SIR H. WIGRAM BUYS CANTERBURY PARK

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 180, 20 October 1927, Page 7

SIR H. WIGRAM BUYS CANTERBURY PARK

ULTIMATE FATE OF FORMER TROTTING GROUND IN DOUBT

(Special to THE SU2J.) CHRISTCHURCH, Wednesday. Canterbury Park, which adjoins the Wigram Airdrome, and which was recently sold by the Canterbury Park Trotting Club to a syndicate, has now been purchased by the Hon. Sir Henry Wigram. At the present time Sir Henry is not disposed to give his reasons for the purchase of the park, which comprises S2 acres. There will be much conjecture over his reasons for the acquisition of the old trotting ground. Sir Henry was largely responsible for the establishment of the Wigram Airdrome, being chairman of directors °f the oTd Canterbury Aviation Com- j Pany, which carried out the patriotic i duty of training pilots. During the the company paid no dividends. | That was not its first objective, and . lt was largely due to Sir Henry’s Munificence that the ground was ac- I fiuired by the Government and thus became the chief aviation ground of the Dominion. It would be a great advantage to the airdrome if Canterbury Park were not up, as was threatened recently, but were retained in its present condition. “It would be in\aluable to us to tK VC ? n °P en space retained next to the airdrome.” remarked Captain J. Findlay. M.C.. Officer-in-Charg 3 of the airdrome. to a "Sun” reporter. Already we have had two or three forced landings in the park. It would ~, e a horrible business to have houses tnere.”