Kōrero: Sport and society
Image

This watercolour by George O'Brien shows the Southern Recreation Ground in January 1864 during the colony's first international sporting occasion. A local enterpreneur, Shadrach Jones, had brought George Parr's All England cricket team across from Australia. Otago and Canterbury teams played each other, then the All England XI defeated an Otago XXII. Spectators were charged admission.
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Reference: 1988/78/1
by George O'Brien
Permission of Toitū Otago Settlers Museum must be obtained before any re-use of this image.
Me pēnei te tohu i te whārang
Greg Ryan, Sport and society – Growth, 1860s and 1870s, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/mi/artwork/39377/cricket-match-dunedin-1864 (accessed 17 February 2026).
He kōrero nā Greg Ryan, i tāngia i te 30 November 2012.