Story: Horse and greyhound racing

Anniversary races

Anniversary races

Horse races were held to celebrate Otago's eighth anniversary in 1856, and were a major feature of anniversary-day festivities in other regions. Racing was very popular in New Zealand from the early days of European settlement, bringing together Māori and Pākehā, and all sections of society.

Using this item

National Library of New Zealand, Papers Past
Reference: Otago Witness, 22 March 1856, p. 2

Permission of the National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page:

Mary Mountier, 'Horse and greyhound racing - Horse racing: beginnings', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/document/38934/anniversary-races (accessed 20 April 2024)

Story by Mary Mountier, published 5 Sep 2013, updated 1 Nov 2015