At 102-years old, the Swannanoa Cricket Club pavilion is one of the oldest sports facilities in North Canterbury. For the first 18 years of its life the building served as a totalisator office for the Ohoka and Eyreton Jockey Club races, held at what is now the Mandeville Sports Centre. These races started as picnic events in the late 1860s and attracted large crowds to the extent that by the late 1880s it had become a fully fledged race meeting. A newspaper of the time recorded in 1889 special trains leaving Christchurch Railway Station on Boxing Day, calling at all stations until arrival at Mandeville at noon, and returning at 6pm. A train also left Oxford that day for the country folk. In 1906 a new totalisator was built, although it was recorded that it soon needed alterations as the lanes leading away from the windows caused delays. The clubs ultimate demise was arguably in 1910 with the Gaming Bill passed in Parliament, which eliminated all bookmaking and under-aged and credit betting and also reduced the number of totalisator meetings. Another problem for the course was a new requirement for the inside running rail to be the full distance of the track, not just the finishing straight as was common for a lot of the country clubs. The club was denied financial assistance to do the repairs and the club effectively went into recess. In 1924 the totalisator house was shifted to the Swannanoa Domain and the Secretarys Office went to the Ohoka Domain. In all those years since it was relocated the old tote has served as a distinctive and extremely functional clubhouse and changing room for the cricket club, and it is now being repaired in time for the clubs 125th anniversary in early 2009.
Admin Login