Flower & Garden Competition History

The Royal Agricultural Society of NSW has a long history of running flower and garden competitions. A Horticulture Committee was established in January 1869 and its first competition was held later that same year. A steward for the event commented, ‘As a new experiment, I am proud of what has transpired in Sydney, offering, so to speak, a preface for future results and emulation.’

Despite being well received from the beginning, the event took many years to become a steady feature of the Show. From 1869-1888 the section included flowers, fruits, and vegetables. The competition then lapsed, re-appearing in 1892, but this time only with classes for flowers. During 1897-1928 horticulture was absent, before finally making its permanent return to the Show in 1929.

The competition proved to be a hugely popular part of the Show, requiring several moves to larger display areas. The first permanent home for the section was the Horticultural Pavilion, built in time for the 1934 Show, but an even larger, purpose-built pavilion was constructed in 1950-1951. Originally named HW Whiddon Pavilion after the Chairman of the Horticulture, it was later renamed Kurrajong Pavilion. The landscaping in the front of the pavilion was particularly striking.

In 1998 when the Show relocated to Sydney Olympic Park, the section found a new home in the specially designed Southee Pavilion. The pavilion was naturally lit, with diffusers to protect the delicate displays from direct sunlight. The colours used to paint the pavilion were chosen to form a contrasting backdrop to the displays. The pavilion was named after E A (Bert) Southee, RAS Councillor from 1923 to 1939 and Vice-President from 1939 to 1968.

In 2007 the Horticulture Section was renamed the Flower & Garden Competition.

Over the years Flower & Garden has been home to some unexpected classes. In the 1860s and 1870s these included silkworms, silk, sorghum, jams, sugar cane, tobacco, coffee, tea, salads, medicinal plants, and nuts. In the 1950s there was a pisciculture section with competitions for fish (goldfish, tropical varieties, and catfish), and awards for aquariums.

While classes for fruits or vegetables have occasionally been offered over the years, flowering and other ornamental plant classes have dominated the competition. Decorative classes have been common, first appearing in 1869 when a class for a hand bouquet was offered. Many and varied, decorative classes have included those for: shoulder sprays; baskets of flowers; table displays; displays for children’s parties; and displays of floral art.

Awards for florists’ and nursery displays were introduced in 1955; and children’s classes first appeared in 1990.

Today the RES Flower & Garden Competition is an iconic horticultural competition welcoming gardeners, florists, schools and community groups from across NSW, and entries include flowers, plants, fruits, vegetables and decorative displays. The varied schedule also includes more unusual classes such as The Great Backyard Pumpkin Challenge and Scarecrow Competition. All entries are judged for quality, creativity and presentation, providing exhibitors with industry benchmarking, recognition and the opportunity to contribute to one of the Show's longstanding traditions.

Three prestigious medals are awarded in the Flower & Garden section:

• The Banksian Medal (since 1951)
• Bronze Medal (since 1953)
• The John Baptist Medal (since 1967)