The founding father of the Greymouth Trotting Club, received the following glowing endorsement from the then veteran trotting writer Charlie Craig (CE Craig, Greymouth Evening Star, 22 October 1963) :
“….. no reference to trotting in Greymouth would be complete without special mention of Mr H.W. Kitchingham, whose lengthy service to the club and the sport generally, particularly in connection with the work on the New Zealand Board of Management.”
Henry Kitchingham was born in 1864 and aged twenty two, he joined Sir Arthur Guinness as a partner in the Greymouth legal firm of Guinness and Kitchingham. Guinness was the first President of the Greymouth Trotting Club) until 1905 remaining a partner until his death on 10 June 1913. Kitchingham continued in this role thereafter, more of that later.
The Greymouth Trotting Club’s premises at Victoria Park has an interesting history especially its beginnings. Henry Kitchingham together with TA Murphy, both prominent members of the local cricket club were appointed to search for a new cricket ground. The new local police chief Sergeant O’Grady had objected to the cricketers use of the police camp grounds which were the only sports field in town.
In June 1886, Kitchingham and Murphy acquired a two acre block of rough land, sort of an island in a large swamp. At the next cricket club’s meeting, approval for the land purchase was declined with the two being informed “you bought, you keep it”. Determined to retain the land purchased they acquired a further two and half acres of an adjoining property from Mr J Brady of Kaiata being joined in this purchase and then a further acre of WJ Coates property by Messrs EA Wicks and Eissenhardt.
By draining and fencing the five and half acres, a track was formed, an asphalt cricket pitch laid and the grounds opened in the Jubilee Year of Queen Victoria (1887), hence the naming of Victoria Park. Further land purchases were made totalling eight and half acres including the balance of land owned by Mr Coates.
The Greymouth TC was formed in 1890 and held its first meeting on the Queen’s Birthday 24 May 1890. All four land owners, Messrs Kitchingham, Wickes, Eissenhardt and Frickster were original members of the first Greymouth Trotting Club Committee. Greymouth was one of the earliest trotting clubs formed together with Lancaster Park, Canterbury, Timaru and Nelson, becoming affiliated to the Trotting Association in that year.
The original track was three furlongs round (660 yds) with the Victoria Park Company completing ground development by 1898. This included a grandstand, judges box, totalisator house, racetrack, lawn and saddling paddock. Costs approximating £4,000 were spent on the track, buildings, fencing and improvements. The Trotting Club purchased Victoria Park in 1900 at a cost of £3,300, financed by debentures and continued racing at Victoria Park until its closure following the meeting of 15 March 2009.
Henry Kitchingham was the third President of the Greymouth Trotting Club after Sir Arthur Guinness (1890 – 1905) and Mr J Petrie (1905 – 1908). He was the longest serving President of the club, first elected in 1908 and remaining in office until 1939 (thirty one years) when Mr PC Heaphy was appointed.
As well as being a member of the inaugural Greymouth Trotting Club Committee, Henry Kitchingham fulfilled a number of other tasks during years before his Presidency – these included timekeeper, handicapper and member of the Programme Committee. During his reign, he oversaw or witnessed a number of notable events relating to the club :
- Reclamation activities of the club’s land which was situated on the lowest lying part of the Greymouth township occurred over many years e.g. in 1916, additional thirteen acres acquired and a new course layout and facilities approved. Train loads of pug (low grade asphalt; refer pug mill) were transported from South Beach to a siding around the boundary of the track so course caretaker Charlie Watson could unload it
- Extension of the original three furlong track to four furlongs (half mile) in 1920, this being an extra three chains in length and forty feet wider than the original track. Two football grounds were provided inside the new track; the stand together with the tote houses, lawns, saddling paddocks etc were moved westwards. The total cost of these improvements amounted to £23,000)
- a new grandstand (cost £13,000) was built commencing June 1923 and first used for the October 1923 meeting
- Thursday 4 March 1926 fire destroyed the new concrete grandstand (rebuilt in time for October 1927 meeting)
- Club debts reached £24,000 in the early 1930’s with their clearance commenced during the Kitchingham reign (debts repaid by mid-1950’s)
- Major flooding of the track and complex occurred in 1936
Mrs Kitchingham made her contribution to the Greymouth Trotting Club over many years with the Greymouth Evening Star reporting on 20 October 1927 :
“For the past twenty nine years, one of the most valuable supporters of the club has been a lady, Mrs C Kitchingham and upon her has devolved the important work of supervising the tea rooms at the club’s meetings……. that her work is appreciated is shown by the fact that the club has conferred upon Mrs Kitchingham the honour of life membership”.
Henry Kitchingham raced many horses over the years, working them on Victoria Park with his horses stabled in Alexander St where the Greymouth Squash Club is now located. He and his wife Mrs CS Kitchingham fashioned a grand record in the Greymouth Trotting Cup, winning this event on no fewer than four occasions over the eight years 1910 – 1917 :
- Henry Kitchingham owner of Croesus (1910), Makomako (1915) and Thesus (1917)
- Mrs CS Kitchingham owner of Wild Palm (1911); won by a walk over being the only horse nominated for the race
All of these Kitchingham horses were trained and driven by Harry Gaskill, well known locally at Victoria Park and respected nationally. Kitchingham and Gaskill’s leading performer was Jingle (1907c Capitalist/Merrybell), third to Country Belle in the 1915 NZ Cup. Jingle, 2:18.1, £2,298 was winner of Westport Cup, Lightning (twice)/Provincial Hcps at Addington and Dunedin Cup at Forbury Park. Later he sired 2:10 horse Rollo, winner of several feature races at Addington and James Hcp at Forbury Park.
Kitchingham purchased 187 acres of land at Templeton (Christchurch) which he set up as a stud farm. For several years he imported stallions with a number purchased in conjunction with Mr Hudson of Cadbury, Fry and Hudson Ltd (chocolate and biscuit manufacturers). On 30 September 1919, the Greymouth Evening Star reported that :
Fred Lynch was one of the last trainers who prepared horses for Henry Kitchingham having at one time six of Kitchingham’s horses in training at Victoria Park.
Henry Kitchingham was elected to national administrative positions with the NZ Trotting Association, including serving a term as its President. An example in September 1914, the newly elected board of the NZ Trotting Association consisted of Messrs P Selig (President), PM Barron, WG Garrard, WE (Walter) Simes** (Treasurer), HF (Harry) Nicoll (Vice President) and HW Kitchingham. Mr Kitchingham was a member of the Colours and Appeals Committees for the 1914/15 season.
** Walter Edwin Simes – refer harnessbred.com articles of 3 and 10 January 2017.
Kitchingham’s major contribution to the Board was updating the Rules of Trotting, an exercise which involved many of his staff at Guinness and Kitchingham. His national reputation as a leading administrator was recognised in a racing weekly of the time, with a headline of “Kitchingham – the man who put the Trot into Trotting”.
Kitchingham’s most important role as a solicitor was saving the Greymouth district’s timber industry in 1913. The industry had spent a considerable sum of money on capital expenditure to modernise it in the Grey district. A financial crisis arose which meant nearly all the mills faced bankruptcy and steps were underway to liquidate the various timber businesses. An approach was made to the wealthiest man in the area, Mr Felix Campbell who eventually agreed to assist the timber industry, thanks to the efforts of Henry Kitchingham over many months to keep the businesses afloat. The debt to the Campbell estate took many years to be repaid.
In addition to his harness racing involvement, Henry Kitchingham was involved in a variety of other activities in the Greymouth area over the years. These included his other racing duties with the Greymouth Jockey Club where in 1913 he was listed as a Steward, Timekeeper, on both the Programme and Course Committees.
He was President of the Greymouth Poultry Club – examples of his ability as reported in the Greymouth Evening Star included at Horticultural and Poultry Society Shows –
- Plymouth Rock, cock or cockerel, Mr HW Kitchingham, first, three exhibits (15/8/1895)
- Owls, English Blue, Mr H.W. Kitchingham, 1st and special (30/7/1896)
His acted as Honorary Solicitor for the by the Greymouth Returned Services Association. According to the Christchurch Press his son Mr FA Kitchingham was awarded the Senior Scholarship in Political Science for 1906.
Henry Kitchingham died on 21 April 1946, aged 84.
Peter Craig
29 July 2020
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