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How a once-bustling Easter Show has been left a deserted ghost town

by Ezra Withrow (2020-05-02)


10 months agoThe halls and grounds of Sydney's Olympic Park should be heaving this week for the Royal Easter Show but instead resemble a sad ghost town; yet another victim of the coronavirus lockdown.

Australia's largest carnival overflows with excited kids collecting showbags, 아시안오즈 teenagers queuing for rides and proud country folk showing off their animals and produce.

But not this year, with the government ordering a ban on non-essential public gatherings to contain the spread of COVID-19.






Show bag booth packed families and kids. vendors sell cute colourful merchandise at cheap price in package in 2019







Carnival rides including big slider which is popular in Sydney's largest event held in Sydney Olympic park, great for family fun day







The view of Swing ride tower and Ferris wheel at Sydney Royal Easter Show. thousands of families from all over the country would flock to the famous show







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The Show, which usually attracts an average of 850,000 people over the school holidays and Easter, could not continue under the new laws and joined sports, pubs, cinemas and many other forms of entertainment that had been mothballed.

It had been estimated that more than a million employees had lost their jobs as most businesses were either ordered to shut or chose to put up shutters due to lack of customers.

Outdoor gatherings are now limited to two people, with Australians urged to stay home except for a few essential purposes: shopping for necessities, taking daily exercise or travelling to work for those who cannot do their job at home.

New South Wales and Victoria have also enacted additional measures to allow police the power to fine people who breach the two-person outdoor gathering limit or leave their homes without a reasonable excuse.  









‹ Slide me ›


The High Country Pony Rides tents is seen empty and closed, a stark comparison to past years where the tent is bustling with families and children riding the animals







An empty Murchison Pavilion which usually houses the cattle and alpaca pavilion during the Royal Easter Show is seen at the Sydney Showground on Tuesday







The empty Grand Parade is seen at the Sydney Showground at Sydney Olympic Park in Sydney on April 7


The show has become synonymous with old fashioned family fun, with children scouring newspapers weeks before the show to pick their choice of showbag.

Pictures taken of Olympic Park show the desolated showground and the stark reality of how the coronavirus pandemic has hit the country.

An empty Murchison Pavilion which usually houses the cattle and alpaca pavilion during the Royal Easter Show is seen at the Sydney Showground on Tuesday.

The pavilion is usually packed with families finding joy in the farm animals but it now stands empty.









‹ Slide me ›


Before and after: The woodchopping competition used to pull in large crowds. The stadium remains empty as COVID-29 forces Australia into lockdown







Workers were pictured removing the crates in the stables area on Tuesday, usually used for farm animal shows during the event







The rodeo chutes are seen in the area usually used as the horse marshaling yard during the Royal Easter Show at the Sydney Showground














The Downs Pavilion is seen filled with crates rather than the horses and cattle.

Signs outside the pavillion warn people to wash their hands after touching the animals - a year before the World Health Organisation began urging people wash their hands in an attempt to stop the spread of the virus.

Workers were pictured removing the crates in the stables area on Tuesday.

The High Country Pony Rides tents is seen empty and closed, a stark comparison to past years where the tent is bustling with families and children riding the animals.






Signs warning people to wash their hands after touching the animals - a reminder as the World Health Organisation is urging people wash their hands in an attempt to stop the spread of the virus







The empty dog judging lawn area is seen at the Sydney Showground on April 7. The dog show was a show favourite for families and dog-lovers







The Downs Pavilion is seen filled with crates rather than the horses and cattle. First held in 1823, the Sydney Royal Easter Show usually attracts an average of 850,000 people each year


An empty Schmidt Arena usually used for horse sports during the Royal Easter Show is seen completely deserted while rodeo chutes usually used for horse marshalling are still in storage.

The deserted tent of 'The Shed' usually used for farming demonstrations during the festivities is seen already set up.

The lockdown will likely leave Australia's economy in tatters for years to come.