Avondale Racecourse is a horse racing venue in Avondale,

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New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. First established in 1888, the racecourse has been used as a military training facility and as a temporary hospital. Currently the racecourse is used as a venue for the Avondale Jockey Club, sports fields for rugby union, rugby league, soccer and cricket, as a location of the Avondale Sunday Markets.

History

The racecourse was first opened in 1888, with the original grandstand replaced in 1902. During the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, the racecourse was used as a military camp for the

3rd (Auckland) Mounted Rifles The 3rd (Auckland) Mounted Rifles was formed on March 17, 1911. They were mobilised during the First World War as a squadron of the Auckland Mounted Rifles Regiment. They served in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I and first saw action du ...

from 1912, and from 1913 as an airfield. On 13 April 1913, Frederik E. Sandford flew the rebuilt biplane ''Manurewa'' at the racecourse; a biplane formerly owned and flown by the

Walsh Brothers The New Zealand Flying School was formed in 1915, by the Walsh Brothers, Leo and Vivian, to train pilots for the Royal Flying Corps. The school flew a fleet of home-built and imported flying boats from Mission Bay on Auckland's Waitemata Harbou ...

before it crashed.Rendel, David (1975) ''Civil Aviation in New Zealand: An Illustrated History''. Wellington. A.H. & A.W.Reed. After the war, the racecourse became a temporary hospital for the

1918 flu pandemic The 1918–1920 influenza pandemic, commonly known by the misnomer Spanish flu or as the Great Influenza epidemic, was an exceptionally deadly global influenza pandemic caused by the H1N1 influenza A virus. The earliest documented case was ...

. In 1923, the site was used for

motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...

races. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, the racecourse was again put into use as a training facility. In 1989 the Avondale Jockey Club sold off a large portion of land, which was re-developed as housing. Attendance at racecourse events have declined in the 21st century, however the venue has been renewed attendance due to the refurbishment of the Ellerslie Racecourse. The Avondale Jockey Club's thoroughbred racing licence ends in 2026.

Avondale Sunday Market

The Avondale Sunday Market is one of the largest regular markets in New Zealand, first established in the 1970s, and developed due to the growth of migration of different ethnic groups to Auckland.

References

{{Whau Local Board Area 1888 establishments in New Zealand Buildings and structures in Auckland Event venues in New Zealand Horse racing venues in New Zealand Sports venues in Auckland Whau Local Board Area West Auckland, New Zealand