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Royal Queensland Show (EKKA) Fellowship
About the Fellowship
The Ekka, officially known as the Royal Queensland Show, is a Queensland icon and the state's largest annual event, held at the Brisbane Showgrounds. Since its inception in 1876, the Ekka has been a cherished tradition, bringing together regional and urban Queenslanders to celebrate the state's agricultural industries. From its early days when attendees dressed in their finest and show bags were filled with coal, the Ekka has evolved into a vibrant showcase of everything that makes Queensland unique.
The Royal Queensland Show (Ekka) Fellowship supports research into the history of the Ekka - its people, stories and history using both the John Oxley Library collection and the RNA archives. The fellowship allows a researcher to delve into both collections to uncover and generate new knowledge about the Ekka's lesser-known history, bringing fascinating stories from the archives to light.
The fellowship recipient will receive a stipend of $20,000, a personal workspace within the Neil Roberts Research Lounge for 12 months and premium access to State Library’s extensive collections and library staff expertise.
In 2026, the EKKA will mark its sesquicentennial (150th anniversary) and the outcome of this project will be an important legacy at the centre of its celebration.
Browse our collection to discover historical treasures that tell the history and story of the EKKA.
The Royal Queensland Show (EKKA) Fellowship is generously supported by The Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association of Queensland (RNA).
Men, women and children on the hill beside the grandstand at the Royal National Show, Bowen Hills, 1935-1940. 10091, Siegfried Monz Film Negatives, 1935-1940, John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Image number: 10091-0001-0029.
2025 Royal Queensland Show (EKKA) Fellow (inaugural)
The 2025 Royal Queensland Show (EKKA) Fellowship was awarded to Bronwyn Bridgwater for her project, 'Historic EKKA Symbiotic Relationship between Country, Town and Travelling Show Community'.
Bronwyn's research will delve into the John Oxley Library, and the RNA archives, focusing on film footage, photographs, and stories related to the EKKA from its inception. Bronwyn will explore how pivotal events—including drought, the Spanish Influenza, the Great Depression, World Wars I and II, and recent challenges like COVID-19 and security concerns—have shaped the EKKA and its agricultural, urban, and show communities.
Incorporating historical and contemporary interviews with EKKA representatives from each community, Bronwyn aims to highlight how their unique contributions and cooperation has driven the EKKA’s evolution into the renowned event it is today.
Bronwyn Bridgewater, 2025 Royal Queensland Show (EKKA) Fellow.
Watch this video to explore Bronwyn's research project, and don’t miss the full video highlighting all the 2025 Queensland Memory Awards recipients and their inspiring projects.
Timeline of the Royal Queensland Show
Snapshots of the EKKA 1947-1950
