Merriwa Show

Shows were held at Merriwa in the early 1900s, but the Pastoral, Agricultural, Horticultural and Industrial Association was not formed until 1922. A public meeting in 1896 had proposed such a society, but drought, culminating in the severe 1902 season, delayed progress. In 1908, the Farmers’ and Settlers’ Association staged a one-day show featuring horse events, farm produce and horticulture. Activity lapsed during World War I, though “patriotic sports” continued for entertainment and fundraising. With the formation of the P.A.H. & I. Association in 1922, official shows were revived and, apart from the World War II years, have been held annually ever since.