18/01/2026
🌾 The story of the Bathurst Agricultural Show begins more than 170 years ago...
In April 1848, the Lower Albany Agricultural Society was formed in Bathurst — a group of early settlers and community leaders united by the aim of establishing agricultural shows in the region. This society later became known as the Bathurst Agricultural Society and is one of the oldest agricultural societies in South Africa.
Just two years after the formation of the Society, the Bathurst Agricultural Show took place on 6 March 1850, featuring livestock, grain, and produce on display and competition among prize-winners. Early prize categories included livestock and agricultural products, reflecting the farming focus from the very beginning.
Over the years, the show has grown into one of the Eastern Cape’s longest-running agricultural traditions and arguably the oldest continuous agricultural show in South Africa, bringing families, farmers, artisans, exhibitors, and visitors together to celebrate agriculture, community, and rural life.
Read more about the show's impressive history in this Talk of the Town article: https://www.talkofthetown.co.za/2023/02/02/the-road-to-the-bathurst-show-part-1/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
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