Listen to episode 158 of The Adelaide Show podcast, which was published August 31, 2016, to find out which story is fake. This week’s pieces cover the Royal Adelaide Show. This week’s IS IT NEWS was researched and presented by Michael Shanahan while Nigel is away.
Billy The Pig
Remarkable Animal At The Show
Register, September 1923
The big, sleepy, fat swine of various breeds that are passing away time, in quarters at the Royal Showgrounds Adelaide, eating, snorting, and almost in a comatose state are attracting considerable attention. So far as size is concerned the exhibits are rather put in the shade, however, by ‘a champion’ in one of ‘the sideshows, ‘Billy.
The mammoth animal, is too valuable for the bacon and ham curer; he is meant for old age, -and to be an object of public amazement. He has tasks to perform, and the principal of them appears ‘to be to wander around his’ ”sty’ as a mount for numerous small boys, as many as half a dozen of whom can have a ride on his huge back at the one time. His age is 26 months, and the following details of his dimensions give an idea of his wonderful proportions: — Height, 3 ft. 9 in.; length,’ 8 ft. 3 in.; girth, 6 ft. 9 in.; and weight, 1,228 lb. (553kg) It is claimed that no other pig; ever lived that could- compare in size to this unique exhibit, which is attracting; very large numbers of people to his quarters in the vicinity of other freaks at the Show.
Show Attractions
“Little Titch”
News, September 1925
“Show me the little bull,” was one of the first remarks of the Prince of Wales on his tour of inspection at Wembley Exhibition. The Prince, being a lover of animals, was greatly interested in the little animal, and stopped 20 minutes longer than the scheduled time, chatting freely with those present. No wonder the Prince of Wales was interested because “Little Titch'” is the world’s smallest bull, a pedigree Hereford, bred in the Argentine, more than six years old, fully developed, standing only 24 inches high, and weighing just a few pounds. This unique animal will be on view at the forthcoming Adelaide Royal Show.
Stump-Jumping Plough Competition
Yorke’s Peninsula Advertiser, March 1880
The stump-jumping plough, may be said to be the inauguration of another branch of agriculture, in as much as it will hold out great inducements to tillers of the soil to take up and cultivate what has hitherto been considered almost useless land. On display at the Adelaide Royal Show this year were a selection of 10 stump-jumpers comprising double, treble, and five furrowed ploughs.
Some discussion has arisen as to who was the inventor of the stump-jumping plough, by the use of which so much of our scrub lands are now being brought under cultivation.
However, The Judges, were unanimous in their opinion that a double-furrow plough, manufactured by Mr. G. P. Whitaker, of Dowlingville, did its work best and in the most satisfactory manner, and awarded him the first prize of £20. The second prize was awarded to Mr. C. H. Smith, of Ardrossan, who competed with a treble-furrowed plough constructed on the same principle as the double furrow. The third prize was taken by Mr. J. Phelps with a treble-furrowed plough, also constructed by Mr. Whitaker.