Sport snapshots history

One thing in New Zealand - and Carterton in particular - that clearly hasn't changed in more than a century is the ability to make a game out of just about anything.

As the nation hosts the world's premier tournament of our national sport, Carterton is preparing a display of images and stories from various pastimes in times past.

The Carterton District Historical Society is organising an exhibition celebrating sport and recreation - the theme for this year's Heritage Month, held each September in Wellington and Wairarapa.

A collection of photographs and documents will be displayed from Thursday to Sunday at the exhibition building in Holloway St.

Rugby is included, along with the usual suspects of cricket, netball and racing, but also features marching, rifle shooting, brass bands and roller skates, according to secretary-treasurer Maureen Leach.

There are stacks of antique team photos, and through her research Mrs Leach has uncovered some interesting yarns about the antics of our forebears.

The Carterton Brass Band, for example, was not at first a symbol of civic tradition and district pride.

In 1878, when the band was formed, it was not met with universal approval; some complained about its practice of marching up and down High St.

"The local constable was obliged to act, so he charged members of the band with obstructing the public highway by playing band music," Mrs Leach said. The historians have a 1904 photograph showing a sizeable crew posing with everything from cornets to tubas.

Rifle shooting in Carterton has an even older history, with the club's first recorded mention a challenge from Masterton to a match on Queen's Birthday, 1871.

A challenge from further afield came in 1894 from Suva, Fiji - each club planned to shoot at its own range on the same day and compare scores.

Another interesting sports tale was of a nameless "Maori motorcyclist" who in 1919 attempted to exceed 100mp/h and set a world speed record along Carterton's Lincoln Road. He missed by just three-fifths of a second.

Further details go to: www.wellingtonheritagepromotions.org.nz