Know your town

Plenty of room for sport in the 1900s

Over the last hundred years Martinborough has been the home of well over sixty sports clubs and community organisations. Some sports people have done very well, All Blacks, golf greats etc, even though “coming from a back water” as one representative put it.

A 1928 Martinborough promotion described Martinborough as being ‘eleven miles from Featherston with a population of 970. Excellent red deer stalking, pig and duck shooting within reasonable distances. Golf and tennis (no mention of other sports) and first class roads’.

The first sports area was at the race course which is now the golf course. The land was purchased by the Lower Valley Jockey Club in 1892 at a price of six pounds and acre ( 2013 = $985) . The Tote turnover for the 1909 Race day was a credible 2,973 pounds (2013 = $474,462). However in the following year the club was not re-allocated a licence and was disbanded.

The race course grounds were also used for horse and pony events, town picnics, athletics, bands, football and coursing ( hunting hares with greyhound dogs). The shooting butts were also in this area and the Collie Club was at Hillside. This club, which has now been going for over a hundred years, is now located at the top of Dry River Road.

In the early 1900s rugby, soccer and hockey were played in the area bounded by Cork, Oxford, Sackville and Naples Streets. The only remaining sport there now is the rifle club in the old powerhouse building.

The Town Board bought up sections as they became available in 1914, 1920, 1922 and 1947 to form Considine Park. In 1920 a Draft paper of suggestion for use of the park included; tennis courts, bowling greens, swimming baths, cricket, both codes of football, skating and curling ponds, athletic and bicycle sports. In 1956 the council received a request for a cricket pitch for that season.

In 1927 the Association Football Club was unable to continue to use Mr S Wall’s land and requested the Race Course Trust to purchase 13 acres beside the saleyards, which was currently on the market, for a town sports ground. The purchase was made and a Board of Control consisting of two representatives each from the rugby, soccer and cricket clubs set up.

The land remained in the name of the Race Course Trust Chairman W B Martin. Conditions of use were that the clubs pay the rates and maintain the grounds and fences. These remained in force until the land was handed over to the council to become Puruatanga Park and Coronation Park. While the clubs had no objection to Considine Park they were only allowed to charge an admission fee there on ten days a year whereas they were able to charge any time at the new parks.

These days cricket and netball are played at the school grounds with rugby and soccer being played at Puruatanga Park.

Mate Higginson