blue frilled georgette; Miss Bennetts, almond green crushed velvet and net; Miss J. Page, geranium red satin. During the evening an exhibition of ballroom dancing was given by Miss Jeanne Horne, and the latest tap dance was rendered by Miss R. Davidson.

Thursday, August 29, 2013

All credit due to a heritage researcher at Auckland Council, who has found references in Paper's Past to what was the first of Avondale's military camps on the racecourse in 1910, one of the last "squadron" camps before the formal organisation of the territorials under the 1909 Defence Act. The "A" Squadron First Regiment Auckland Mounted Rifles camped on the Avondale Racecourse from 7-12 November 1910, nearly a year after the Act, just months before Colonel Alexander
John Godley was appointed commandant of the territorialsin 1911, and two years before the camp I wrote about in They Trained Beside The River.

"A"Squadron First Regiment Auckland Mounted Rifles, went into camp on the Avondale racecourse on Saturday. At present about 75 men are under canvas. On Sunday morning church parade was held, and in the afternoon a large number of friends visited the camp. On Monday morning the squadron was inspected by Lieut.-Colonel Holgate. Lieut-Colonel Carolan is medical officer in charge of the camp. The squadron will hold their annual sports on Saturday next. A large programme is provided, and some interesting contests should ensue. All friends of the members of the squadron are invited. After the sports camp will lie broken up.

NZ Herald 9 November 1910

The Lt.-Col Carolan may have been Dr James