local identity Dick Nixon from the Camden Historical Society.
The second history of the Camden Show was written by Neville Clissold on the 125 anniversary of the show in 2011.
Camden Show 1890s
The early years of the Camden Show were big community events when everyone came to town.
Guess who you meet at the show?
The NSW Premier
It is amazing who you bump into at the Camden Show. Historical society volunteers John Wrigley OAM, Bettie Small PHF and Len Channell, with Peter Hayward in the background, greeted the Premier of New South Wales, the Hon. Barry O’Farrell, the Member for Camden, Mr Chris Patterson, MP, and Camden Mayor, Clr Lara Symkowiak.
The dignitaries just walked into the pavilion to look at the arts and crafts put in by competitors and who they should meet but the enthusiastic members of the historical society. The encounter didn’t phase society members; they took it all in their stride. Usually, volunteers just meet friends they have not seen since last year’s show. Meeting the NSW Premier was a real surprise.
The historical society has been fortunate to have a stall in the show pavilion for many years. It has been located in amongst the cakes, flowers, sewing, knitting and other rural crafts. The stall sells the latest publications, takes new memberships and renewals, and answers many local history questions.
Mud and Slush in 2014
The 2014 Camden Show featured mud and storms as a special event. It rained on Friday afternoon with a thunderstorm that arrived around 4.00 pm from the southwest. It caught many people unaware and created a mud bath in many parts of the showground. It dumped about 15 mm in about an hour.
On Saturday morning, show officials were putting down woodchips over the worst patches and straw on other patches. Patrons who wore boots were well prepared to walk around in the mud. On Saturday, there was a steady rain from about 4.00 pm with a short storm that came in over the Burragorang Valley and Southern Highlands and provided drizzle around right through the fireworks.
2014 Camden Show
The 2014 Camden Show was the usual lively affair, and this showground map illustrates the range of events and activities.
Show Merchandise 2013
This is the price list for show merchandise in 2013. Did you buy your tie?
Camden Showgirl
The Showgirl competition is, in many ways, an anachronism from the past. It has survived for over 45 years under the onslaught of feminism, post-modernism, globalization and urbanisation. A worthy feat indeed.
The competition is still popular, and the local press is always a strong supporter. Showtime, the show ball and Miss Showgirl are representatives of notions around Camden’s rurality.
People use the competition as a lens through which they can view the past, including the young women who enter it. In 2008 Showgirl Lauren Elkins ‘was keen’, she said, ‘to get into the thick of promoting the town and its rural heritage’.
Camden people yearned for a past when the primary role of the town was to service the surrounding farmers and their needs. Miss Showgirl is part of the invocation of rural nostalgia.
Miss Camden Showgirl (1962-1978)
1962 Helen Crace
1963 Helen Crace
1964 Sue Mason
1965 Barbara Duck
1966 Dawn Dowle
1967 Jenny Rock
1968 Heather Mills
1969 Michelle Chambers
1970 Joyce Boardman
1971 Anne Macarthur-Stanham
1972 Kerri Webb
1973 Anne Fahey
1974 Sue Faber
1975 Janelle Hore
1976 Jenny Barnaby
1977 Patsy Anne Daley
1978 Julie Wallace
Camden Showgirl (1979-2014)
1979 Sandra Olieric
1980 Fiona Wilson
1981 Louise Longley
1982 Melissa Clowes
1983 Illa Eagles
1984 Leanne Reily
1985 Rebecca Py
1986 Jenny Rawlinson
1987 Jayne Manns
1988 Monique Mate
1989 Linda Drinnan
1990 Tai Green
1991 Toni Leeman
1992 Susan Lees
1993 Belinda Bettington
1994 Miffy Haynes
1995 Danielle Halfpenny
1996 Jenianne Garvin
1997 Michelle Dries
1998 Belinda Holyoake
1999 Lyndall Reeves
2000 Katie Rogers
2001 Kristy Stewart
2002 Margaret Roser
2003 Sally Watson
2004 Danielle Haack
2005 Arna Daley
2006 Victoria Travers
2007 Sarah Myers
2008 Fiona Boardman
2009 Lauren Elkins
2010 Adrianna Mihajlovic
2011 Hilary Scott
2012 April Browne
2013 Isabel Head
2014 Jacinda Webster
RAS Young Woman of the Year (2019+)
In 2019 the Royal Agricultural Society re-branded the RAS Showgirl Competition as the RAS Young Woman of the Year. The first Camden Show, Young Woman of the Year, was awarded as the Camden Show 2023 Young Woman of the Year.
Updated 22 March 2023. Originally posted 17 March 2017.
Camden History Notes 
5 thoughts on “Showtime in Camden 2014”
Comments are closed.