Processions and Carnivals were held for many different events throughout history – dignitary and royalty visits, celebrations of peace and victory, remembrance of the passing of soldiers and pioneers, or commemorating anniversaries. Take a look through our slideshow of carnival and procession events from Gympie over the years.

The ‘Shop Assistant’s Carnival’ was held from around 1902 to 1915, although some years it may not have been held (no reportings of it in The Gympie Times some years). The carnival came about from reduced working hours effected in the Factories and Shop Act 1900. In early 1901, the Gympie region business community discussed, actioned and announced by advertisement their newly reduced business hours.

In The Gympie Times on 10 August 1901, in the ‘Notes and News’ section, three local businesses (Harris and Co., J. S. Cullinane, and Newbery and Shambler) announced that they were, in the future, closing their premises at 9 o’clock on Saturday nights in accordance with the Act.

The Gympie Times also reported that the provisions of the Act relating to the hours of businesses and shops, resulted that “with exception of any exempt, must close at 6 o’clock on the weeknights, 1 o’clock on Thursdays and 9 o’clock on Saturday nights”. It was also mentioned that these conditions were law and evasion was liable to prosecution.