What a gem: Margate grandmother ready to sparkle at Ekka

Margate resident Amanda Scott has always considered herself a crafty person, but this year she is stepping out of her comfort zone and entering her handmade jewellery into the Ekka for the first time.

Amanda has made a necklace, bracelet and earrings out of pearls which she hopes will impress the judges.

“I think pearls are very feminine, and I love the pink and grey colour scheme,” Amanda said.

“I could see the design in my head long before I started making them, so it didn’t take me too long.

“A lot of people like pearls because they are so beautiful. They were a big thing in my family – you got a pair of pearl earrings and a necklace for your 18^th birthday.”

Amanda has long dreamt of entering the art and craft competition at the show, so she decided 2022 would be the year she made her dream a reality.

“After years of thinking about it, I reached a stage where I thought now is the time because then I can say I have done it,” Amanda said.

“It might not seem like a big thing to other people, but it’s a big thing for me - I’m putting myself out there to be judged.

“You can always sit back and think you might never be good enough, but you will never know unless you give it a go.”

Amanda also plans to enter some separate earrings she has created.

If she is lucky enough to win a cash prize, Amanda plans to donate her winnings to charity.

Many happy memories of the Ekka

Since she was a little girl, Amanda always looked forward to August rolling around so she could go to the Ekka with her grandfather.

“My grandfather had a property near Hughenden and my great uncle was a stockman, and because they had a lot to do with cattle, we would go every year with them.

“Pop would come down from Hughenden and we would go and look at all the cattle and the sheep - basically all the animals.

“I’m not very fond of the rides, so I also loved going to look at the paintings, cakes and craft work that people had entered.

“The Ekka was a big and exciting thing we always looked forward to. Plus, the Ekka is around my birthday, so August was always a really fun month for me.”

Head along

Following two years of cancellations due to the pandemic, thousands of people are expected to walk through the gates of the Brisbane Showgrounds this August.

RNA Chief Executive Brendan Christou said after two challenging years without an Ekka, the RNA was delighted to be bringing back this beloved Queensland institution and reuniting the country and city.

“It’s time for us all to come together again and enjoy the People’s Show,’’ he said.

“The return of Ekka will feature all the traditional and unique Show experiences the public know and love such as our beloved competitions, animals, rides, showbags, amazing entertainment including the night show and fireworks, plus some of the nation’s finest food and wine.”

The Ekka will be held from August 6-14 at the Brisbane Showgrounds, located at 600 Gregory Terrace, Bowen Hills.

Gates are open every day from 9am-9pm.

For more information about the show, log onto https://www.ekka.com.au/

Delighting families for more than a century

The very first show was held in 1876 from August 22-26. A public holiday was declared for The Intercolonial Exhibition (as it was originally known as), attracting 17,000 people on opening day.

Every person who visited the show also received a free bag of coal to take home with them.

The first 'Royal' Show was held in 1921, when the Association was granted the prefix under warrant from His Majesty King George V.

Since then, the shortened name 'Ekka' has replaced 'Exhibition' in the Queensland vernacular, indicating locals' affection for the show.

The Ekka has since been held every year with only four exceptions - in 1919 due to the Spanish Flu epidemic, in 1942 when the grounds were used as a World War II staging depot and in 2020 and 2021 due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.