in the grounds and a small showring was established north of the Exhibition Building. The first Queensland Intercolonial Exhibition was declared open by Governor Cairns on Tuesday 22 August 1876 and ran until 28 August. It proved immensely popular, with a total of taken at the gate. Thereafter, the Exhibition became an annual event. In the period 1876–1888, the National Agricultural and Industrial Association of Queensland expended an estimated on the grounds. The main exhibition building was doubled in size for the 1877 exhibition and another annexe was provided for horticultural exhibits. In 1879, the National Association was awarded a lease of of the Acclimatisation Society grounds for a period of 50 years, for use as an exhibition ground. In 1881 the railway to Sandgate was constructed through the National Association and Acclimatisation Society grounds creating the Exhibition railway station. The line was later re-routed via Central Station, Brunswick Street (now known as Fortitude Valley railway station) and Bowen Hills railway station, but the Exhibition railway line still opens each year during the August show. By 1882, the Exhibition Grounds comprised all the land south, southeast and east of the railway line and bounded by Bowen Bridge Road, Gregory Terrace, Brookes Street and O'Connell Terrace. A 1000-seat capacity grandstand, designed by FDG Stanley, was erected in 1885 (not the first grandstand on the site). In 1887 a timber residence designed by GHM Addison was constructed at the corner of O'Connell Terrace and Brookes Street for the Secretary of the National Association. In 1887, the first exhibition building was destroyed by fire. The public called for it to be replaced with a masonry building, but the National Association was reluctant to commit to the necessary expenditure without more secure land tenure, against which they could borrow money for permanent exhibition buildings. In 1888 a temporary timber exhibition building was constructed for approximately , while the National Association called for competitive designs for a permanent exhibition building. Under the provisions of the National Association and Acclimatisation Society Act 1890, the land leased from the Queensland Acclimatisation Society for an exhibition ground was resumed and granted to the National Association as Trustees, who were also empowered under this act to borrow money from the Queensland Government to erect the new exhibition building. The design competition was won by GHM Addison, the Brisbane partner of the Melbourne-based firm Oakden, Addison and Kemp. In 1890