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Hororāta Brass Band & Selwyn Athletic Sports Association using the First Dunsandel Hall/Library
Description
TitleHororāta Brass Band & Selwyn Athletic Sports Association using the First Dunsandel Hall/Library 
DescriptionIt was unusual for an outside group to use the Dunsandel Hall to raise money for their own funds but an advertisement appeared in the Lyttelton Times on the 26 October 1885 advertising a concert and ball by the band on Friday 30th October [1].
The report of the event [2] said that there were a fair number of patrons present and “the items on the programme were got off fairly well”.
The concert included songs, what was described as a "a Negro farce" and selections from the band.
After the concert, a ball took place, and was attended by about twenty couples who kept it going till the small hours.
The reporter praised the promoters for their performance at such short notice and added that it was the intention of the promoters to hold a ball at the same place on the night of the Selwyn sports, November 6th.
By the 4th of November a second advertisement [3] had appeared, this time with the Selwyn Athletic Sports Association, to hold a ball on the night of the Selwyn sports, November 6th.
There were two reports [4,5] of this first-time sports event but not of the ball that presumably followed.
According to one report “a howling nor’-wester blew the whole time, and greatly marred the day’s enjoyment” and the other report said “The weather was all that could be desired, there was a large attendance of visitors from the surrounding districts”.
The Hororata Band “discoursed sweet strains of music during the day” and Mr W. Blackler, late of the Selwyn Hotel, had a stall of teetotal drinks and refreshments for the inner man, which was well patronised.
Several games of chance and a merry-go-round were on the course and did a fair trade.
The various events were well contested throughout, all attracting a goodly number of competitors.
A greasy pig, which was advertised to be run for, was not forthcoming, and many were the regrets for this event that usually created a deal of interest.
There is some mystery over the location of the event as the Press reported that “it took place at Upper Selwyn, on Friday, November 6th, in a paddock adjoining the Selwyn Hotel”.
The term “Upper” is usually used to describe the location of the Selwyn School which is a distance upstream from the “Selwyn Hotel” which can refer to the hotel at the Great South Road crossing of the Selwyn River or the hotel in what today is the Selwyn Village. The Selwyn Village venue is more likely.
The sports event was again reported in 1887 [6,7] but it was now being held on December 31st in a paddock kindly granted for the occasion by Mr Brown, the manager for Mr H. Marks. It was called the North Selwyn Sports and it is not known if this was a different sports event from the earlier event.
The umpires of the sports were from the district near Selwyn Village being Messrs Parker Westenra and J.T. Wright, and the starters and handicappers were Messrs John Dilloway and T. Lochhead.
The sports owed much of their success to the interest and efforts of the members of the Committee, and to the 500-600 people who seemed to enjoy themselves. The weather was propitious.
Besides miscellaneous games and amusements, there were 32 events during the day, the most important race being for a silver cup offered through Mr P. Westenra by the late Selwyn Athletic Sports Association.
Another event very amusing to the spectators was the chase for a pig with a greased tail.
About five o’clock the company withdrew to the schoolroom, where in relays, as they could be accommodated, they were served a substantial tea. The well-loaded tables were adorned with flowers.
After the room had been cleared, and the daylight began to fail outside, many returned to the school, for dancing, which was kept up until the present year was a few hours old, when carriages were ordered. It seems that in 1887, at least the evening event was held in the Upper Selwyn School.
There are no further reports of this event but in 1887 Parker Westenra was involved in procuring a domain for Dunsandel and soon after the Dunsandel New Year’s Sports Day events started.
There is no known picture of the event but a picture of the Dunsandel Sports Event taken some 10 or so years later gives an idea of what the Selwyn Sports was like.
Mike Noonan
Dunsandel Historic Society
Date1885-1887LocationSelwyn Village, Selwyn School, Dunsandel Hall
DescriptionIt was unusual for an outside group to use the Dunsandel Hall to raise money for their own funds but an advertisement appeared in the Lyttelton Times on the 26 October 1885 advertising a concert and ball by the band on Friday 30th October [1]. The report of the event [2] said that there were a fair number of patrons present and “the items on the programme were got off fairly well”.
The concert included songs, what was described as a "a Negro farce" and selections from the band.
After the concert, a ball took place, and was attended by about twenty couples who kept it going till the small hours.
The reporter praised the promoters for their performance at such short notice and added that it was the intention of the promoters to hold a ball at the same place on the night of the Selwyn sports, November 6th.
By the 4th of November a second advertisement [3] had appeared, this time with the Selwyn Athletic Sports Association, to hold a ball on the night of the Selwyn sports, November 6th.
There were two reports [4,5] of this first-time sports event but not of the ball that presumably followed.
According to one report “a howling nor’-wester blew the whole time, and greatly marred the day’s enjoyment” and the other report said “The weather was all that could be desired, there was a large attendance of visitors from the surrounding districts”.
The Hororata Band “discoursed sweet strains of music during the day” and Mr W. Blackler, late of the Selwyn Hotel, had a stall of teetotal drinks and refreshments for the inner man, which was well patronised.
Several games of chance and a merry-go-round were on the course and did a fair trade.
The various events were well contested throughout, all attracting a goodly number of competitors.
A greasy pig, which was advertised to be run for, was not forthcoming, and many were the regrets for this event that usually created a deal of interest.
There is some mystery over the location of the event as the Press reported that “it took place at Upper Selwyn, on Friday, November 6th, in a paddock adjoining the Selwyn Hotel”.
The term “Upper” is usually used to describe the location of the Selwyn School which is a distance upstream from the “Selwyn Hotel” which can refer to the hotel at the Great South Road crossing of the Selwyn River or the hotel in what today is the Selwyn Village. The Selwyn Village venue is more likely.
The sports event was again reported in 1887 [6,7] but it was now being held on December 31st in a paddock kindly granted for the occasion by Mr Brown, the manager for Mr H. Marks. It was called the North Selwyn Sports and it is not known if this was a different sports event from the earlier event.
The umpires of the sports were from the district near Selwyn Village being Messrs Parker Westenra and J.T. Wright, and the starters and handicappers were Messrs John Dilloway and T. Lochhead.
The sports owed much of their success to the interest and efforts of the members of the Committee, and to the 500-600 people who seemed to enjoy themselves. The weather was propitious.
Besides miscellaneous games and amusements, there were 32 events during the day, the most important race being for a silver cup offered through Mr P. Westenra by the late Selwyn Athletic Sports Association.
Another event very amusing to the spectators was the chase for a pig with a greased tail.
About five o’clock the company withdrew to the schoolroom, where in relays, as they could be accommodated, they were served a substantial tea. The well-loaded tables were adorned with flowers.
After the room had been cleared, and the daylight began to fail outside, many returned to the school, for dancing, which was kept up until the present year was a few hours old, when carriages were ordered. It seems that in 1887, at least the evening event was held in the Upper Selwyn School.
There are no further reports of this event but in 1887 Parker Westenra was involved in procuring a domain for Dunsandel and soon after the Dunsandel New Year’s Sports Day events started.
There is no known picture of the event but a picture of the Dunsandel Sports Event taken some 10 or so years later gives an idea of what the Selwyn Sports was like.
Mike Noonan
Dunsandel Historic Society
Date1885-1887LocationSelwyn Village, Selwyn School, Dunsandel HallConnections
CollectionThe Patrons of the First Dunsandel Hall/LibraryPlaceHororātaOrganisationDunsandel Historic SocietyMore Information[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]
PlaceHororātaOrganisationDunsandel Historic SocietyMore Information[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]Attribution
Researched ByMike NoonanWritten ByMike Noonan
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Hororāta Brass Band & Selwyn Athletic Sports Association using the First Dunsandel Hall/Library (1885-1887). Selwyn Stories, accessed 29/05/2026, https://selwynstories.selwynlibraries.co.nz/nodes/view/5455