About Queensland Ag Shows

Across Queensland, agricultural shows are run by local people. Volunteers, families, community groups and organisers who bring their communities together year after year.

Queensland Agricultural Shows connects and supports those communities, so no show stands alone.

We work across the state, but everything we do starts at the local level.

Agricultural shows have been part of Australian life since the early 1800s, with Queensland shows taking shape in the 1860s as communities gathered to share livestock, produce and farming knowledge.

Events like the Royal Queensland Show and the Toowoomba Royal Show grew from these early beginnings, reflecting the importance of agriculture in both regional and city communities.

Over time, shows evolved. What began as a way to compare crops and livestock became something more. Today, shows bring together competition, education, entertainment and community connection.

Queensland Agricultural Shows was established in 1909 to support this growing network of local societies, helping them share knowledge, represent their interests and continue building strong local event

Queensland Ag Shows is a member-based peak body representing show societies across the state, with strong foundations in local communities.

Our board is made up of representatives nominated by those societies. They are volunteers and organisers who understand what it takes to run a show because they are part of it themselves.

That direct connection keeps our work practical, relevant and grounded in the realities of local shows and the communities behind them.

Agricultural shows continue to play an important role in Queensland life.

▸ They bring people together.

▸ They connect city and country.

▸ They create space to share skills, celebrate agriculture and recognise local achievement.

Running a show today comes with real challenges.

Costs are rising, expectations are changing and communities are evolving. At the same time, compliance demands are increasing and volunteer committees are carrying more responsibility than ever before.

As Queensland’s peak body for agricultural shows, Queensland Ag Shows supports and represents show societies, champions agriculture and helps connect and strengthen communities through programs, partnerships and initiatives both now and into the future.

We focus on the things that help shows continue, not just now, but into the future.

When a show runs well, it strengthens its community.

It creates connection.

It builds local pride.

It gives people a reason to come together.

Supporting agricultural shows means supporting the people and communities behind them.

There are 129 show societies across Queensland, supported by more than 13,500 volunteers.

Each one reflects its local community. Together, they form a statewide network connected through agriculture, shared effort, and tradition.