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Sport and Recreation in Ellesmere
Description
NameSport and Recreation
DescriptionWelcome to the collection of stories around sport and recreation in Ellesmere, through the heritage panel at the tuna (eel) sculpture at Leeston.
The communities of Ellesmere have a long tradition of sporting activity. European settlers established many clubs for sports such as cricket, rugby and tennis, and later lawn bowls, cycling, and golf which remain popular today. Most of the smaller local districts had teams, often for short periods, before World War One (1914-1918). Competitions were also held for chess, draughts and card games at this time.
The district’s farming identity also flowed through to sport, and prior to World War One, it was common to see competitions for sheaf-throwing and guessing the weight of a sheep, alongside contests for caber-tossing and quoits. Horse-racing and trotting were popular in the area, and horse-drawn ploughing matches, originally organised by the Ellesmere Agriculture and Pastoral Association, were competitive and helped improve farming practice.
The cycling track built at Leeston Park in 1898 was known as one of the best in the Southern Hemisphere, hosting cycling events organised by the local clubs including successful world record-breaking attempts. Women’s hockey was popular in the 1930s until basketball, then netball, took its place.
From the 1870s, annual aquatic sports at Fishermans Point and the Timberyards were well attended, with competitions including men’s and women’s rowing and swimming. More recently, water-skiing and jet boat racing have been popular.
Once motor vehicles arrived in the 1920s, people could travel across the district and beyond to play and watch different sports, and bring new ones back. Competitions covered wider areas. Cricket clubs between the Rakaia River and Hurunui now play in one competition and rugby formed the Ellesmere Sub-Union in 1906. The main rugby competition now includes Mid- and North Canterbury, and Hurunui clubs.Date2024
DescriptionWelcome to the collection of stories around sport and recreation in Ellesmere, through the heritage panel at the tuna (eel) sculpture at Leeston.The communities of Ellesmere have a long tradition of sporting activity. European settlers established many clubs for sports such as cricket, rugby and tennis, and later lawn bowls, cycling, and golf which remain popular today. Most of the smaller local districts had teams, often for short periods, before World War One (1914-1918). Competitions were also held for chess, draughts and card games at this time.
The district’s farming identity also flowed through to sport, and prior to World War One, it was common to see competitions for sheaf-throwing and guessing the weight of a sheep, alongside contests for caber-tossing and quoits. Horse-racing and trotting were popular in the area, and horse-drawn ploughing matches, originally organised by the Ellesmere Agriculture and Pastoral Association, were competitive and helped improve farming practice.
The cycling track built at Leeston Park in 1898 was known as one of the best in the Southern Hemisphere, hosting cycling events organised by the local clubs including successful world record-breaking attempts. Women’s hockey was popular in the 1930s until basketball, then netball, took its place.
From the 1870s, annual aquatic sports at Fishermans Point and the Timberyards were well attended, with competitions including men’s and women’s rowing and swimming. More recently, water-skiing and jet boat racing have been popular.
Once motor vehicles arrived in the 1920s, people could travel across the district and beyond to play and watch different sports, and bring new ones back. Competitions covered wider areas. Cricket clubs between the Rakaia River and Hurunui now play in one competition and rugby formed the Ellesmere Sub-Union in 1906. The main rugby competition now includes Mid- and North Canterbury, and Hurunui clubs.
Date2024Collection
Attribution
Sport and Recreation in Ellesmere (2024). Selwyn Stories, accessed 02/05/2026, https://selwynstories.selwynlibraries.co.nz/nodes/view/6195
