When Hokitika Discovered Roller Skating
By Vaughan Bradley
Gold rush–era Hokitika holds a surprising claim to fame; it was the birthplace of roller skating in New Zealand. In December 1866, the country’s first skating rink opened in Weld Street.
Today, Hokitika Museum preserves the few surviving relics of that short-lived craze – a large section of wooden flooring from the Princess Theatre rink and a pair of well-worn roller skates.
The West Coast Times reported with excitement that “an amusement of rather a novel character, namely skating on the floor of a boarded room, is about to be introduced to Hokitika.” Skates were imported from Victoria, and townsfolk flocked to try the new pastime. The rink was reportedly “crowded by gentlemen anxious to avail themselves of the opportunity of indulging in a pastime which, if not altogether new, was certainly – under the circumstances – exceedingly strange.”
However, this first attempt at roller skating lasted only about three weeks.
Skating Clubs and the Rise of Rinks
Eleven years later, in 1877, the Hokitika Skating Club was formed and began operating out of the Drill Hall Shed in Camp Street. Around 30 locals joined. On opening night, the West Coast Times reported that “Two or three of the lady members glided along with the greatest of ease and elegance... the presence of the band with its musical notes added a cheerfulness to the meeting.”
Similar clubs soon sprang up in Kumara, Greymouth, Reefton, and Westport. Skating was largely a winter pastime, with clubs closing over summer.
The worldwide skating boom of the 1880s, driven by the invention of ball-bearing wheels, made skating easier and more popular. In Hokitika, the Alpine Skating Rink opened in 1888, offering lessons and free skate hire for children.
Special events kept the town entertained – including a visit by Miss Mabel Sylvestor, “America’s Champion Trick and Fancy Lady Skater,” in 1889, who dazzled audiences with her trick and “scientific” skating.
The Princess Theatre
In 1889, Hokitika got its first purpose-built rink, the Palace Hall (later the Princess Theatre), built by Hans J. Hansen. It was the largest building of its kind on the Coast, boasting a 15 x 20 metre diagonally laid floor that was “compared to ice by experienced skaters.” The opening was festive, with ferns, flags, and music from St Mary’s Band adding to the excitement.
Prices were cheaper in the mornings, and women could hire skates for 6 pence (men paid a shilling). Skating sessions often ended with dancing, and coffee was served in the lounge. A removable stage made the hall versatile for shows and concerts.
The season traditionally ended with a Grand Fancy Dress Carnival, featuring maypole dances, games, races, and a grand march. A memorable event in 1891 even pitted cyclist Mr. W. Nicholson against skater W. Goodfellow (great-grandfather of local Glenn Johnston) in a race – Nicholson won.
Decline and Legacy
By the early 1890s, the skating craze was fading. The Princess Theatre hosted its last known skating season in 1903 before being converted into a two-tiered theatre for live shows and later films. During this renovation, a section of the skating floor was saved – the very piece now held by the Museum.
The theatre closed in 1967 and was demolished in 1970, but skating had one last hurrah in the 1930s with pop-up events in Rimu, Woodstock, and the Drill Hall.
Though rollerblades and roller derbies brought brief resurgences in the late 20th century, Hokitika has never quite recaptured the excitement of its skating heyday.
