Cooma’s first Show is thought to have been held in 1870 or ’71, the main centre of the exhibition being held in what is now Cooma Centennial Park.

In 1875 the venue was changed to the Police paddock, and this was the first Show run by the P & A Association.

In 1885 an area of five acres – originally part of the Common – was granted for the Show Ground (part of this land is now used as the Railway Goods Yard). A committee was formed to build a pavilion there and work started on the building in ’86. But the railway was being extended to Cooma and the Show Ground was required for the railway station. So a new, 12-acre, site was found, and the Cooma Show Ground is still at that site today.

The railway arranged for the pavilion to be moved to the new site. The pavilion was the only building of any size in Cooma, and it was used for balls, concerts, skating, socials and so on, until it was destroyed by fire in 1987.

The original section of the sheep shed was built in the early 1900s and is still in use. Prior to that time, the pavilion was used to house the sheep.

After the fire of 1987 a new Multi Function Centre was built on the site of the old Pavilion.