Royal Agricultural Society of NSW

The first Arts & Crafts entries were in 1869 in the ‘Works of Art’ section and included painting, drawing and models. There was a strong desire by the Society to ‘improve taste and develop the artistic faculty’ of the colony. By 1888 women’s crafts were included – needlework, knitting, spinning and leatherwork - and the competition had well and truly begun.

Recognised today as the biggest Arts & Crafts competition in Australia, attracting over 4,900 entries in almost 300 classes, the competition is honouring the creative men and women of the past 150 years with feature displays of craft through the decades. Never before have so many crafts come together in one incredible display.