Last week I had the pleasure of visiting the annual Royal Melbourne Show, now in it’s 161st year. I hadn’t attended the Show in more than a decade, and much had changed at the Royal Agricultural Showgrounds in that time, following their redevelopment in 2006.

Yet aside from cosmetic changes to the venue, the event itself was much as I recall from my childhood; show bags, rides, farm animals, riding trials, handicrafts, cooking, animal shows and machinery. An all-round great day out!

Everybody has different interests at such a varied event, but for me it’s the  farm animals and culinary fare that I’m most interested in. Living in the city, it is sometimes easy to forget just how enormous a bull can be, or how soft the wool on a sheep feels. So I had a wonderful time looking at the cows and sheep, poultry, llamas and so forth. Because of the “swine flu” (Influenza A H1N1) epidemic, the organisers withheld the pigs this year.

Despite that, pigs weren’t completely absent.

One highlight of this year’s show was the pig racing and diving event, otherwise known as the “flying pigs“. Several pigs were raced around a track, before they were encouraged to dive from some height into a large pool of water. The pigs seemed to love it, and so did the crowds – it was hilarious! (You can see a video here)

Another personal highlight was the display of poultry. Ever since I was a child, I have enjoyed seeing ducks and so made a special point of looking at the duck exhibit this year. There were so many breeds in this year’s show, all beautifully groomed, but photographing them was quite a challenge as many were camera-shy.

One event that aroused considerable interest was the dog judging. The effort that some people put into grooming (or should I say “decorating”) their canine friends is astounding . I tender this photograph as proof:

Aside from the animals, I was interested to see the heritage steam-powered farm equipment, much of it dating from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The culinary displays were also impressive, most especially the cake decorating. Unfortunately I missed the wood chop, which I was keen to watch.

After spending the day walking the grounds, looking at the animals and exhibits and dining on food mostly selected from the middle and upper sections of the food pyramid, I made my way home. But not before taking a dusk photo of the heritage-listed “Pie in the Sky”, which was restored with the show grounds in 2006. The Pie used to have a canteen below it, but now accommodates the Royal Melbourne Show information desk.

The Royal Melbourne Show is hosted by the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria annually. The show will return from 16-26 September, 2010. More information at royalshow.com.au.

The much-loved Safeway brand in Victoria is to be abolished.

Parent company Woolworths Limited have decided to progressively re-brand all 129 Victorian supermarkets in the coming 12 months. Coinciding with this decision is the announcement that a new Woolworths logo has been developed, but the “Fresh Food People” moniker will remain.

The Safeway Supermarket at the Melbourne suburb of Preston at dusk.

Safeway was launched in Melbourne in 1963 when the American chain of the same name bought three locally-owned supermarkets and established Australian Safeway Stores Pty Ltd. Competing locally with rival Woolworths, Safeway slowly expanded into New South Wales and Queensland whilst Woolworths continued to expand in Victoria. In 1985, Safeway Inc. sold all of its Australian operations to Woolworths and the two supermarket chains merged. At the time, Safeway was considered to be a stronger brand and so the decision was made to that all Victorian stores would be named Safeway whilst the New South Wales and Queensland stores became Woolworths. And so it was until now.

A Safeway commercial from 1989, featuring the “Red Spot Specials”.

Of course this re-naming process is not new to Tasmanians. In a situation reminiscent of the Victorian Safeway saga, Woolworths had been operating separate Roelf Vos and Purity brands (depending on which part of Tasmania they were located) since the two Tasmanian supermarket chains were acquired in the mid-1980′s. All supermarket brands were advertised as “The Fresh Food People” after 1986 and shared a common marketing strategy, which meant that national advertising jingles and campaigns had to be re-worked to fit in with the Roelf Vos and Purity identities. Eventually Woolworths came to the realisation that operating four nearly-identical brands was sheer madness and so in was in 2000 that Roelf Vos and Purity became history.

In the context of that upheaval, it remained a mystery why it was that Safeway was preserved where Roelf Vos and Purity hit the chopping block. I guess we all knew that it was simply a matter of time before Safeway suffered the same fate. Anyone who’s been into Safeway lately would have seen the subtle signs… all the own-brand products have been labelled as “Woolworths” rather than “Safeway” for quite some time.

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Old logos for Woolworths, Safeway, Purity and Roelf Vos (left) and the new Woolworths logo (right).

For most, this change is nothing more than a new name and logo. That said, I can’t help but feel a bit of nostalgia for good ol’ Safeway with it’s crazy “Red Spot Specials” (whatever that referred to) and early childhood memories of being dragged up and down its drab aisles. And then there’s that catchy jingo “We’re Safeway the Fresh Food Peeeeee-ple…“.

It’s the end of an era for sure… farewell Safeway.

For more information on the name change, you can read the Official Press Release.

One of the delights of winter in Australia is the flowering of the wattle tree (Acacia). Whilst wattle pollen causes endless days of misery for certain hay fever sufferers*, the delightful yellow flowers of the wattle adds more than a touch of colour to a drab winter landscape and serves as a reminder that spring is on its way.

Acacia glandulicarpa.

This year I’ve been surprised to discover most species of Acacia blooming in mid-July. In fact, I even found one species of wattle flowering in early May! It does make me wonder if this is not a biological response to Climate Change, because such early flowering is very unusual.

Whatever the reason for the incorrect scheduling, it is nice to wander the suburbs and appreciate the diversity and colour of the many species of wattle flowering at present. Australia has 950 indigenous species of Acacia out of a total of 1200, the remainder being native to parts of Africa. It’s therefore no surprise to find a wide range of forms, flower colours, leaf shapes and growth habits amongst this diverse group of plants.

Most Australians are familiar with Acacia pycnantha or the “Golden Wattle” which is Australia’s official floral emblem, but I want to tell you about a few different species that I like.

The first is A. willdenowiana, or the “Grass Wattle”. The common name of this Western Australian species is derived from its form, which is that of a sprawling shrub.  Acacia willdenowiana seldom grows more than 60cm in height, but can spread to more than a metre and a half wide. Like many species of wattle, this one has no leaves. Rather it uses modified leaf-stalks (called phyllodes) to perform the normal functions of a leaf. Because of the sprawling habit of this species, the bright yellow ball flowers of this are nearly sitting on the ground. With its grass-like apparance and bright flowers, the Grass Wattle is quite a curiosity.

Acacia willdenowiana grows low to the ground.

Another species that I really like is A. longifolia, which grows up to 10 metres in height. Native to the eastern states, this species has long rod-shaped inflorescences of pale yellow flowers which almost smother the tree. The branches weep slightly to give the tree a pendulant appearance and the canopy is dense, making sure that the flower display can be seen from a far distance.

Acacia longifolia provides a vivid display.

Finally, I reckon A. flexifolia is worth a mention. I spotted this species in full bloom today and it looked amazing. This species is from central New South Wales, and grows to a height of 1.5 metres. It has upright stems which blow in the breeze. When covered in vivid yellow blooms this plant is very eye-catching. Unfortunately, I seldom see this species grown in gardens which is quite a shame.

Acacia flexifolia.

Of course an article about wattles shouldn’t go without mention of A. leprosa ‘Scarlet Blaze’, but I’ve already discussed that species’ unique red flowers in a previous blog post. Yes, wattles now come in red!

Acacia leprosa ‘Scarlet Blaze’ has unique red flowers.

As you’re walking to and from work or school in coming days, please take a moment to look at the wattle trees that are flowering in your neighbourhood. Pay special attention to the shape of the leaves and the colour and form of the flowers. If you do, you’ll no doubt be amazed at the sheer diversity that this species has. From small ground-covers to massive trees, this genus really has something for everyone.

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Useful Website: If you find wattles to be of interest, I highly recommend the World Wide Wattle website which is jam-packed with useful wattle info. The site has descriptions of every Australian Acacia species as well as photographs and links to other relevant plant databases.

*Fortunately, I don’t suffer from hay fever