Sport and Colonialism in 19th Century Australasia - LA84 Foundation

At the time of the initial Australian settlement British
society was beginning its urban-industrial transformation. New
South Wales was settled in this era when society's traditional
values were being challenged by urban middle-class reformers
intent on removing obstacles to the progress and productivity
of the new industrial society. It might be reasonable to expect
that the earliest Australian settlers would have taken to New
South Wales the same mixture of tradition, change and reforming
attempts, but to determine whether or not the same changes resuited
we need to shift the focus of analysis back to New South
Wales.
We have already seen that both gaming and betting flourished
in early New South Wales. Colonial administrations were not
concerned with pressing for the reforms being pursued in Britain,
although Governor Hunter did attempt to prevent gambling after
curfew and colonial magistrates did request the military to
break up cockfights and boxing matches. In both cases however,
the officials were concerned only with preventing the public
disorder which often accompanied such events. We have also seen
that Governor Lachlan Macquarie actively promoted horse racing,
through his role of patron of the Hyde Park races. Similarly,
Macquarie provided a degree of greater legitimacy to gaming,
through his love of card playing. yet Macquarie's administration
is noted for the Governor's determination to transform New
South Wales into an outpost of British civilisation. His concern
with order and morality, including his campaign against
cohabitation appears to be in conflict with his definition of
Hyde Park as a recreation and amusement ground and a racecourse. 29
Nevertheless the apparent contradiction can be reconciled.
The building of a racecourse close to the town was a deliberate
part of Macquarie's recreation policy. Race meetings at Hyde
Park were to become part of a programme of annual recreations
which included an Easter Fair and Whitsuntide celebrations. In
promoting such leisure activities, Macquarie was simultaneously
bringing some order to colonial recreation by confining it to
specified periods, and he was defining the role of the colonial
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