How many voluntary organisations can claim such diverse achievements as establishing a major sports arena, conducting evening classes in English composition, arithmetic, book-keeping, chemistry and Latin, promoting world-championship professional wrestling matches, hosting high-society balls, running a medieval tilting tourney, and acting as a hotel landlord, as well as running traditional Highland Games for 150 years? Probably only one - the Caledonian Society of Otago.
There was already a Caledonian Society in Victoria but the impetus to start one in Otago would have been provided by the influx of Sassenachs during the gold rushes of the early 1860s. The "Old Identities" would have been keen to preserve as much as possible of their Scottish heritage.
On January 1 and 2 1862 "under the patronage of the Scotchmen of Dunedin" a "Grand Caledonian Gathering" was held at "Jones's Bazaar" aka Provincial Saleyards. This and the Provincial Salerooms were adjuncts to the Provincial Hotel, all three owned by eccentric entrepreneur Shadrach Jones and situated in the block bounded by Stafford, Manse and High streets.
The first day's programme included:A grand quoiting match (with competitors to bring their own quoits); Cumberland wrestling; reel of Tulloch; standing high leap; hop, step and jump; hitch and kick (a standing high jump in which the competitor springs from, and lands on the same foot); a foot race of 100 yards; greasy pole; sword dance; dipping for oranges; a foot race involving "a gentleman with a man on his back for 50 yards, against one without for 100 yards"; running high leap; Highland fling; sack race; basket race with eggs. The second day was similar but also included: putting heavy stone; foot race (300 yards); Strathspey Aunt Sally; hurdle race in Highland costume; blind barrow race; and a grand Highland fling by all the competitors.
For some reason, this Gathering was not a success. On May 25 (the Queen's Birthday holiday) 1862, however, a Commun na Feinne (Highland Gathering) on a small scale was held on Dunedin's Bell Hill.
Various Scottish activities and events such as wrestling matches and hurdle races were "got up for prizes donated by three gentlemen". The Otago Daily Times remarked "Possibly this may be the first step towards the formation of a Caledonian Society and the inauguration of annual games as in Victoria".
It was indeed. After a preliminary meeting in McCubbin's Otago Hotel (which stood in Rattray St on part of the site now occupied by Philip Laing House), the Caledonian Society of Otago officially came into being in the same hotel on Saturday October 24, 1862. It was New Zealand's first Scottish Society.
It was decided to adopt rules similar to those of the Caledonian Society of Victoria.
The objects were defined as the promotion of "Benevolence, National Literature, Customs and Accomplishments with the main purpose "getting up Scottish games".
Alex McLeod, who chaired both meetings, was elected president. Seventeen other men were appointed directors, that being the rather grandiose title given to committee members.
It was resolved to send circulars to the "principal inhabitants of the Province", inviting their support. The point was made that the society, "though bearing the name Caledonian, was by no means exclusively Scotch".
The First Caledonian Games
Once established, the society wasted little time in getting on with the job, the first Caledonian Games under its auspices taking place on January 1, 2 and 3, 1863. Henry Farley, proprietor of the fabulous Vauxhall Gardens, expected them to be held on his grounds, and had cleared an area for the purpose. However, the society opted instead for a paddock on John Hyde Harris's Grange Estate. The exact site of this paddock is unclear.
The Grange Estate covered aboutof the area of the city of Dunedin, centred on the blocks surrounded by Cumberland, Albany, Leith and Frederick streets. The address given in advertisements for the Games was Pelichet Bay, that being the name of the shallow inlet of Otago Harbour which, after being enclosed by a causeway, became Lake Logan and, after reclamation, Logan Park.
But an Otago Daily Times report described the paddock as being "within an easy distance of the centre of the city but far enough up the North East Valley to seem as though snugly surrounded on three sides by hills". The report mentioned "a steady stream of pedestrians heading along George St and Great King St to the selected ground". A hundred years later the site was thought to have been located at the "north end of Leith St".
Wherever it was, a grandstand with a capacity of 1000 was erected on the paddock. It wasn't nearly big enough.
Despite the formidable counter-attraction of the opening of the Vauxhall Gardens on the same day, more than 5000 turned up to the first day of the Games, many getting in without paying due to inadequate fencing.
World wrestling championship
In 1890 the Caledonian Society promoted a series of World Wrestling Championship matches. A Dunedin resident at the time was Harry Dunn, who had often competed in the Caledonian Games. A native of the English County of Cumberland, Dunn was regarded as unbeatable in Cumberland-style wrestling and was also in world class as a five-styles wrestler. (A five-styles match consisted of five rounds, each in a different style such as Cumberland, American side-hold, Collar-and-elbow, Graeco-Roman or Catch-as-catch-can).
In 1887 in Melbourne, Dunn had beaten Tom Cannon, world five-styles champion, and was duly proclaimed the new champion. Cannon, however, continued to advertise himself as "Champion of the World" until beaten by the American Duncan Ross. Dunn and Ross therefore, both claimed the title. It was to put an end to the dispute that the Caledonian Society organised a match which was held in the Princess Theatre, High St, on October 28, 1890. Several members of the society were wrestling enthusiasts and one of them, John Ogg, refereed the bout.
Despite the fact that he was nearly two stone [12.7kg] lighter than Ross and his speciality, the Cumberland style, was barred, Dunn won the contest, to become undisputed champion. He retained the title after two return matches, held in Dunedin the following month, both resulted in draws.
In fact he kept the title for the rest of his colourful life, beating local champions in many far-flung parts of the world and successfully defending it against R.J. Scott, a promising New Zealander, in the Dunedin Agricultural Hall in 1902. When he wasn't wrestling, Dunn often worked as a miner. He died suddenly in 1903, at the age of 41, in his miner's hut near Reefton.
Harry Dunn is arguably New Zealand's least known world sporting champion.
The book
• Cabers and Ceilidhs: 150 Years of the Caledonian Society of Otago, by John Stinson and Donald Gordon, was launched last night. It is available from the Scottish Shop, the University Book Shop and Paper Plus in the Golden Centre.
