Horachio3d ago
Joanna Holman
Fascinated by the people whose job is hauling cursed carnival rides to assorted shows and festivals around the country. Must be quite a strange life
Apr 5 at 8:45amWeb
Show threadJoanna Holman2d ago

Fallen down a little bit of a rabbithole about the lives of travelling carnival workers and just learned that Australia has a travelling primary school that follows the show circuit around for their kids

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-17/national-school-for-travelling-show-children/100380692

This school travels from Darwin to Tasmania, reaching a new town every week

Since January 2000, the National School for Travelling Show Children has been ambling across Australia, following the agriculture show circuit.

Show threadJulie2d ago
@joannaholman The classroom is amazing. It's a largish caravan where all the sides pop out to form a full size classroom. It's multiage of course and the students are quite interesting to teach - they can run a hot dog stand physically, financially and materielly, but then go to school the next day. When I was with School of the Air we had a bit to do with the travelling schools.
Show threadahistorical immaterialist3d ago
@joannaholman I recently learned they are members of a guild! https://www.showmensguild.com.au
The Showmen's Guild | of Australasia

Show threadJoanna Holman3d ago
@jimbob that was interesting! The ones who are 5th generation showpeople must have fascinating family stories!
Show threadAntho or Whatever 🏳️‍🌈🇦🇺🇯🇵3d ago
@joannaholman lovely photo. I wonder what it's like? But spreading joy everywhere, it's not so bad I guess. Nice to ponder.
Show threadHorachio3d ago

@joannaholman a few years ago there was a really interesting episode of ‘You Can’t Ask That’ about them.

Watching S4 Carnies and Show People in iview https://iview.abc.net.au/show/you-can-t-ask-that/series/4/video/LE1817H004S00

You Can't Ask That: S4 Carnies and Show People

Travelling show people, or carnies as they are colloquially known, have a reputation that precedes them. What is life on the road really like for these Aussie nomads?

ABC iview
Show threadStacey Campbell3d ago

@joannaholman I spent a lot of time at Victorian shows when I was a kid in the late 60s and early 70s, it always looked like incredibly hard work, setting up, then packing up and moving on.

My dad, who was an amateur boxer in Frankston in the late 40s, took me in to the boxing tent at the Dandenong Show probably around 1969. Thank goodness he didn't jump into the ring, but I remember the smell to this day. What a way to make a living.