The Last Mile

Who doesn't remember the sights, sounds, and smells of their local agricultural or royal show? Fairy floss and Ferris wheels, haunted houses and white-knuckle rides, games of skill and chance. The heat. The dust. The crowds. It was a day of excitement and an assault on the senses for young and old alike, where pockets were emptied and arms filled with show bags.

The Last Miles: Tales of a Travelling Showman is the true story of Rod Coomber and covers a million miles and fifty years, from 1953 to 2003. Rod's story takes you behind the scenes and into the canvas-backed world of the 'showie', where he and his wife, Thelma, and their two young daughters travelled through country towns and bustling cities working in the ever-popular sideshow alley.

Rod's story offers a fascinating insight into a little-known lifestyle: it was a life of uncertainty and freedom, adaptability and endurance. Join Rod on this trip down memory lane and witness the evolution of the show era in Australia. From the optimism, growth, and prosperity of the 1950s to the changing attitudes of the 1960s, 70s, 80s and beyond.