Aerial view of the side-show area at the Royal National Show, Brisbane.

The first ride opened in Sideshow Alley in 1877. It was a classic merry-go-round, not quite as fast as the adrenaline-pumping rides of today, but it was a new technology at the time and created a lot of excitement. In the next two years, show-goers would be introduced to telephones, microphones and electric lights.