Grafton Show

The Clarence Pastoral and Agricultural Society was formed in 1866 as the Clarence Pastoral, Agricultural and Horticultural Association. Its first show took place the following year in the grounds of Tattersalls Hotel, where a billiard room and a tent housed exhibits other than livestock, while horses and pigs were kept in horse boxes. In those early years, many patrons travelled to the show by river steamers such as the Chatsworth and Yamba. By its third year, the society had secured land near the present racecourse, and in 1888 a pavilion was erected. Annual shows continued there until 1906, when the society moved to its current site. The original yards and pavilion—now classified by the National Trust—were re-erected, and the show has been held there ever since.