John Williams, Treasures of Nhill & District Facebook page 13th May 2025, Nhill Free Press & Kaniva Times.
These days obesity is no longer a laughing matter because waistlines have unfortunately expanded and spotting a fat man or woman is not that unusual. Did I say “fat”?
“You can’t say that!”
Who needs a sideshow at the Nhill Show when with a click of a button on the internet you can find all sorts of curiosities.
In this more enlightened era fat shaming is considered shameful for demeaning those who are unusual or for treating a person as if they had no feelings.
Few cared in the 40’s and 50s. And what could be objectionable? A Fat Lady, a Boneless Woman, a Headless Boy, a Bearded Lady, Midgets and Tent Boxers.
Within the canvas city of vivid calico signs and wonder, noisy spruikers battled for attention with outrageous claims.
In 1911 Nhill show goers were treated to the Tallest Man on Earth. 8 FOOT 2 Irishman Patrick O’Connor who appeared even taller with thick heels and his guardsman hat.
The hard core agriculture people in Nhill cried that sideshows are worse than useless.
The A&P Society said people should realise that THE SHOW is not a day of entertainment, but one of instruction and took action to ban sideshows it felt were objectionable.
But it was argued that much of the livestock are usually exhibited in an artificial condition and are just as fake as the sideshows.
And if you want freaky, what about the “official” sparrow head display in the main pavilion.
This article appeared in Nhill Free Press & Kaniva Times, 18 June 2025.
