Circus performances today are highly technical, and thankfully, in most cases, don’t involve live animals. However, in the early days of European settlement in New Zealand, right through to the mid 20^th century, the travelling circus was a pretty basic affair where a variety of animals from lions to monkeys and even elephants, were dragged around the country to entertain people in towns and cities from Kaitaia to Invercargill.

A HISTORY

The term ‘circus’ can be traced back to ancient Rome. A ‘circus’ was a building where a variety of races, and shows would take place for the public. These included fights with trained animals, gladiatorial fights, reenactments of battles and races involving horses and chariots. Thousands of people would attend; the biggest one known to have been built, Circus Maximus, could apparently hold over 150,000 people. After the Roman Empire crumpled, mass entertainment also largely disappeared. Instead, small groups of performers travelled from one place to the next putting on modest shows. read more