The Winter Show : Rotorua Agricultural & Pastoral Association

 The A&P Winter Show c.1923-c.1966

The first Rotorua Winter Show is recorded as being in 1923 just before the successful Auckland Winter Show, and was modeled on the 1922 Auckland Show. 

In 1927 the Summer Show was dropped in favour of the Winter Show as this was more popular. The winter shows were held in a garage owned by the Rotorua Motor Transport Co.

The Ritz Hall built c.1935 for the A&P Shows was rented out in between shows.

The Ritz was taken over by the RNZAF in 1942 as a training venue (and for dances) and handed back to the Association in 1946, and the Association ran its Winter Show again for the first time since 1941.

c.1930’s the Association bought a section of some 30 acres on Old Taupo Road which ran between Uta Street and the Utuhina Stream. 

At some point prior to the 1962 document shown here, the Summer Show’s began again.

Unfortunately on New Year’s Eve of 1962 a fire destroyed the main hall of the ‘Ritz’. The Associations insurance company was quick to pay out and the hall was rebuilt with improvements and a geothermal bore was installed to supply hot water, but the heating component for the hall was delayed until funding could be found. The heating was installed in c1963 to the three halls owned by the Association.  In 1964 there was some discussion around the revenue from the rental of each hall as the Association required the use of all venues for the Winter Show and the annual one day Summer Show. 

Rotorua A&P Association Inc. Annual Report for the year ended 31 Dec 1962

By 1964 the Rotorua Photo News had begun publishing photos from the Winter Shows. As seen below the show included a range of events not seen today. 

Rotorua Photo News 1 Aug 1964 pg 30

A Beatles Impersonation Competition proved very popular...

Rotorua Photo News 1 Aug 1964 pg's 31-32

The Winter Show was held again in 1965, 1966 and 1969. Beyond 1969, the winter show no longer features as an event in the annual reports of the Association.  As shown below there was some concern about the financial state of the Association in 1966. The Association took possession of a new property at Ngongotaha on the 1^st June 1968 and the 1969 Summer Show was held there with much success.  This property was called Riverdale Park and a portion of this park is still in use today for the A&P Shows every Auckland Anniversary weekend. The Ritz Hall was sold in 1980.

A programme that was printed by Rotorua A&P Assoc. 

This Post was written by Alison, with thanks to the Don Stafford Collection and Norma Evans collection and Rotorua Photo News held by the Library.

Rotorua's Agricultural Heritage

Rotorua Agricultural, Pastoral and Industrial Association.

This awesome association was formed out of  a suggestion and enthusiasm for all things farming and agricultural by Rotorua's Mr. T. H. Sloane in 1909, he was at that time a member of the Rotorua Chamber of Commerce. The Association was duly formed and the first summer show was held in February 1910 at the Lake Front, then known as Marine Parade.  The first show was such a success they continued with annual summer shows moving to Arawa Park as the preferred location.

Their fourth show was rained out and it was decided after the committee meeting they did not have enough money to continue and Mr Sloane had to step in again and along with Mr J. Banks to re-energise local enthusiasm and competitive spirit. Thus in 1917 a summer show was successfully held.

In 1923 their first Winter Show was held and was successful enough that these shows also started being an annual event.   Excerpt from Don Stafford File "Rotorua Motor Transport Co. building had been available for the Winter Show Exhibition, but room was not there to provide space for efficient display of exhibits or to provide the amusement attractions necessary to draw public attendance"

In 1930 the Rotorua A&P Assn. ran a joint event with Dannevirke A&P Assn. to raise funds for a dedicated building for the summer and winter shows.  This was an 'Art Union' event. Following this Mr E. La Trobe Hill (Rotorua Architect) was given the go ahead to prepare plans & specifications for our new facility. This was built on Old Taupo Road and cost £2,900.

The A&P Grounds are between Uta Street and the Utuhina Stream.

This  copy of  the 1935 Map is owned by Rotorua Library, copyright belongs to Wises Maps.

Rotorua Library would welcome any memories and photographs of this site and shows held there.  Please Email : Library.HeritageandResearch@rotorualc.nz

Gardening of Yesteryear

New Zealand Gardens

Important mainly for food, in the early colonisation of New Zealand, as the advertising shows :

Papers Past -- Hot Lakes Chronicle --  5 February 1910

From : Papers Past 

Gardening soon included flowers for the housewife to pretty up the house and enjoy.

Te Puke Times of 1917 & 1918

Rotorua has a strong history of green thumbed residents who showed their prowess at the annual Rotorua Show run by the Rotorua Agricultural and Pastoral Association.  These shows have be held in Rotorua since c1910.

Rotorua's First Ever A & P Show

These and many more articles and advertising can be viewed on Papers Past a free online newspaper archive Papers Past contains more than three million pages of digitised New Zealand newspapers and periodicals. The collection covers the years 1839 to 1948 and includes 120 publications from all regions of New Zealand.