Honey Competition History

The practice of keeping bees and the production of honey and beeswax is known as apiculture. The long tradition of apiculture judging at the Show began in 1870 when honey was first exhibited. There were two entries that year in a Honey class that appeared in a section called ‘Food – Fresh, Preserved, or in Various States of Preservation’. There Honey stayed, appearing most years until 1899 when it was moved to the Farm Produce section.

In 1901 Apiculture split from the Farm Produce section to become an independent competition, however in 1913 it was taken over again, this time by the Agriculture section. It remained there until 1962 when it was combined with Dairy Produce to become the ‘Dairy Produce and Apiculture’ section. Apiculture next migrated to become part of Hams, Bacon, and Smallgoods between 1993-1994, before finally becoming its own section again in 1995.

In 2010 the section changed names from Apiculture to the ‘National Honey Show’ and commercial classes were introduced. Classes for schools commenced in 2011.

Classes for honey (comb, creamed, chunk, liquid and granulated), beeswax, small producers and collections have been consistent for many years and in 2000, classes were introduced for candles, wax moulds, mead and pollen.

Live bee demonstrations in the Beezeebo in the Dome began in 2010, however, this was by no means the first time working bees were seen at the Show. A bee display was put on in 1887, and the following year a special prize was offered for ‘the best display of honey Bees at work, together with collection of hives and other things pertaining to bee-keeping’.

The National Honey Show is the only national show in the Southern Hemisphere to award gold, silver and bronze medals.

Miscellaneous historical facts

• In 1876 the single class for apiculture was: ‘Honey (in comb and bottle), Beehives, and things appertaining to Bees’. It had three entries, two of which were from New Caledonia.
• In 1890 there was a specific class for the exhibit of Native Bees of Australia for the first time, as well as a class for ‘the exhibit of Cicadae of Sydney’. (Cicadae is the plural of cicada, commonly called locusts at that time.)
• Honey was among the produce listed as part of judging for the first District Exhibits competition in 1900.
• As of 2020, Australia’s 30,000 registered beekeepers were producing an average of 30,000 tonnes of honey per year, depending on seasonal variation. The value of the Australian bee industry was estimated to at $100 million annually.