OUR HISTORY
The Bellinger River Agricultural Society, assisted by the Tyson Family, organised the first show. It was held on 28th April, 1881 on the Tyson property at Fernmount. An account of this event was published in the Sydney Mail & NSW Advertiser on May 14, 1881.
THE SHOW HAS BEEN RUNNING FOR ALMOST 150 YEARS
The Show then moved to Connell Park where it stayed until the first bridge over the Bellinger River was built in 1910. The current Showground was established when the Minister for Lands granted the Showground Trust funds to purchase 12 acres from the Jarrett family at sixty pounds per acre.The Showground was dedicated on 26th July, 1911 and has been the home of the Bellingen Show ever since. The Showground is managed by the Bellingen Showground Land Management Board on behalf of Crown Land NSW.
Other than during the War years, the Bellingen Show weekend has been cancelled only twice - following heavy rain and severe flooding in 2009 and in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Flooding in the month prior to the 2022 Show, followed by heavy rain again on the Saturday night, gave the Committee no option but to cancel the Show on the Sunday morning.
