Adelaide Showground facts for kids
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| Location | Wayville, South Australia |
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| Coordinates | 34°56′48″S 138°35′12″E / 34.94667°S 138.58667°E |
| Capacity | 14,000 (current) 35,000 (1930's) |
| Owner | Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society of South Australia |
| Operator | Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society of South Australia (showground) Various (speedway) |
| Opened | 1925 (showground) 1926 (speedway) 1934 (harness racing) |
| Major events | Royal Adelaide Show Australian Solo Championship World Series Sprintcars West End Speedway International Castrol Sidecar Cup Supanova Pop Culture Expo Inter Dominion |
| Main Arena / Speedway | |
| Surface | dirt and sand mix |
| Length | 0.316 mi (0.510 km) |
The Adelaide Showground is a very popular place in Adelaide, Australia. It hosts many big events, including the famous Royal Adelaide Show. People also know it as the Wayville Showgrounds.
This large venue is in Wayville, a suburb south of Adelaide's city center. It is surrounded by major roads and a railway line. The Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society of South Australia (RAHS) has managed the site since the 1920s. The Royal Show first moved here in 1925.
The Showground has one of the biggest indoor exhibition areas in the Southern Hemisphere. It hosts over 140 events, conferences, and even university exams each year. In 2006, its official name changed from 'Royal Adelaide Showground' to 'Adelaide Showground'.
In 2008, a huge solar power system was added to the new Goyder Pavilion. This $8 million project put 10,000 square meters of solar panels on the roof. It generates enough electricity to power 200 homes and helps reduce greenhouse gases. Because of its size, the Adelaide Showground is even registered as a power station!
Contents
Main Arena: Action and Fun
The main arena at the Adelaide Showground has seen a lot of history. In the 1920s and 1930s, it could hold 35,000 people. Today, it can still host about 14,000 visitors.
Speedway: Racing Through History
The main arena was once known as the Speedway Royal. It was a famous dirt track for racing from 1926 to 1934. Some people call it "The birthplace of Australian Speedway." However, dirt track speedway actually started earlier in Maitland.
The track is shaped like an egg and is about 510 meters long. It has a mix of dirt and sand over a concrete base. In its early days, it was one of Australia's fastest speedways. Its wide corners and long straight sections made it exciting. In 1928, it was even called "The World's Fastest Dirt Track Speedway."
Speedway racing stopped at Wayville after 1934. The exact reasons are not fully clear. One idea is that the races made the track too rough for harness racing, which also used the arena. Another thought is that the Great Depression made it too expensive to run events.
After a long break of 52 years, speedway returned to Wayville in 1986. This event, the West End Speedway International, brought many top motorcycle speedway riders from around the world. Wayville has also hosted the Australian Solo Championship several times, including in 2002.
Many world champion riders have competed here. These include Ivan Mauger from New Zealand, Hans Nielsen from Denmark, and Tony Rickardsson from Sweden. Australian stars like Jason Crump, Phil Crump, Leigh Adams, and Ryan Sullivan have also raced at Wayville.
In the early days, famous riders like Lionel Van Praag (who won the first World Championship in 1936) and Bluey Wilkinson raced here. Crowds of 25,000 people were common, making Wayville the most popular speedway in Australia back then. A young Kym Bonython, who later became a famous speedway promoter, first fell in love with the sport at Wayville.
Wayville holds a special record in Australian speedway. Before the 2002 Australian Solo Championship, it had not hosted the title since 1932. That's an amazing 70-year gap!
Other Uses of the Main Arena
The main arena was also the home ground for the West Adelaide Football Club in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) from 1927 to 1939. They even won a championship in their first year there! During World War II, the Australian Army took over the Showground. The football club had to move to Adelaide Oval and later to Richmond Oval.
The 510-meter track was also used for harness racing from 1934 until 1973. Wayville hosted the important Inter Dominion championships six times during this period.
Besides the Royal Adelaide Show, the main arena also hosts other big events. These include the Adelaide part of the annual Big Day Out music festival, Monster Truck shows, and Motocross events like the Supercross Masters.
Centennial Hall: A Piece of History
Centennial Hall was a very important building at the Showground. It was built to celebrate 100 years since South Australia was founded. It opened on March 20, 1936. The building was a great example of 1930s Art Deco style.
Sadly, the building developed "concrete cancer" and became unsafe. It was closed after the 2005 Royal Show and was taken down starting in July 2007.
Centennial Hall hosted many famous events, including:
- June 12–13, 1964: The Beatles played their first four Australian concerts here.
- February 22, 1966: The Rolling Stones performed.
- April 22, 1966: Bob Dylan held a concert.
Comparison with Other Showgrounds
The Adelaide Showground's main arena is special because it still looks much like it did when it first opened. This is different from many other showgrounds in Australia's capital cities. For example, the Sydney Showground moved to a new location. The Claremont Showground in Perth changed its main arena from a speedway track to a grassy oval. The Melbourne Showgrounds also rebuilt its main arena.
See Also
- Royal Adelaide Show
- Speedway City
Images for kids
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Centennial Hall in 1947
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Centennial Hall in 1947
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Centennial Hall in 1947
