The Circus Comes to Town

The Day the Circus Came to Town

The arrival of a travelling circus was always an exciting event in Uki! This open paddock across from the war memorial was where the big tops would rise, bringing wonder and entertainment to the village. Children would watch with wide-eyed amazement as the huge tents went up, promising exotic animals and daring performances.

One particularly memorable visit was when Sole Bros. Circus came to Uki before moving on to Nimbin. Their truck had broken down, forcing them to walk some of their animals along the road—an extraordinary sight for the locals!

The Elephant Parade

Imagine the excitement of village children as they watched elephants walking together through Uki, the massive animals gently touching each other with their trunks. The youngsters ran alongside these magnificent beasts until they grew tired and reluctantly returned home, the memory of this unusual procession etched forever in their minds.

Horses in a Panic

While the circus brought joy to many, not all local residents were pleased. When the local horses caught the unfamiliar scent of camels walking past, they went absolutely berserk! The terrified horses tried desperately to escape, pushing through or jumping over fences in their panic.

As one local farmer remembered: "Oh, how angry Dad was that his horses got hurt from trying to push through or over fences trying to get away. We had to walk for miles looking for those horses and bring them home. What a drama! The neighbours grumbled for months about having to fix the broken fences."

After that incident, Uki farmers learned to move their horses to back paddocks whenever the circus came to town!