Brisbane's Ekka maintains its country feel amid urban development and 2032 Olympic preparations

The organisers of Brisbane's famous Ekka insist the event's beloved "country" feel can be maintained, despite increasing urban development around the showgrounds.

The oldest photo of the Ekka in the state library's collection is from 1876 and it shows a bare field surrounded by bushland.

At the time of the first show, 150 years ago, Brisbane's population was a tiny 20,000 people.

But it was a big deal.

"This was the grand social event. This was the highlight of Queensland's year in many ways," said specialist librarian India Dixon.

"A real opportunity … to show off the things they were producing and to represent what it was to be a Queenslander."

As the site in Bowen Hills continues to develop and modernise ahead of the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Ekka wants to carry on recognising its storied past.

A dagwood dog pioneer and sharpshooting grandma

Cattle, horses and horticulture displays are just some of the many popular mainstays of the Ekka. As is side show alley.

Bronwyn Bridgewater is a fourth-generation "showie".

Her great-grandfather had a merry-go-round in the 1920s, her grandparents sold dagwood dogs and her grandmother had an impressive CV as a contortionist, sharpshooter and snake handler.

Her siblings still have a dagwood dog canteen to this day, in the very same position as their forebears.

"I'm very proud of the showmen. I'm very proud of the Ekka," said Ms Bridgewater.

"But I don't feel a sense of regret.

"The atmosphere has changed … but it's just life. Everything changes. Everything has to keep improving."

An evolving show and a growing city

As Queensland changed and grew over time, so too has the Ekka.

Koala pelts were once on display, now koala hunting is banned.

Old-fashioned machinery, once considered the latest technology, has been well and truly superseded.

And the Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association (RNA), which runs the Ekka, has also had to adapt.

Its charter is to celebrate and champion the essential role agriculture plays in the everyday lives of Queenslanders.

But the 22-hectare showgrounds at Bowen Hills have also undergone a dramatic redevelopment and urbanisation in recent years to include a hotel, residential apartments and a commercial precinct.

RNA chief executive Brendan Christou said it was a strategic decision that meant the Ekka could remain in its birthplace.

"It was about making sure the RNA itself, not just the Ekka, is financially sustainable", he said.

"In other states, sometimes the shows have had to move out of the city and we really looked hard at that 15 years ago and said, we want to be in the city, and it's about the country coming to the city."

More high-rises are on the way, with 1,800 apartments to accommodate athletes during the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

It will later be converted into permanent housing.

There will be a new 20,000 seat arena, while heritage listed grandstands will get a face lift.

For only the fifth time in its history, there will be no Ekka in 2032, but the RNA chief is OK with that.

"We were happy that we're part of it and at least we get that infrastructure investment that will see us through the next 150 years," said Mr Christou.