It is well-known that in the last two decades of the 19th century, southern Island Bay included a race course which encircled an area known as the Island Bay Park, but apart from the fact that it was a financial failure, little is known about the actual history of the course.  

The following article is largely based on news items from Wellington's Evening Post in Papers Past, online at the National Library, and is a summary of a much longer account which is to be found in the Southern Bays Historical Society Collection.

The first item I found concerning the racecourse is an announcement on 25 September 1882 that persons interested in sport were invited to a meeting on 27 September at Mr W. G. Ryland's Post Office Hotel in Wellington City to arrange preliminaries for a Race Meeting at Island Bay in November that year. The meeting was called by Mr E. H. Goldsmith, Hon Sec, whose name would feature in items concerning Island Bay racecourse and races for some years to come.  It was agreed a race meeting would be held on Saturday December 2nd,   two days after the Hutt Spring Meeting of the Wellington Racing Club.

Subsequent reports note that a fine course had been prepared, Messrs. Hayes' and Jenkins' totalisator would be used, admission to the course was free, and boxes would be placed at convenient spots on the ground to receive subscriptions of those visiting who might wish to contribute toward the share of the expenses in getting the course in order. After the meeting we read that the weather was fine and the promoters seem to be well satisfied with the results. Thus racing appears to have begun in December 1882, on an improvised course.

The December 1882 meeting was obviously successful enough to encourage the thought of further races in the Bay. An interesting letter to the Editor dated 9/01/1883 from “Old Sport” discusses at great length why Island Bay is an obvious site for “the Racing Club”, presumably the Wellington Racing Club, which was currently using Hutt Park. He asserts that the Hutt is too far to go, too expensive and too difficult for most people to reach. Meanwhile a summer meeting was set to be held at Island Bay on February 3 with four races, despite the impending Hutt races. The Evening Post hails the success of the meeting, as close on 2000 people were present in fine weather.  The recently built Island Bay Hotel proved popular with race patrons, and continued to feature from time to time in items concerning the racecourse.

Encouraged by this success, the Island Bay Park Company floated its prospectus in May 1883. The objects of the Company were to “acquire a site suitable for a racecourse and public park in the Island Bay township ... and to form a racecourse and public park with all necessary buildings and conveniences, and to let the same, or any portion thereof, from time to time, to such Racing Clubs and other persons as may be advisable.”

The land, about 50 acres, was leased from “Messrs. Joseph and Wright” whose names appear frequently as owners of early Island Bay land. The prospectus goes on to detail the shaping of the course “of a mile and two chains, with very easy curves”, and the provision of a suitable grandstand, paddocks, booths, etc. at a total expense of £3000. As well as horse racing, the Park could be used for Agricultural Shows, cricket and other sports. At this time the Park was a mile and a half from the current Newtown tram terminus and only half a mile from the town boundary, “and there is little doubt that, if the course is formed, the tram line would shortly be extended to Island Bay.”  Unfortunately for the Park Company it was 22 years before the tram line was extended to the Bay in 1905, to service the inhabitants of new houses built where the Park used to be. Lack of public transport to Island Bay, Hutt Park and other courses is a recurring theme in the next decade.

The Park Company was duly formed, and according to a brief report dated 24th of September 1883 a number of gentlemen connected with the scheme to establish the racecourse at Island Bay visited the locality on a Saturday afternoon to inspect progress. Between 80 and 100 men were working on different contracts. Most obvious was the cutting down of the sides of surrounding hills (on today's Medway and Derwent Streets) so as to provide a sufficiently large oval running track. A large drain had been constructed (down today's Parade) and the spoil from the hillsides was being used for filling in and levelling purposes. In addition, a new road (today's Clyde St) was being formed on the east side of the course to replace that portion of the old road which was being included in the area required for the course. “An excellent site” had been selected for the grandstand (Derwent St, between Ribble and Moselle Streets) and it was anticipated tenders to build it would be called for during the current week. It was possible the track would be ready for a spring meeting but more likely it would open early February 1884 for a summer meeting.

So much for the building of the racecourse in the land leased by the Island Bay Park Company. Now who was going to organise the horse races?

In October of the same year, 1883, there was a move to form “the Wellington Jockey Club”.  Stewards were authorised to make arrangements with the Island Bay Park Company for use of the course currently being formed, and, as the promotors of the Island Bay Park Company and the Wellington Jockey Club were to a great extent identical, this seemed unlikely to cause any problems. Mr Goldsmith by August 20 1884 is named as Secretary of the Wellington Jockey Club during negotiations with the Wellington Racing Club.

A news item dated 26 October 1883 deals with the first ordinary general meeting of the shareholders of the Island Bay Park Company. Those attending were given details of progress, an explanation of why the cost had risen from £3000 to £4657, and proposing the sale of additional shares to increase the company's capital. Problems had been experienced with the drainage needed to convert the present central swamp into valuable land, but the contracts had been let for the grandstand, fencing, sheds, stables, etc, and it was hoped a summer race meeting could be held.

However, no 1884 summer meeting was held that February, as bad weather delayed work on the course.  A general item dated 17 January 1884 describes the visit of “several gentlemen connected with the undertaking for the purpose of inspecting the progress made ...”   The drainage system comes in for praise, as “what was once a swampy piece of ground is now quite hard and dry”.

In April, the Easter weekend saw a large Military Encampment on the Island Bay racecourse. On Easter Saturday, April 12, a sports tournament was held including foot-racing, tug-of-war, three cavalry races and three open races under the supervision of the Island Bay Racing Club (sic). Monday saw a sham battle, watched by numerous spectators from the surrounding hills. This encampment is well known because several excellent photographs were taken. Another similar encampment was held in 1890 at Island Bay, and is equally well documented in the Evening Post, but is largely unknown because no photos are known to exist.

Race meetings with a total of eight days racing are recorded as taking place during 1885 at Island Bay Park. They included:

• New Year's Day: Tattersall's Club Meeting

• February, Wednesday 4th and Thursday 5th

• May, Saturday 9th

• September, Sunday 5th and Saturday 11th

• October, 22nd and 31st

The Evening Post racing journalist Vigilant gives descriptions of the training of horses on the Island Bay Track, and also gives tips based on form. On September 12 he is pleased to report that the Island Bay meeting last Saturday was a financial success.  “I look forward to seeing the beautiful course among the hills, 'by the side of the much sounding sea' - the scene of a series of well managed and pleasant reunions”.  He also states that the work of making a plough gallop at Island Bay is shortly to be commenced, and on 10 October he reports that it is now in order and is greatly appreciated by the trainers. In the same article he notes that Mr A. Turner's new and extensive range of stabling at the Island Bay Hotel is now completed and the boxes are available for engagement by owners who have horses coming to the spring meeting. 

However, 1885 also saw major administration changes in the groups running and using the Park.

On 23 February 1885 the Evening Post declares that it has received a copy of the Island Bay Park and Racing Company (Limited) prospectus. The object of the proposed company was to amalgamate the present Island Bay Park Company and the Wellington Jockey Club and form an influential association to carry out racing and other sporting meetings on the new course at Island Bay. The prospectus also pointed out that it might be necessary for the company to “take shares or otherwise subsidise a tramway to Island Bay.”  Once again there is a strong hint that lack of public transport might be limiting the numbers attending. 

On Monday March 30th a meeting of shareholders of the Island Bay Park Company agreed “that the Island Bay Park Company be wound up voluntarily” and resolved to call the new company the Island Bay Park Racing and Coursing Company (Limited). This company was duly registered on April 1. Subsequent news items make it clear that there were disputes over running the new company and in particular the appointment of its secretary.   Mr Goldsmith had been Secretary of both Park and Jockey clubs, but his application for the position of secretary of the new company was unsuccessful, as by 24 October the secretary was Mr E. S. B. Bell.

At a meeting on Tuesday 21st April the Chairman said the old arrangement between the defunct Island Bay Park Company and the Wellington Jockey Club had proved unworkable.  At a meeting on 9th May it appears that both Island Bay Park Company and Wellington Jockey Club were defunct, but on May 15 another meeting of the shareholders of the supposedly defunct Island Bay Park Company was held, to pass resolutions for the winding up the Island Bay Park Company and the transfer of its property to another body, as the meeting of March 30th was illegal. 

Despite the negotiations detailed in these press releases, and the hints of unspecified manouevres and animosities, the race meetings this year appeared in general to be well run, popular and profitable.

Race meetings with 10 days of racing are recorded as taking place during 1886 at Island Bay Park: 

• January, Friday 22 and Saturday 23 (Wellington Anniversary Weekend)

• April, Friday 9 and Saturday 10

• May, Monday 24 (Queen's Birthday Weekend)

• July, Friday 23 and Saturday 24 (Island Bay winter meeting)

• September, Saturday 11 (spring meeting)

• October, Friday 22 and Saturday 23 (regular spring meeting)

The first day's racing, on Friday 22, Wellington's Anniversary Day holiday, took place in fine weather with a fresh northwest wind blowing. The attendance was estimated at about 5500, and was honoured by the presence of Admiral Tryon and officers of HMS Nelson. Although the weather was fine and less windy, the second day was not as popular, with given attendance figures ranging from 1800 to 2500. Attendances diminished during the year and by October, when races took place on Friday 22 and Saturday 23, despite fine weather the attendance was poor. The second day attendance was estimated to be between 500 and 600 only ... “a fact which when taken into consideration with the splendid weather, goes to prove that racing in Wellington is being overdone” and the year's racing ended on this depressing note.

There are full Turf Notes by Vigilant dated 9 January. As well as discussing the horses, he comments on the track which has “become like adamant after the long spell of dry weather. To counteract this a top-dressing of rich black soil is being freely laid all round. The rain, when it does come, will wash this into the roots of the grass, and, if the going is made a little slower, it will at any rate be kinder to the horses' feet”. He also mentions the plough gallop which “within the last fortnight has been re-ploughed and harrowed, and is now in capital condition for training purposes”.  

The accommodation for “owners, trainers, boys and horses” is then discussed at length. Mr Turner at Island Bay Hotel has 23 boxes, and Mr Cuttance's stables can accommodate “about half a dozen”. Five new boxes have recently been erected at the Island Bay Refreshment Rooms, and have been hired by a trainer by the name of Honor. Another three boxes “on the road this side of the refreshment rooms” will be available when Mr Honor vacates them and moves into his new boxes.  Vigilant believes at least six horses will have to be provided for elsewhere, but is confident the Secretary, Mr Bell, will be ever ready to assist. 

The Anniversary Weekend races had drama apart from the horses. An article from The Press dated 27 January 1886 relates how a gang of magamen (sic) and convicted thieves who had recently arrived from Sydney had been chased by the police first out  of Auckland and subsequently Foxton after attending the races in that town. They reached Wellington on the morning of Saturday 23 and lost no time in proceeding straight to the Island Bay racecourse with the elaborate paraphernalia “required for carrying on systematic swindling on racecourses etc.” They had made about £50 at the “three card” trick before the police arrived, following a complaint from a man from whom they won £6 in as many minutes. Following warnings one departed for the Wairarapa and the remainder to “West Coast of the Middle Island by the first steamer”.   

Racing was not the only sport the Island Bay Hotel used to swell its patronage. An advertisement dated April 6 publicises Pigeon Shooting in a Match open to all comers, to be fired at half-past 2 on Tuesday, 13th.  Entries (£1) would be received by A. Turner at the Hotel or E.H.Goldsmith, Hunter Street. The Island Bay Park Company also used more than racing. A clipping dated 16 April, with the heading Football, deals with the annual meeting of the Rugby Union and mentions that the Secretary of the  Island Bay Park Company wrote stating that a ground was being laid out for football at Island Bay. At the AGM (reported 24 September 1886) the construction of polo, coursing and cricket grounds is mentioned. The cricket ground was ready by summer (7 October 1886) but it is not clear if the polo and coursing grounds were ever completed, or even started.

An Evening Post article dated 7 October 1886 waxes lyrical about the charms of Island Bay. “Island Bay, during the approaching summer, bids fair to become a highly popular place of resort on Saturday afternoons and other holidays. The cricket ground laid down by the Island Bay Racing Club is rapidly getting into good playing condition and the Phoenix Club, which has already engaged a pitch, will play a number of their matches there this season. The Midland Club ... will also assist to make Saturday a lively day in this charming spot. 

At the hotel Mr A. Turner, beside offering every accommodation to picnic parties, has spared no trouble in getting his bowling green and lawn tennis ground into first class condition, and both are now as smooth as a carpet, and suitable for first-class matches. Among other signs of progress, we notice that several new villas now dot the hills very prettily in different directions, notably those now being completed for Mr Chatfield, the architect, and Mr Staples. It is also said that the Island Bay Racing Company contemplate extending their cricket ground to an area of 14 acres … the Cricket Association would [lease it] … periodic athletic and military sports are spoken of … Mr Moody is preparing a bicycle track … Island Bay promises to become a great sporting rendezvous as well as an agreeable sea-side suburb.”

The Island Bay Park was not the only venue for sporting events at this time. A news item dated October 1885 declares that the latest caterer for the amusement of the public is Mr Moody  (mentioned in the last paragraph), who has converted several acres of beautifully level grass land between the Island Bay Racecourse and the sea into a recreation ground, to be called “the Oval”. Provision will be made for cricket, athletic sports, quoits, romping games &c  and the proprietor intends to do his best to make the ground a place of popular resort on holidays. “The Oval” was opened with a grand fete on November 9th 1885.  Activities included dancing on the green, quoits, swings, cricket etc., as well as scheduled activities. “Five races for boys and girls were eagerly contested and the little winners carried their prizes in triumph to their papas and mammas.”

For men there was a one-mile handicap, a five-mile handicap and a 1000 yard steeplechase over six hurdles and three water jumps 14 foot wide. But the proprietor was not pleased as “the number of spectators who contented themselves with a view of the proceedings from the outside, without the preliminary of payment, was far too large to be satisfactory”. “The beautiful course among the hills” provided too many viewing places with a fine and free prospect. Alas, the Oval only lasted about 15 months and an advertisement dated January 15 1887 proclaims that the Oval, containing two acres and twenty perches is to be sold on January 28.

The directors' report for the Island Bay Racing and Coursing Club year ending 31 July 1886 appears in the September 7 Evening Post. It is a glowing report. “The race meetings ... have been most successful, both from a sporting and financial point of view, and the Club has made such great strides in advance that it now ranks very high in the list of clubs in the colony. The shareholders are, no doubt, aware that the “New Rules of Racing” were adopted by the Club on the 6th of May last, and under them the Club ranks as a metropolitan one ... the balance-sheet shows that the operations of the year have resulted in a profit of £269 15s 11d, and there is a surplus of assets over liabilities of £2640 3s 2d.

This report, however, did not prevent dissension in the Company, and an extraordinary meeting of the Island Bay Racing and Coursing Club was held on 23 September to transact business usually done at the July annual meeting, which had not been held. The Chairman explained that it was owing to an oversight that 1886 AGM had not been held in July, (which, considering the business expertise of the directors, seems somewhat implausible). 

Mr Goldsmith appears to be leading the dissent, objecting among other things to the failure to hold the AGM at the correct time, to the adoption of the report and balance sheet, to the auditing of the balance sheet by one auditor only instead of two, to the directors electing themselves stewards, and to the failure to obtain an auctioneer to sell the horses after the two selling races at the last meeting. He was backed up by others but the account does not make clear the relative levels of support for each side. The balance sheet and report were finally adopted. The meeting obviously grew very heated at times, and at this distance in time it is not possible to tell if Mr Goldsmith and his supporters had genuine grievances or were merely determined to cause strife.

Race meetings recorded as taking place during 1888 at Island Bay Park included:

• January, Monday 23 and Thursday 26 (Wellington Anniversary Day and Centenary Day)

• April, Saturday 7

• December Tuesday 4 (Complimentary for the Secretary Mr Donne)

The attendance at the races of Monday 23, Wellington Anniversary Day holiday, was about 2000, but an account for 26 January states that although the concluding day's racing took place in favourable weather, the attendance was very poor, with not more than 500 being present when the first race started. Some found the patronage surprisingly good, considering the existing depression and present general tightness of money, but on April 7, despite the weather again coming to the party, not more than 600 were present. 

In general, the year went very badly for the Island Bay Racing Club. On May 21 Vigilant is of the opinion that the New Zealand Parliament will this session act to alter the totalisator clauses of the Gaming and Lotteries Act. If the machine is abolished or its use restricted by limiting the issue of licences to use them, then the number of race meetings would be limited and “it is tolerably certain that the Island Bay Club could not carry on without the machine”. The benefactors then would be the Wellington Racing Club on the Hutt Course.

The company administering the land on which the racecourse was sited also appeared to have had its problems. On July 9 the first annual meeting of the new Island Bay Park Company was held. The balance sheet showed a deficit but this was inevitable as the company was meeting the debts of the old company.  In answer to a question the Secretary said he had made a few enquiries about the project for taking a tramway out to Island Bay but there was nothing definite to lay before the meeting. The AGM then adjourned to September 11.

The stewards' report presented at the rival Wellington Racing Club's annual meeting on August 31 contains an item which effectively killed off the Island Bay Racing Club. With a view to lessening the number of race meetings in Wellington, the stewards had secured a lease for 12 months of the Island Bay Racecourse, which would be used for training purposes only, while Hutt Park courses would be used for race meetings.  “As there is now only one racing Club in Wellington the stewards have reason to believe that a number of gentlemen who have for some time held aloof from the 'sport of kings' will again take an active interest in the welfare of the Wellington Racing Club”. 

Not surprisingly the Island Bay Racing Club stewards were furious at having their course leased to their rival club. An explanation of the uncertainties and ambiguities which allowed it to happen is given on September 10, and although it is hard not to feel the racing club was hard done by, we do not have the Park Company's side of the story. Their resumed annual meeting on September 11 makes it clear that they were in financial difficulties but makes no reference to the deal with the Wellington Racing Club.  In the event the Wellington Racing Club graciously allowed the Island Bay Racing Club to hold a complimentary meeting on December 4 for its Secretary, Mr Donne, as mentioned above. 

A newspaper item dated January 7, 1890, announces that a new racing club has sprung into existence in Wellington within the last few days, namely, the Island Bay Hack Racing Club.  A programme drawn up by the club of a Jubilee meeting to be held on the Island Bay course on Saturday January 25 was submitted at a special meeting of the Wellington Racing Club the previous night and approved. The review of the Meeting dated January 27 is somewhat lukewarm about the quality of the horses, the meagre amount of prize money and the poor management of the meeting by the stewards. Around 400 attended, and eight races were run.  

I can find no further accounts of race meetings held at Island Bay this year, or any reference to the fate of the Hack Club. There is little else to comment on for this year, except that there were still plenty of other race meetings of varying kinds held elsewhere, and a reference to a racehorse by the name of St Malo being stabled at Island Bay shows that at least some  of the stables there were still being used.

The year 1891 has virtually no references to Island Bay, but has plenty to other racing clubs. The Island Bay Hotel must have suffered in patronage as a result, but encouraged other activities. An advertisement for June 11 this year has the heading United Hunt, and the message that the hounds will meet at the Island Bay Hotel on Saturday afternoon, at 3 sharp. Sporting News dated June 29 refers to horses in charge of Mr T. H. Hill at Island Bay all being in excellent health, but also comments that his lease of the Island Bay Racecourse has expired and will not be used for training purposes by Mr Hill after next week.

The Island Bay racecourse was resurrected this year by the Wellington Trotting Club, but its use was brief.  On March 29 the Club proposed holding its inaugural meeting in May at Island Bay with six events.  By May 6 tenders were about to be called for effecting a few slight improvements to the track, which could be put in order without any great expenditure. An advertisement on May 13 requests tenders for renovating Grandstand, repairing Gates, Fences [etc.]on the Island Bay Racecourse. 

On May 23 Sporting Notes looks forward to a good day's amusement, as admission to the ground was to be free, and trotting races were somewhat of a novelty. The report on May 25 states the weather was fine but very cold, and some 2000 persons attended. For October 28, six events were promised, and “being favoured with beautiful weather the ... meeting passed off very satisfactorily yesterday, in the presence of about 1500 spectators ... the arrangements in the connection with the gathering gave every satisfaction”.  The proprietor of the Island Bay Hotel did the catering.

1882 First race meeting December

1883 Second meeting February

First Island Bay Park Company May

First Wellington Jockey Club October

Course being constructed, no races

1884         Military Encampment April (Easter)

Steeplechase July - no grandstand yet

Park, course and grandstand completed – grand opening November

1885 Prosperous eight days racing

Both Island Bay Park Company & Wellington Jockey Club wound up

Island Bay Park Racing and Coursing Company registered April 1

1886 Prosperous 10 days racing

1887 Only three days racing

Wellington Racing Club takes Metropolitan Status

Changes to totalisator licensing legislation

Island Bay Park Racing and Coursing Company wound up April

New Island Bay Racing Club in existence by September

New Island Bay Park Company in existence by November

1888 Race meetings January, April and December

Wellington Racing Club Leases Island Bay racetrack for one year for training only,  August  

Island Bay Racing Club ceases to exist – not clear when

1889 No races recorded at Island Bay

1890 Island Bay Hack Racing Club holds only one meeting, in January

Easter Military Encampment on Park grounds

1891 No races recorded at Island Bay

1892-3 Wellington Trotting Club has two meetings in 1892, one in 1893, then shifts to Miramar in May.