Built by the Poverty Bay Turf Club, the earliest such club in the Tairawhiti region, the Makaraka Racecourse Old Grandstand represents the rich history of horse racing in the region. It is located on the grounds of the Makaraka Racecourse (Roseland) on the outskirts of Gisborne. The proliferation of turf clubs in the sparsely settled Poverty Bay region was quite remarkable and no fewer than five survived well into the twentieth Century. The Club held its first meeting in 1870, and for the first few years it held its race days on privately owned paddocks.
By 1875 the Turf Club began looking for a more permanent course, and land was purchased at Makaraka in the late 1880s. The course, including the Old Grandstand building, was completed by 1891. The Poverty Bay Herald, describing the grounds and newly erected buildings, proclaimed that, 'As far as can be judged not a necessary detail has been omitted to render the Roseland course one of the best in the Colony.' Of note was the grandstand, designed by William Peter Finneran, and built by W.O. Skeet. The grandstand was considered to be a most sightly structure of its class.
The Makaraka Racecourse Old Grandstand is approximately three storey's high. Its exterior is timber clad with a corrugated iron roof. The space in front of the stand is occupied by shallow concrete steps, also used as seating, that have replaced the original wooden steps that gave access into the stand. The width of the stand has also been increased, so the north elevation is longer than it was when first built. All the additional timber posts and balustrades were constructed to match those existing. The stand's interior is timber, with flights of steps up the centre and at each side. A diagonal topped wall runs down each side of the stand, leaving most of the area open to the roof. The walls are lined with tongue-and-groove boards, also running diagonally. The short gap between the back wall of the stand and the ceiling is covered by coloursteel, which now sheathes the exterior rear wall of the stand. The one storey section at the back of the stand was built after 1891, but the use of rusticated timber cladding, double-hung windows and small cylindrical roof ventilators harmonises with the original part of the stand. It is probable that it was added in 1906, when £3000 was spent to improve the amenities. The Grandstand was extended, moved back forty feet, and the dining room, stewards room and ladies toilets improved. Since then, a number of modifications have taken place, including the addition of new structures to the grounds, such as the Stewards grandstand, erected in 1915.
The Makaraka Racecourse Old Grandstand is architecturally significant as an example of the work of Peter William Finneran, who designed a number of buildings in the Gisborne region, some of which are registered with the New Zealand Historic Places Trust (NZHPT). While the grandstand has been altered since it was built in 1891, stand seating, balustrades, ceiling and roof have been maintained in their original style ensuring that the Grandstand retains much of its original architectural character. It is one of what are becoming increasingly rare survivors of the type of ornate and well-proportioned grandstands built at racecourses around the country in the late nineteenth century. It also has social history importance as part of the built environment at Makaraka Racecourse, as a visually powerful reminder of the Poverty Bay Turf Club, and the important role that horse racing has played in the social life of the Tairawhiti region. It creates a rich picture of the sport of horse racing and the activities and behaviours of people who attended the races in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
By 1875 the Turf Club began looking for a more permanent course, and land was purchased at Makaraka in the late 1880s. The course, including the Old Grandstand building, was completed by 1891. The Poverty Bay Herald, describing the grounds and newly erected buildings, proclaimed that, 'As far as can be judged not a necessary detail has been omitted to render the Roseland course one of the best in the Colony.' Of note was the grandstand, designed by William Peter Finneran, and built by W.O. Skeet. The grandstand was considered to be a most sightly structure of its class.
The Makaraka Racecourse Old Grandstand is approximately three storey's high. Its exterior is timber clad with a corrugated iron roof. The space in front of the stand is occupied by shallow concrete steps, also used as seating, that have replaced the original wooden steps that gave access into the stand. The width of the stand has also been increased, so the north elevation is longer than it was when first built. All the additional timber posts and balustrades were constructed to match those existing. The stand's interior is timber, with flights of steps up the centre and at each side. A diagonal topped wall runs down each side of the stand, leaving most of the area open to the roof. The walls are lined with tongue-and-groove boards, also running diagonally. The short gap between the back wall of the stand and the ceiling is covered by coloursteel, which now sheathes the exterior rear wall of the stand. The one storey section at the back of the stand was built after 1891, but the use of rusticated timber cladding, double-hung windows and small cylindrical roof ventilators harmonises with the original part of the stand. It is probable that it was added in 1906, when £3000 was spent to improve the amenities. The Grandstand was extended, moved back forty feet, and the dining room, stewards room and ladies toilets improved. Since then, a number of modifications have taken place, including the addition of new structures to the grounds, such as the Stewards grandstand, erected in 1915.
The Makaraka Racecourse Old Grandstand is architecturally significant as an example of the work of Peter William Finneran, who designed a number of buildings in the Gisborne region, some of which are registered with the New Zealand Historic Places Trust (NZHPT). While the grandstand has been altered since it was built in 1891, stand seating, balustrades, ceiling and roof have been maintained in their original style ensuring that the Grandstand retains much of its original architectural character. It is one of what are becoming increasingly rare survivors of the type of ornate and well-proportioned grandstands built at racecourses around the country in the late nineteenth century. It also has social history importance as part of the built environment at Makaraka Racecourse, as a visually powerful reminder of the Poverty Bay Turf Club, and the important role that horse racing has played in the social life of the Tairawhiti region. It creates a rich picture of the sport of horse racing and the activities and behaviours of people who attended the races in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
