The Bathurst Showground site has been used for agricultural purposes since the founding of the settlement in 1815. It was the site of the c.1833 cattle market and was first used for the purposes of conducting the annual Bathurst Agricultural Show in 1878. Since then the show, with exceptions, has been held every year on these grounds.
Today the Bathurst Showground is still used predominantly for agricultural, livestock and various equestrian purposes, but the facilities are also increasingly used by the wider community of the Bathurst region.