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1920 Racing Commission Report on Racecourse and Racing in New Zealand

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Racing Commission Report published 100 years ago that may be of interest to many who have an interest in the wider Racing circles.

We must always stop and appreciate what those before us went through in life for future generations and the communities betterment.

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1921/I-II/3191

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The Report is of interest to me.

Notice how the Report said close Napier Park.  It took another forty two years for good sense to happen.

Notice how the Report said keep Takapuna but get rid of Avondale.  From my reading Takapuna was on a swamp and was a dangerous course.  These ministerial reports don't always get everything right.

I had no idea there were so many racecourses in our country a century ago.

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Fascinating piece. That Avondale Jockey Club sounded a bit shady back in the day. Quite a few clubs that were considered unnecessary back then managed to hang on for a long time, some are still going. And quite a few clubs didn't take much notice of the requirement that tracks be at least 1,600m around.  I wonder where the Mackenzie racing club raced? Fairlie or thereabouts I suppose.

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Notice how they suggested that the Reefton track be extended to a one mile circumference, when funds allow.  100 years later and it is still 6 furlongs around, and a great day out.  But I wonder what will happen when the hugely enthusiastic committee get to be replaced.

Actually, I think the diversity of racecourses is wonderful.  Reefton looks to me like a track that if you had a squib that can negotiate sharp curves and sprint like hell, it would be the only course in the country for it.  I had a big each way bet on such a squib there 15 months ago.  It was four lengths clear with a 100 metres to go and it could not run a place.  But, afterwards,  the president shouted me a couple of stubbies so it was okay.

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The earliest hubs of New Zealand racing were in the Tasman and Taranaki regions.

The doyen of NZ owners was an English gentleman Henry Redwood who st things up in Nelson in 1850's then in 1860's  helped establish racing  at Riccarton.

In 1874 Aucklanders set up Ellerslie and started steeplechasing there.

In South Island the gold rushes etc saw many clubs established.

'Tapestry of Turf' by J Costello and P  Finnigan state that by 1884 there was 46 clubs South of Waitaki River holding 73 days racing.

 

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Thanks fellow Racecafers & glad you enjoyed reading that report.

 If you want to learn more about where exactly each Racecourse was one of the easiest ways is to search the name of the Racecourse in a 5-10 year time frame of it being established as it will have the lead up discussions and subsequent history tucked away in the above link.

Often a road is named after the land owner/ occupier of the time, usually a Farmer who as we know from Snow Lupton  & Kiwi days rode horses on the farms not Quad bikes to get from A to B.

One of those tracks was in Wantwood (?) in the Fairlie region from memory.

 There's an incredible wealth of history on Racing in Papers Past & the A to J section.

 It has the names of all the Club members & their roles.

When you find those names you can also find further info on those people using their names.

No need for sniping abt different clubs and what they may or may not be or have bc the reality is in the era of this report through to the 1960's life in the world was quite different.

 It was very common for people to collapse & die of thirst & malnutrition as they tried to go about their lives in New Zealand.

Means of transport, roading etc was quite different with cars  having barely been invented , bridle tracks & muddy tracks for roads...

Much of what is now protected Wetlands was swampland.

The stone fences were created with rocks hand dug out of the land as they didn't have the materials we have like No 8 wire, no bulk produced fencing materials, hence also the use of various plant life for fencing as per early fencing acts. 

Those are simple things NO person in New Zealand in this era has ever experienced like those people did. 

Next time one thinks about closing race tracks, spare a thought why we have them in the communities we do and who helped establish them in that era.

Sports are more important than ever to be embraced for Public health. 

 

 

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Tassie the first clubs to race in NZ were Nelson and Wanganui. the latter still on the original course. The jockeys were in the main military and the best one was Major Kemp a Maori. The WJC was established in 1848.

There was a lot of heats and a good horse would race 3 times a day

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1 hour ago, Nerula said:

Tassie the first clubs to race in NZ were Nelson and Wanganui. the latter still on the original course. The jockeys were in the main military and the best one was Major Kemp a Maori. The WJC was established in 1848.

There was a lot of heats and a good horse would race 3 times a day

Nelson is where  Lord Nelson (who Nelson is named after ) Colonel Wakefield, Major Needham, Richmond, Kinzett and Plant Families all were living in the early to mid 1800's.

Some of these names are related by marriage now.

There's some interesting history for you all.

Some of you may recall in the late 1980's an "Unsigned copy of the Treaty of Waitangi Document" surfaced which caused much discussion as to it's authenticity, it is known as the Littlewood Treaty document.

All ties in with what was going on in the Nelson region in the early part of the 1800's.

It's incredible the wealth of knowledge and records tucked away in these archives.

The beauty of such a website is it's simple for all to navigate and locate in a jiffy related info one is after with using one or two keywords, selected years and preview pages.

Like Racing, it's a fabulous addiction to have reading these archives.

Have a great day!

 

 

 

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Nelson Races 1847

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NENZC18470320.2.7

 

Now, a wee role you can all play here, in that Commission Report is the list of ALL those Racecourses, how about as a Team of 5 Million united New Zealanders, we all go through that list, find the earliest references to those Racecourses establishment and why we have Horse Racing in our communities as part of the betterment of Society.

It may go some way to help educate others and for the betterment of Future Generations to learn, learn, learn!!

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Auckland Races - Epsom 1841

Note the names and be mindful that parts of Epsom, like across other places boundaries have changed over the years as land was divided up.

Auckland Races Epsom 5 January 1841

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZHAG18411201.2.16.3

Advert for meeting to create Turf Club - held at The Exchange Hotel...it still is standing in Parnell!

Gosh the stories told in these establishments

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DSC18490512.2.6.1

 

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How many of you can beat Mr Sergeant Best's words?
May we assume he was what we now call a Police Sergeant?

Nelson Races on what was previously Wastelands - there is a Wastelands Bill/  Act for that that subsequently is referenced to in the Reserves and Domains Acts

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NENZC18480318.2.6

 

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Burnham Water & Lyall's Bay Racecourse formation in the Wellington Region - 1847

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WI18471002.2.6

Te Aro Flat - Mr Ludlam's property must have been located alongside the Racecourse for him to have built a stand for viewing in his garden.

Is his property still there?

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZGWS18420126.2.6

 

 

 

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