Claremont Showground

The Claremont Showground near Perth, Western Australia is home to the annual Perth Royal Show. In 1902, 13 hectares (32 acres) of land were reserved in the Perth suburb of Claremont for a new showground to replace the Guildford Showgrounds. The Royal Agricultural Show, of three days, was first held there in October and November 1905.[4]

Claremont Showground
Centenary pavilion
LocationClaremont, Western Australia
Coordinates31°58′32″S 115°47′08″E
Public transitMainline rail interchange Showgrounds
Mainline rail interchange Claremont
OwnerRoyal Agricultural Society of Western Australia[1]
OperatorRoyal Agricultural Society of Western Australia
Capacity40,000 (Big Day Out 2011)[2]
10,000 (WAFL matches)[3]
Opened1905 (1905)
Tenants
Big Day Out (2002-2011, 2013)
Perth Royal Show
Claremont-Cottesloe Football Club (1926)
Claremont Speedway (1927-2000)
Supanova Pop Culture Expo (2008–2013)
Claremont Football Club (2014–2016)

History

During World War I and World War II, the showgrounds were used to house and train Australian troops.[5]

In 1929, a pavilion and other features were built for the Western Australia Centenary.[6]

The Claremont Showground is serviced by a special events railway station on the Fremantle line. Opened on 20 September 1995, it has direct connection with the showgrounds.[7] The original Showgrounds Station, opened in 1954, was located 350 metres (1,150 ft) further east with platforms on either side of the line, and required negotiating road crossings to access the showgrounds.

Bruce Campbell Arena

The Bruce Campbell Arena, an enclosed grass field forms the focal point of events at the Showgrounds.[8]

Speedway
Main article: Claremont Speedway

From 1927 until 2000, the 586-metre (641-yard) Claremont Speedway operated on a track around the edge of the arena. Its size made it the largest speedway in weekly operation in a state capital in Australia.[9]

With the closure of Claremont, speedway in Perth moved to the 500-metre (550-yard) Perth Motorplex Speedway in Kwinana Beach.

Australian rules football

The arena has been the past been used for Australian rules football matches. In the West Australian Football League (WAFL), Perth won its first premiership against East Fremantle there in 1907.[10] They were the original home of Claremont-Cottesloe Football Club in its first year in the WAFL before moving to Claremont Oval in 1927. On 19 March 2005, the venue was used to host a one-off WAFL match between Claremont and West Perth, with Claremont winning in front of 7,812 spectators. Due to redevelopment of Claremont Oval, Claremont used the Showgrounds as its home ground between 2014 and 2016.[11]

References
  1. RAS history Archived 24 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  2. The Royal Agricultural Society of Western Australia (31 March 2011). "Annual Report 2011" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 October 2012. Retrieved 5 July 2012.
  3. "Claremont Showground". Austadiums.com. Austadiums. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  4. Vigilans et Audax (3 November 1905). "The West Australian". p. 4. Retrieved 5 July 2012.
  5. "Timeline". RASWA. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
  6. State reference library images of exhibits at the 1929 royal show
  7. Charlton, Eric (20 September 1995). "Claremont Showgrounds Railway Station opened". Ministerial Media Statements. Government of Western Australia. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
  8. "Bruce Campbell Arena". Claremont Showground. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
  9. "Claremont".
  10. Wing (23 August 1945). "Australian Rules Football - Further facts about early days". The Western Mail. p. 47. Retrieved 5 July 2012.
  11. Lewis, Tracey (5 April 2014). "Tigers and Lions go hunting in neutral territory". Football Budget. West Australian Football Commission. pp. 4–5. Retrieved 21 April 2014.

Further reading
  • Cooper,William., Moore, Garrick and Michael White.(2004) Adversity and achievement : a history of the Royal Agricultural Society of Western Australia Claremont, W.A.: The Society. ISBN 0-646-43969-3
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