THE FIRST CLUB

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 57, Issue 245, 28 July 1937, Page 2

THE FIRST CLUB

TINWALD’S HOCKEY CLAIM.

ACCOUNT OF ITS FORMATION. The following account of the formation of the Tinwald Hockey Club has been sent in to a Wellington paper by Mr C. A. Clarke, J.P., now residing at 270 The Terrace, Wellington:— “In 1895 I was serving my apprenticeship in the Tinwald blacksmithshop. As is usual in country towns, on wet days a large number of men used to collect round the forge and discuss local politics, etc. Amongst other matters, the subject of sport frejquently cropped up. At that time I was captain of the local football club, and on one occasion I was tackled about providing more sport in which all could take part. Although we had no forty-hour week then, football once a week did not seem sufficient relaxation.

“After some discussion the idea of playing hockey seemed the most popular. The general feeling of the meeting was that it was up to me, as captain of the football club, to start the ball rolling. Accordingly, I bought a book of rules, hired a hall and called the first hockey meeting in New Zealand. It was this action which entitles me to the title ‘Father of New Zealand hockey.’ The Rev. Mr Blackburn, whom I met three of four years ago on the Hutt bowling green, was elected patron, while I was made club captain. I cannot recall the names of all those present, but I remember that there were several representatives of four families,' the Houstons, Williamses, Millichamps and Clarkes. “We still played out Saturday football, however, .hockey being the official game for Wednesdays. Proper hockey sticks were then quite unknown. We used broom handles, or improvised sticks of gorse or willow. Thougn perhaps not up to the standard of Indian hockey, players, I think I can say we were no mean performers in the art of dribbling and passing. “When we formed our club we had the intention of merely playing among ourselves. For jierhaps two-thirds of that season we were the only club in New Zealand but toward the end two more clubs were formed in Canterbury, Kaiapoi, and the Christchurch United. Before these were formed and matches inaugurated, however, I joined the Permanent Artillery in Wellington. My old club went through its first season unbeaten.

“The following year in Wellington I had intended calling a meeting with a view to forming a club here, but I found that in the meantime someone had already done so, a club having been formed and named the Wellington Hockey Club. “Occasionally now when I forsake Athletic Park, and have a look at a game of hockey, it seems a remarkable thing that there should have been such a result from our meeting in Tinwald. The popularity of hockey has increased rapidly until now it is played by men, young women and even school children.

“Although I have given the date as 1895, I am not absolutely sure it is correct. In any case, it would be quite easy to verify it from the records of the Wellington Hockey Club. Our club started a year before it did. “Now' as a member of the Kelburn Bowling Club, I look back with pleasure to my teens, when I could play football on Saturday and hockey on Wednesday.”