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Story: Pets

Show pigeons

Image
Show pigeons

A man admires fancy pigeons at an agricultural and pastoral show in Upper Hutt, in 1951. Breeding pigeons and other birds and animals competitively began in 19th-century New Zealand with the establishment of ‘fanciers’ clubs’ in some towns.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, Dominion Post Collection (PA-Group-00685)

Reference: 114/270/09

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

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How to cite this page

Nancy Swarbrick, Pets – Pet clubs, competitions and breeders, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/19757/show-pigeons (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Nancy Swarbrick, published 1 March 2009.