You know all about the great rugby and cricket matches held at Carisbrook over the last 130 years. But what about the other stuff? Hayden Meikle offers an A to Z of the lesser known events held at the ground.
A is for Athletics. There have been many track and field events held at Carisbrook, including the 1948 national championships, and the 1957 festival event that featured British running great Gordon Pirie. St Hilda's Collegiate also played annual sports there.
B is for Band Recitals. Not sure about the acoustics, but the turf would have made for a pleasant spot to relax and listen to the latest music 100 years ago.
C is for Cycling. In February 1888, English professional champion Fred Wood held a demonstration penny-farthing race at Carisbrook.
D is for Demons. Those Crusty boys tore up Carisbrook twice with their unique brand of freestyle motocross.
E is for Evangelist. Billy Graham bellowed out his sermon to a large crowd in the 1950s.
F is for Football. The first test between the All Whites and Australia was played at Carisbrook in 1922. And Otago played a Chinese team in 1957.
G is for Globetrotters. Yes, the famous Harlem Globetrotters basketball team played at Carisbrook, 40 years ago. A temporary court made of particle board was laid in front of the main stand.
H is for Hockey. It's all smooth turf now, but hockey has a great history at Carisbrook. The first women's interprovincial games were played there in 1911; Otago played England in 1914 and 1938; the first North-South game was held in 1923; and Otago played Fiji in 1936. Perhaps the most famous game played with sticks at the ground was in May 1961, when the Otago men's side played the Indian Wanderers as a curtain-raiser to a club rugby game.
I is for Is This True? That a game of baseball was once played at Carisbrook? And American football?
J is for Joe Cocker. His concert was a bit of a damp squib in 1998. Hopefully, Elton John will do better at the new stadium later this year.
K is for Kids. One of the more popular sports at Carisbrook years ago was gymnastics, when all the little tackers would run, roll, climb and bend their way around the ground.
L is for League. Nope, there has never been a game of rugby league at Carisbrook. Relations between union and league were too strained in the early days. But the NZRL did hold its annual meeting at the ground in 2002.
M is for Marching. Generations of fresh-faced, long-limbed Dunedin girls showed off their rhythm and style at the home of Otago sport.
N is for Nuptials. In 2005, English couple Liz Flores and James Dalton got married at Carisbrook.
O is for Opera. Patricia Payne hit the high notes at the House of Pain in 2000.
P is for Piping. And dancing and the caber toss and all those other things associated with the Highland Games.
Q IS for Queen Sirikit. The Thai monarchy - Queen Sirikit and her husband, King Bhumibol - took in a rugby game as part of their tour in 1962.
R is for the Dunedin RSA Choir. Technically, this was linked to a rugby game, but they performed a memorable set of national anthems at Carisbrook on Anzac Day, 2003.
S is for Sullivan and Gilbert. Or is it the other way round? Plenty of performances of the famous comic operas have been held at the ground.
T is for Tennis. In December 1950, a professional tennis troupe led by Jack Kramer and featuring Pancho Gonzales toured Australia and New Zealand, and played a tournament at Carisbrook.
U is for Under-17 Football. Dunedin hosted a pool of the under-17 world cup in 1999 and Carisbrook was widely rated the tournament's best venue.
V is for Very Annoyed. That must have been how Mary Hopkin was feeling when the Welsh folk singer had to stop in the middle of a song at Carisbrook while a noisy train went past.
W is for We Love You, We Love You, We Love You. That's what the lead singer of Boney M, the cult disco group, repeatedly told the pre-match crowd in 1997 and 1998.
X is for X marks the spot. The odd funeral gathering has called into Carisbrook, and urns containing the ashes of Bert Sutcliffe and Charlie Saxton remain well hidden.
Y is for You. For all the great events that have been held at the ground, the reason it has been so special has been the atmosphere created by the people of Otago.
Z is for Zzzzzzzzzzz.Good night, Carisbrook. Thanks for the memories.
