Marjorie Chant

There are not many people who can claim to have grown up at the Royal Melbourne Show, but Marjorie Chant is one of those lucky few. She has spent each year of her life at the Show, and continues to love every minute of it.

Marjorie grew up attending the Show every year, as her parents were stall operators. She remembers: ‘My father had five stands and we operated virtually five stands all over the ground’. Her mother, uncle and step-brothers were also involved. As a small child, Marjorie had the run of the Show and she remembers exploring throughout the showgrounds, visiting different stall holders and exhibitors, and eating her fill of CWA scones.

We used to work here every day and every night. I think the pavilions used to start at 9.30 or 9.00 am and close at 9.30 pm, then we'd choof home.

As she got older, Marjorie helped at her parents’ stalls. When her father died in 1958, Marjorie and her mother pared back their commitments, but continued operating one stall. Back then, much of what was sold at the stall was handmade by Marjorie’s mother.

Mum used to work all winter. When I got a little bit older, I used to get on the treadle sewing machine and plough the dolls through. I was about six. Mum used to make the dolls all through the winter, for the stands.

In 1965, Marjorie’s mother became ill and died, and Marjorie took over the running of the stall. She later married Les Chant, a daredevil performer known as ‘Fearless Fagan’, who performed stunts on bicycles and motorbikes. After they were married, Marjorie performed stunts with Les as his pillion passenger. While Marjorie and Les’s children never got involved with stunt performing, they both worked on stalls and rides at the Show. Today, Marjorie’s son operates Chants Amusements and appears at the Royal Melbourne Show every year.

Now in her seventies, Marjorie still helps out. She says, ‘I could not sit at home and not come here to the Show. If my son didn't give me the children's area to work I'd drive him insane. And he knows it!’