Robert Campbell has been a committee member of the Clunes and District Agricultural Society for 40 years and has even written a book about the show’s history, which he wrote after conducting research at Clunes Museum and Ballarat Library.

He said the show had evolved from its humble beginnings as an agricultural show to a great day out for the whole family.

Mr Campbell said the show began as a competition between farmers, with ploughing matches, a grain exhibition and stock and horses on display.

Over the years, the show’s management committee changed names a number of times, from Glendaruel Agricultural Society at the beginning, to Glendaruel, Beckwith and Clunes Agricultural Society in 1865. It saw a few more name changes over the years before it eventually became known as the Clunes and District Agricultural Society in 1960.

Mr Campbell said home crafts and cooking had been a popular category at the show from the outset and were still some of the most popular attractions today, seeing around 1800 entries each show day.

“We have tried to evolve over the years to cater to everybody’s taste. Horses are still popular, as are tractors, machinery and fleeces.”

He said a new addition was the ute competition, which sees young people showing up to the day who may not have otherwise have been interested, as well as a dog jump and sideshow alley.