Youth violence forces lockdown and early closure of historic Perth agricultural show

Dozens of juveniles attempted to enter the Kelmscott Agricultural Show, leading to padlocked gates and an early end to the 100-year-old family event

By LineZotpaper

Published18 October 2026

Read Time2 min

Fighting among youths forced the Kelmscott Agricultural Show into lockdown and an early closure on Saturday evening, with police called after dozens of juveniles tried to enter the venue. The 100-year-old family event was padlocked shut at about 5pm as security staff ejected disruptive individuals.

The Kelmscott Agricultural Show, a family event featuring rides, showbags, log-chopping and livestock exhibitions, was disrupted on Saturday when fighting between groups of youths escalated throughout the day. Police were called to Rushton Park on River Road just after 4pm following reports of a large group of juveniles causing a disturbance.

Kelmscott Agricultural Society president Daryl Dawes said the trouble began with youths entering the grounds and starting fights. "We ejected people that were causing disruptions in the show and it built up, out on River Road it just got worse and worse so unfortunately we had to go into a lockdown," he said.

Mr Dawes said all gates were physically padlocked until police could deal with the situation outside, where between 50 and 70 juveniles were trying to gain entry. Some juveniles walked between the River Road and Orlando Street entrances, cutting fences and cable ties in attempts to get in.

"Our security team did a great job ... anyone that got in was very quickly ejected," he said. The crowd dispersed rapidly after police arrived. A police spokesperson said no charges were laid, but one juvenile received a caution for disorderly behaviour.

Mr Dawes described the trouble as "disappointing", noting it was the first time in his eight years as president that the event had gone into lockdown. The Kelmscott Agricultural Show has been running for more than a century.

Analysis

Why This Matters

The incident disrupts a 100-year-old community tradition and raises questions about safety at family events
The lockdown and early closure affect local businesses, exhibitors and families who rely on the show
Police response and any future security changes may set a precedent for similar agricultural shows across the region

Background

The Kelmscott Agricultural Show is an annual event in the Perth suburb of Kelmscott, organised by the Kelmscott Agricultural Society. It has been running for more than 100 years and features traditional attractions such as rides, showbags, log-chopping and livestock exhibitions. The show is intended as a family-friendly occasion. Saturday evening's disruption was the first lockdown in the eight years of the current president's tenure.

Key Perspectives

Show organisers: Daryl Dawes expressed disappointment but praised security staff for quickly ejecting disruptive individuals. The decision to lock down was made to ensure safety after the situation outside escalated. Police: Officers responded to reports of a disturbance by a large group of juveniles. One juvenile received a caution for disorderly behaviour; no charges have been laid. Critics/Skeptics: While no specific critics are quoted, some community members may view the incident as a sign of wider youth disorder requiring stronger policing or security measures at public events.

What to Watch

Whether police increase patrols or lay charges following further investigation
How the Kelmscott Agricultural Society adjusts security arrangements for future shows
Whether other agricultural shows in Western Australia adopt similar lockdown protocols

Sources

Violence forces lockdown, early closure of Perth agricultural show · Just In

Checked

12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.

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SupportedYouth violence forces lockdown and early closure of historic Perth agricultural showJust In: “Violence forces lockdown, early closure of Perth agricultural show. Fighting between groups of youths forced a long-running Perth agricultural show into lockdown and an eventual early closure on Saturday evening.”
SupportedDozens of juveniles attempted to enter the Kelmscott Agricultural Show, leading to padlocked gates and an early end to the 100-year-old family eventJust In: “Police were called to the show on Saturday afternoon as dozens of youths tried to enter the venue ... 'All of our gates got shut … physically padlocked shut' ... family event that has been running for more than 100 years”
SupportedFighting among youths forced the Kelmscott Agricultural Show into lockdown and an early closure on Saturday eveningJust In: “Fighting between groups of youths forced a long-running Perth agricultural show into lockdown and an eventual early closure on Saturday evening.”
SupportedPolice were called after dozens of juveniles tried to enter the venueJust In: “Police were called to the show on Saturday afternoon as dozens of youths tried to enter the venue”
SupportedThe 100-year-old family event was padlocked shut at about 5pm as security staff ejected disruptive individualsJust In: “'All of our gates got shut … physically padlocked shut' ... show went into lockdown about 5pm ... 'We ejected people that were causing disruptions in the show'”
SupportedPolice were called to Rushton Park on River Road just after 4pm following reports of a large group of juveniles causing a disturbanceJust In: “Police said they received reports of a large group of juveniles causing a disturbance at the show just after 4pm. ... Rushton Park on River Road”
SupportedKelmscott Agricultural Society president Daryl Dawes said the trouble began with youths entering the grounds and starting fightsJust In: “Mr Dawes said fights between youths inside the showgrounds escalated throughout the day ... 'Over the day we had some issues with youth coming in and causing fights on the grounds'”
SupportedMr Dawes said all gates were physically padlocked until police could deal with the situation outside, where between 50 and 70 juveniles were trying to gain entryJust In: “'All of our gates got shut … physically padlocked shut until we had a police presence to deal with what was going on outside.' ... between 50 and 70 juveniles trying to enter the venue”
SupportedSome juveniles walked between the River Road and Orlando Street entrances, cutting fences and cable ties in attempts to get inJust In: “some of the juveniles were walking between the show's River Road entrance and it's Orlando Street entrance, looking for weak points and cutting fences and cable ties to try and gain entry”
SupportedA police spokesperson said no charges were laid, but one juvenile received a caution for disorderly behaviourJust In: “A police spokesperson said no charges had been laid, but one juvenile received a caution for disorderly behaviour.”
SupportedMr Dawes described the trouble as 'disappointing', noting it was the first time in his eight years as president that the event had gone into lockdownJust In: “Mr Dawes described the trouble as 'disappointing', saying that it was the first time in his eight years as president of the society that the event had gone into lockdown.”
SupportedThe Kelmscott Agricultural Show has been running for more than a centuryJust In: “The Kelmscott Agricultural Show is a family event that has been running for more than 100 years”