The army of ‘carnies’ that put on Sydney’s Royal Easter Show have given a glimpse of their lives behind the showbags and fairy floss, and sounded a warning that red tape threatens their rollercoaster future.
Some 800,000 people are expected through the gates at Sydney Olympic Park over the show’s 12 days this year – but the financial rewards for those running the rides and the stalls are surprisingly slim.
One revealed they would net just $1400 for the entire 12 days, as rising costs and overheads erode the sustainability of their unique lifestyle.
Many of the older generation of carnies have been forced out of the industry by increasing corporatisation and soaring insurance costs.
The army of carnies behind Sydney ‘s Royal Easter Show have lifted the lid on life behind the showbags and fairy floss, as red tape threatens their rollercoaster future.
Some 800,000 people are expected through the gates at Sydney Olympic Park over the show’s 12 days this year – but the rewards for showpeople are surprisingly slim
Carnie veteran Leonie Osborne, from Oxenford in south-east Queensland, says her family has been running the classic clown’s head sideshow game for six generations.
But she admits it’s much harder to turn a quid in the modern world.
‘In my parents’ day it was very lucrative because their expenses were so much less than ours,’ she said.
‘They had minimal insurance policies and they did runs that were very tight… so they jumped from show to show.’
Her family is steeped in the nomadic show life; her grandmother was a snake handler, and her father married a trapeze artist from a travelling circus.
‘And it’s how I met my husband, Lewis,’ she revealed. ‘He was working on a ride above me and started throwing paper aeroplanes at me.
‘I was only 19 and he was 21, and we got married – we’ve had three kids, and two of them are in the industry.’
Leonie Osborne (pictured) and her clan has been running sideboard games for six generations
Leonie Osborne (left) met her husband Lewis (right) who was also a showman on the circuit
Leonie Osborne’s pregnant daughter, Elle Bell, (whose painted belly is pictured) is carrying the seventh generation of the carnie family
Too tough for outsiders to adjust
Ms Osborne admitted show life is a ‘very generational business’ because it’s too tough for outsiders to adjust to the demands of the lifestyle and long stretches away from home.
‘All the girls and boys who grow up in the industry are used to the late nights and the mud and the rain and the travelling,’ she said.
‘It’s hard for people to understand… my son-in-law is a builder and he thinks we’re from outer space.’
Melbourne’s Royal Show was rocked by a horror accident 18 months ago when Shylah Rodden, 26, was struck by a rollercoaster while trying to retrieve her phone from the tracks, and suffered horrendous injuries.
Brenda Walters was a witness to the accident and the shock still lives with her.
‘I was there and I remember it clearly,’ she said. ‘It’s sad and I feel for her… God bless her.
‘She’s on the road to recovery now… you have got to have a positive attitude after this and learn from it.’
Ms Walters started working the shows as a 16-year-old and is still devoted to the life now, even as she approaches retirement.
Brenda Walters (right) started working as a ‘showie’ at age 16 and loved the job so much she’s still on the circuit near retirement age
The most-driven and hardest-working showies win the highest respect within the business
‘I’ve seen a lot happen on the showground, good and bad. There’s been a lot of accidents over the years,’ she said.
She is one of those rare first generation carnival workers who stuck with it, and has thrived on the buzz of being surrounded by people having fun.
‘I knew when I was a little kid that I’d probably join the show,’ she said. ‘I saw a job out there and thought I could travel and work at the same time.’
She said the most-driven and hardest-working showies win the highest respect within the business, but rarely envy or rivalry.
‘We’re all friends at the end of the day,’ she said.
‘I know a lot of people in the industry and I respect all of them.’
Daily Mail Australia ventured to Olympic Park to discover more about the ‘carnie life’
Melbourne’s Royal Show was rocked by a horror rollercoaster accident 18 months ago which left Brenda Walters traumatised by the tragedy
Lifelong showman Kev Vanuden (pictured), who works for Chants Amusements, has been in the entertainment industry for decades
Thrillseeker rides warning
Lifelong showman Kev Vanuden, who works for Chants Amusements, has been in the entertainment industry for decades.
Mr Vanuden operates a number of carnival rides at shows around the country, including popular rollercoasters.
With the Rodden incident still fresh in the minds of ride operators, Mr Vauden says he warns showgoers to take precautions before going on thrillseeker rides.
‘Make sure you’ve got nothing in your pockets when you go on big scary rides that flip you around or spin you,’ he said.
‘Take everything out of your pockets, don’t take anything on the ride.’
Julie Miller (pictured) followed her parents and grandparents onto the circuit, and now her children are sixth generation ‘showies’
Julie Miller followed her parents and grandparents onto the circuit, and now her children are sixth generation ‘showies’.
She has operated rides and food stands at country shows and fairs, everywhere from Victoria to Darwin.
‘I was born on it… it’s just what we do,’ she said. ‘It’s gone from a lifestyle to a livelihood.’
Caravan life on the road
Ms Miller said life on the road is all she’s ever known – and she loves everything about it.
She has a home in central Victoria, but most bring their homes with them – foregoing bricks and mortar to instead buy luxury campers and caravans.
‘We go out and spend $100,000 or so on a caravan – but it devalues the moment we drive it out the gates [of the car yard]!’ she said. ‘
‘Some of us are lucky enough to have a home, 80 per cent of us don’t.’
Austin Evans runs the dodgem cars, carousel and tea cup rides with his dad, while studying a business degree at university
Business brain
Austin Evans, 18, from Penrith in Sydney’s western suburbs, is a fourth generation showman, who went to boarding school while his parents worked hard on the road to make a living.
Now he runs the dodgem cars, carousel and tea cup rides with his dad, while studying for a business degree at university.
‘After uni, [I want to] build up my own business,’ he said. ‘The reason I’m doing the degree is so I can get more knowledge about what new businesses need.’
As well as managing his own small company in the future, Austin also wants to use what he’s learnt to help his family grow their businesses.
He said it can be difficult to juggle his work and studies, but the job is addictive: ‘I love putting a smile on people’s faces.
‘Getting a ‘thank you’ is the best thing that could happen, and if you ask any other showman they’ll say the same thing.
‘I do it to make everyone’s day.’
Many of the showies operate rides and food stands at country shows and fairs from Victoria to Darwin
The Sydney Royal Easter Show is on now until April 2
While the long hours, constant travelling and taxing physical work have long been an intrinsic part of the job, there are now new hardships to bear.
Slim pickings now
One woman, who wished to remain anonymous, said the financial rewards of the job have deteriorated over the past 20 years.
She told Daily Mail Australia that the average ride operator earns around $1400 for the duration of the Easter show.
Out of that, they are required to cover their own accommodation and living expenses.
She used to travel to most of the country shows on the NSW circuit but things have ‘really quietened down since Covid and never picked back up’.
‘We used to have shows nearly every other weekend, but now they’re only once in a blue moon,’ she said.
‘After this one, our next is in April but then there’s nothing for a while.’
Sydney’s Royal Easter Show is on now until April 2.
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