Historical information

Grand Parades on the main arena were a popular Melbourne Royal Show attraction and tradition. The first was in 1910 - prior to this, horses and cattle had been paraded around the arena separately, but at this particular Show they were paraded together for the first time in a ‘Massed’ (Grand) Parade. This innovation proved very popular with exhibitors and the general public alike.

The last Grand Parade was in 2004.

Significance

This item is a part of a larger collection of 4,500 Frank Johnson photographs and negatives donated to Melbourne Royal by Frank Johnson’s daughter, Francis Beatty Wallace in 2016. This collection spanning from the 1930s to the 1980s holds important social and historical significance in preserving and sharing Victoria’s agricultural history and community. The photographs capture the local, regional, and state’s shared relationships developed through agriculture and the importance of farming and husbandry to the population and development of Australia.
A large proportion of these photographs depict events from the Royal Melbourne Show, including livestock competitions, exhibitions and awards ceremonies. Dating back to 1848 when the society first began, the Royal Melbourne Show has held a special place in the hearts and minds of Victorians, allowing for extensive showcasing and celebration of agricultural excellence, bridging the divide between metropolitan and rural Victoria.

Physical description

A sepia photograph, landscape, printed on gloss paper with a white border.