during 1927 a rodeo organised in adelaide, south australia attracted an estimated 50,000 spectators. melbourne staged a wild west show in 1934 which hired top australian riders as well as a number of visiting cowboys. following the success of the rodeo events at the melbourne show the royal agricultural society of new south wales (nsw) planned an international rodeo for its 1935 sydney royal easter show and continued to invite international cowboys to its show.