This year marks the 140th Ekka, and in an age when our culture and identity are increasingly being overtaken by American sitcoms and bad rap music, the Ekka is needed now more than ever.
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As Queenslanders, we need to maintain our own unique identity, and nothing is more quintessentially Queensland - not even our cricketing Bulls, nor our State of Origin side - than the Ekka.
Why is this so? Because it is the one Queensland institution that not only represents us collectively, but which represents all the individual parts and places that go together to make up our state.
Queensland is more than Brisbane, the Gold Coast, and the Sunshine Coast, even if those living in the south-east corner sometimes forget that.
Queensland is the frosty Granite Belt, the cotton fields and wheat crops of the Maranoa, and the rugged beauty of the Channel Country. It is also the cattle properties and the coal mines of central Queensland, the endless expanses of the Gulf Country, and the rainforests and coral reefs of the far north.
Thirty or 40 years ago, it seemed that everyone in Brisbane had some connection with Queensland outside the city. Everyone had an uncle or aunt, a cousin, or a grandparent who lived somewhere in the bush. Kids took trips to visit their relatives, or to go camping somewhere beyond the metropolis. However, that now seems less and less common.
The Ekka is our best and only chance, in the city, to appreciate the way of life lived outside the south-east corner.
It is also an opportunity to understand how much of our productive wealth is a direct consequence of the regions outside our immediate vicinity.
Children in particular need to understand how their meat and dairy produce make their way to the kitchen bench, and where the wool and cotton for their clothes originate.
That's why I have always taken my own children to the cattle judging, and to the animal pavilions to have an "up close and personal experience" with farm animals that they would otherwise rarely see.
The Ekka truly offers something for everyone, and much for all.
It is truly a show for the people, and attending the Ekka is a tradition and a memory passed on from one generation to the next. I recall the trouble my parents went to when I was a kid to ensure I went on the rides, got some sample bags, saw the ring show, and ate far too many dagwood dogs than good for me.
I defy any parent not to find something at which their children can marvel among the 1750 head of beef cattle, the 217 breeds of dogs, 50 breeds of cats, and endless fine arts competitions.
Of course the Ekka changes too, and that's part of its enduring appeal. With a well-known terror of amusement rides, I am thankful that the chair lift is a thing of the past, however, I welcome the newer attractions of the show.
With Brisbane residents having a well-developed taste for good food, the Royal Queensland Steakhouse is one such feature. Its menu is exclusively Queensland derived, and features the produce from the medal winners at the Royal Queensland Food and Wine Show.
As for me, I look forward to looking at some bulls, catching up with old friends, and showing off my eldest son's successes in the fine arts competitions.
The Ekka - it wouldn't be Queensland without it.
