Royal Hobart Show recently celebrated 21-23 October an incredible milestone of 200years.  

The Royal Agricultural Society of Tasmania (RAST) is one of Australia’s oldest entities. Its origins go back to 1821 – the same year that the French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte died. 

Land and stockholders met at a Hobart hotel in 1821 to form what was originally called the Van Dieman’s Land Agricultural Society, now the RAST. At the time they described Tasmanian agriculture as the great Source of Colonial Prosperity. 

Their initiative in founding an agricultural society received strong vice regal support – what we’d call “fast tracking” today. 

The first Show, held on the Parliamentary lawns in 1822, was the first agricultural show in Australia.