More than 2500 years ago Egyptians put scarecrows in their fields to protect wheat crops from hungry quail, today we are putting scarecrows in the Flower & Garden Pavilion to keep an eye on the Great Backyard Pumpkin Challenge. With 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize ribbons up for grabs you’re guaranteed to be delighted by a field of funny faces and curious creations!

Aquaculture is one of the only Sydney Royal Fine Food Competitions where the public can watch judging live! This must-see judging event is where all fine foodies will want to be. Come watch popular Sydney Royal Easter Show presenter, Lyndey Milan OAM, MC the judging as she interacts with the public and helps answer all your questions about the Sydney Rock Oyster and Sydney Royal judging process. Chefs and industry professionals will also be on hand to share their insights on the judging floor. Judges will be assessing the uniformity of shape, presentation, texture, colour, freshness and the all-important taste under the watchful eye of Show attendees, media, and key seafood industry professionals. You will be fascinated as you learn about the characteristics of the Sydney Rock Oyster and be provided with tips and tricks on how to pick the best dozen! Welcoming back one of New Zealand’s finest Chefs and 2023 guest Judge, Martin Bosley will be back for another year of Rock Oyster judging – come learn from Martin and the stellar Judging Panel to determine which Sydney Rock Oyster will take out the 2024 Championships!  

This year marks 125 years since Woodchop & Sawing competitions first appeared at the Show. Promising world-class action, the Sydney Royal Woodchopping & Sawing Competition is the only competition in Australia to host five world title events including crowd favourite, the 325mm Tree Felling contest. In what has traditionally been a male-dominated sport, 2024 has more women entrants than ever before, making up 20% of woodchoppers on the lawn. For the first time at the Sydney Royal, two Women’s World Championship titles are being held in 2024: -325mm Women’s World Championship Sawing Content (Single Handed), and -275mm Women’s World Championship Underhand And don’t miss the Jack & Jill Sawing, often it is husband and wife on each end of the saw!

In the tree felling competition the competitor chops notches in a tree/log and inserts a board into the cut. The board is then used as a platform in order to cut higher up the tree. This is done three times in order to get to the top of the tree and cut, before coming back down and starting again on the opposite side – eventually the competitor is back at the top and cutting all the way through so that the top of the tree falls to the ground.

This competition tests an individual’s endurance across three disciplines, with competitors proving themselves in a 375mm single hand saw, a 300mm Underhand chop and a 300mm standing block chop!

Cutting clean through a log with a saw, from one side only.

Usually the first chop a competitor learns, underhand is when you stand on the log and swing the axe down between your legs – dangerously close to your toes! The competitor chops about halfway on one side before turning and continuing to chop the log from the other side until it splits in two.

The log is standing vertically as the competitor chops halfway through from one side before switching sides and cutting from the opposite side, finishing when the log splits in two and the top falls to the ground.

The Australian Livestock & Property Agents (ALPA) Young Auctioneers Competitions held at the Show include the State and National Finals with finalists auctioning prize-winning Sydney Royal Purebred Steers, aiming to get the best price possible for the vendors whilst also impressing the panel of judges. Assessed on clarity, diction, manner and livestock value knowledge, the young auctioneers are also vying for the right to represent Australia in the International Livestock Auctioneers Competition at the Calgary Stampede.

From Jack and Jill (two in a team, one male and one female) to double handed sawing (two competitors, one on each side of the saw, slicing a ring off a log) and relay events whereby team members take turns to cut a log, the woodchop and sawing competition at the Show is always thrilling and all competitors thrive off the motivating cheers of the crowd!

There may be everything from delicious scones to fluffy sponges on display, but competition inside the Arts & Crafts Pavilion is no piece of cake. Exhibitors competing in the baking and cake decorating sections are tasked with achieving perfection based on a strict set of judging guidelines. This is the only live judging event in Arts & Crafts! Both Exhibitors and Showgoers can listen, learn and be inspired by the judges’ comments as some of the State’s best judges taste, comment and judge. Discover the secrets to a perfect cake, scone, or biscuit, and see who will take out the coveted Most Successful Exhibitor Award in Open and Under 20’s Competitions.

Breed standard determines the characteristics, temperament and appearance of a breed, therefore the Conformation Competition measures each dog against the standard for their breed.

From patting a tame parrot to viewing endangered and threatened species, there is something for everyone at the Sydney Royal Aviary Bird Show. Our feathered friends may be small, but they certainly provide the most colourful competition of the Show. Making their Show debut in 1869, they spent most of this time as part of the poultry competition, before finally being given their own competition in 1998.

Each year at the Show The Centre for Agricultural Excellence displays Champion grains and fleece from the District Exhibits Competition. These exhibits are of the highest quality and are selected from the best farmers across the state. Grain can include wheat, oats, barley and even millet and mung beans!

If you’re a dog lover, the new Festival of Dog Sports is not to be missed. Taking over the Dog Lawns once the competition wraps up for the day, the Festival of Dog sports will see impressive canines show off their best tricks in ‘fly ball’, ‘scent works’ and ‘dance dogs’ displays.