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1870 1st Year of the Ellesmere Agricultural & Pastoral Association
Description
Title1870 1st Year of the Ellesmere Agricultural & Pastoral Association
DescriptionThe first show (the term “exhibition” was used for the early shows) was held in the Leeston publican’s (J.J. Loe) paddock, opposite the hotel in Southbridge, on Thursday January 5th 1871.
The show was held on a Thursday for many years.
The Canterbury Yeomanry Cavalry (CYC) Band was advertised to play from noon until 5pm and this started a tradition of bands entertaining at shows to this day. 2 January 1871 p4 CHP
Of the sheep, 5 breeds were recognised with their own classes, Leicester, Cotswold, Lincoln, Romney Marsh and Southdown and finally a class for any other short-wool breed.
Fat sheep were also recognised with a class for Merino wethers and two for other breeds.
The cattle were not divided into breeds but rather by sex, age and if they were bred in the district.
Horses were divided into Blood Stock, Draughts, Carriage horses, Hackneys and Ponies.
Special prizes were given, but only in the horse section and in two of the three classes they had to be the progeny of a specified horse.
The pigs were divided into classes by sex and age and implements into Plough of any make, Double-Furrow Plough, Pair of Heavy Harrows, Farm Cart, Churn and Reaping Machine.
Entry fees were double for non-members and had to arrive at Loe’s hotel in Leeston not later than Saturday 31st December 1870. [7 December 1870 p3 LT]
Charles Clark, a local auctioneer, advertised that he would be auctioning live and dead stock at the show. This he continued. [28 December 1870 p4, 27 December 1871 p4 LT, 18 December 1872 p4 LT]
Some started out for the show at 6 am from Christchurch to assist this inaugural show.
About 10am the very heavy clouds cleared almost entirely away, and the day was all that could be desired.
The departments were arranged around the boundary of the paddock with the refreshment booth in the centre with the side shows, including wheels of fortune and stalls of nuts and sweetmeats, close by.
It was estimated that 500 people attended, some even from Kaiapoi and Woodend. The majority of people from Christchurch came by coach specially put on by Mr Cowan, but there were also a good number of private traps.
The show was a great success with some minor hitches.
The comments on the animals in this first show were echoed down the years.
Sheep numbers were “creditable” and on the whole of excellent quality but cattle were “scarcely so good as would have been expected in a district possessing so much fine land”.
The reporter commented on the difficulty experienced by the judges who had to compare shorn sheep with those with full fleeces. This was particularly evident in the Leicester ram class.
The show of horses “was numerous, and in draught stock exceedingly good”. In carriage horses there was a fair show but with room for improvement.
The show of pigs was generally very good and compared very favourably with the Christchurch show. [6 January 1871 p2 CHP, 6 January 1871 p2 LT]
A Southbridge man, Mr Webster, was congratulated on his reaping machine.
The large tent that held the Horticultural Society’s display was also a centre of attraction.
Their classes included fruit, cut flowers, pot plants, vegetables, dairy and other produce and poultry.
The show, as a whole, was “very highly creditable to a district so recently brought under cultivation; very many of the exhibits would have done credit to a horticultural society of much longer standing”.
“Upon the whole, a little more opportunity, a little more energy and skill applied with equal discretion, will raise Southbridge Show to a highly creditable position among the horticultural shows of the province”. [6 January 1871 p2 LT]
After the Show an excellent and substantial dinner was provided in the Southbridge Schoolroom for upwards of 80 quests, by J.J. Low of Southbridge and Leeston Hotels. After the meal numerous speeches were made, and toast were drunk with "musical honours". The group separated shortly before midnight. [1971-01-07 p2 LT]
Mike Noonan
Ellesmere Historical Society
Date1870-Jan1871SourcePapers PastLocationSouthbridge
DescriptionThe first show (the term “exhibition” was used for the early shows) was held in the Leeston publican’s (J.J. Loe) paddock, opposite the hotel in Southbridge, on Thursday January 5th 1871.The show was held on a Thursday for many years.
The Canterbury Yeomanry Cavalry (CYC) Band was advertised to play from noon until 5pm and this started a tradition of bands entertaining at shows to this day. 2 January 1871 p4 CHP
Of the sheep, 5 breeds were recognised with their own classes, Leicester, Cotswold, Lincoln, Romney Marsh and Southdown and finally a class for any other short-wool breed.
Fat sheep were also recognised with a class for Merino wethers and two for other breeds.
The cattle were not divided into breeds but rather by sex, age and if they were bred in the district.
Horses were divided into Blood Stock, Draughts, Carriage horses, Hackneys and Ponies.
Special prizes were given, but only in the horse section and in two of the three classes they had to be the progeny of a specified horse.
The pigs were divided into classes by sex and age and implements into Plough of any make, Double-Furrow Plough, Pair of Heavy Harrows, Farm Cart, Churn and Reaping Machine.
Entry fees were double for non-members and had to arrive at Loe’s hotel in Leeston not later than Saturday 31st December 1870. [7 December 1870 p3 LT]
Charles Clark, a local auctioneer, advertised that he would be auctioning live and dead stock at the show. This he continued. [28 December 1870 p4, 27 December 1871 p4 LT, 18 December 1872 p4 LT]
Some started out for the show at 6 am from Christchurch to assist this inaugural show.
About 10am the very heavy clouds cleared almost entirely away, and the day was all that could be desired.
The departments were arranged around the boundary of the paddock with the refreshment booth in the centre with the side shows, including wheels of fortune and stalls of nuts and sweetmeats, close by.
It was estimated that 500 people attended, some even from Kaiapoi and Woodend. The majority of people from Christchurch came by coach specially put on by Mr Cowan, but there were also a good number of private traps.
The show was a great success with some minor hitches.
The comments on the animals in this first show were echoed down the years.
Sheep numbers were “creditable” and on the whole of excellent quality but cattle were “scarcely so good as would have been expected in a district possessing so much fine land”.
The reporter commented on the difficulty experienced by the judges who had to compare shorn sheep with those with full fleeces. This was particularly evident in the Leicester ram class.
The show of horses “was numerous, and in draught stock exceedingly good”. In carriage horses there was a fair show but with room for improvement.
The show of pigs was generally very good and compared very favourably with the Christchurch show. [6 January 1871 p2 CHP, 6 January 1871 p2 LT]
A Southbridge man, Mr Webster, was congratulated on his reaping machine.
The large tent that held the Horticultural Society’s display was also a centre of attraction.
Their classes included fruit, cut flowers, pot plants, vegetables, dairy and other produce and poultry.
The show, as a whole, was “very highly creditable to a district so recently brought under cultivation; very many of the exhibits would have done credit to a horticultural society of much longer standing”.
“Upon the whole, a little more opportunity, a little more energy and skill applied with equal discretion, will raise Southbridge Show to a highly creditable position among the horticultural shows of the province”. [6 January 1871 p2 LT]
After the Show an excellent and substantial dinner was provided in the Southbridge Schoolroom for upwards of 80 quests, by J.J. Low of Southbridge and Leeston Hotels. After the meal numerous speeches were made, and toast were drunk with "musical honours". The group separated shortly before midnight. [1971-01-07 p2 LT]
Mike Noonan
Ellesmere Historical Society
Date1870-Jan1871SourcePapers PastLocationSouthbridgeConnections
CollectionEarly History of the Ellesmere Agricultural and Pastoral AssociationOrganisationEllesmere Historical Society
OrganisationEllesmere Historical SocietyAttribution
Researched ByMike NoonanWritten ByMike Noonan
Written ByMike NoonanClick on the image to add
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1870 1st Year of the Ellesmere Agricultural & Pastoral Association (1870-Jan1871). Selwyn Stories, accessed 20/05/2026, https://selwynstories.selwynlibraries.co.nz/nodes/view/5716