A striking copper wire coil, mounted programme covers, a display of the 1970 visit by Her Majesty The Queen and a significant Maori ko, or digging stick, are all part of Waikato Museum’s exhibition celebrating 50 years of Fieldays.

Exhibition curator Dan Morrow says conversations with New Zealand National Fieldays Inc CEO Peter Nation on how to display 50 years of Fieldays began more than a year ago “with a view to the museum doing something to mark the 50th anniversary”.

Fieldays is the largest and most visited agricultural event in the Southern Hemisphere and a lot of information had to be compressed into the available space at the museum

Press coverage from the first event in 1969 was an important starting point. A chart of the various economic and attendance statistics up until the present day is a visual reminder of how the event has grown.

“The economic impact of Fieldays is quite staggering,” says Dan.

The museum has scanned and mounted Fieldays programme covers, from 1969 to 2008, which provides an interesting journey of how design processes have changed over the decades.

Another display commemorates the 1970 visit to Fieldays, by Her Majesty The Queen, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles and Princess Anne.

Some memorabilia with Fieldays branding has been lent to the museum, including a smart green blazer worn by Fieldays Society staff at the event.

Visitors can sit down and watch a short video which explains Fieldays’ origins, introducing some of the key players from the early days, and reflecting on how it has grown over time.

A Maori ko or digging stick, carved at Turangawaewae, Ngaruawahia, has pride of place at the entrance to the exhibition.

“This was presented to Fieldays by the Maori Queen, Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu, when she opened the show in 1980,” says Dan.

The centrepiece of the exhibit is a beautiful sculpture made from reclaimed copper wire.

“It’s called ‘Origin ‘68’ by sculptor Cherise Thomson,” says Dan. “It was specially commissioned by Fieldays for the 50th anniversary, and is a reminder of the origins of Fieldays.”

The origin Dan refers to is to the vision of the original founders. In order to buy the Mystery Creek site for their event, the group of Waikato farmers required a 100 per cent loan. They used financial backers and personal guarantees, but also reportedly offered their bank coils of copper wire leftover from the initial events at Te Rapa as collateral.

‘Origin ‘68’ is a striking, huge copper wire coil, mounted on native wood panels, reclaimed from the old Fieldays’ boardroom. The ‘50 years of Fieldays’ exhibition runs to August 19, 2018.