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Social Recreation in 19th Century Kaiapoi

The sole recreational activities of the first station hands were that of pig hunting and drinking beer.
The wild pig (and the manufacture of beer) had firmly established themselves in the foothills around the Waimakariri district by 1850.
The first social occasion of any kind to be held north of the Waimakariri was a ball – arranged by the Kaiapoi bachelors. Growing tired of hunting pigs and drinking to excess, and no-doubt realising that these activities were not doing a lot to attract women into the district, they staged a ball. The local wool store was decked out for the festivities and by all accounts it was a great success with many women ‘arriving on horses, in dog carts and bullock wagons’.
A year went by before there was another social gathering – this time when Kaiapoi celebrated an election success – that of Crosbie Ward and John Hall. A dinner was held in the same wool store that the ball had been held in and the Kaiapoi Brass band entertained around 40 ‘gentlemen’ with ‘songs and glee’ until the early hours of the morning.
No women were invited to this event!
In 1858, Kaiapoi organized a form of entertainment which later became popular inother settlements – The Rural Sports Days. Sprints, hurdle races show jumping along with chasing a greasy pig and climbing a greasy pole were the main events. In 1864, a new ‘American feature’ was introduced – that of the Baby Contest. !865 included another very popular event – the first Victorian Beauty Contest. ‘The Gentlemen on the ground were encourage to register, for a shilling, a vote for the lady they judged to be the most ‘handsome’. A ring or a broach was bought with the money and presented to the winner.
Other forms of entertainment during this time included Church Tea-parties, lodge picnics, farmers sale-day dinners and public meetings.