Thames (NZ): First Tight Rope walk over Pollen Street

When looking for events unique to Thames, one always hopes to find something a little different.

Well, heres one to ponder on...do you know about the time someone crossed Pollen Street on a tight rope???

Thomas ROWLEY in 1936 recalled the time in 1876 when CHARLES BLONDIN crossed the street, at the corner of Grey and Pollen Streets. Rowley a 12 year old at the time, remembered the rope stretched from Butt's Shortland Hotel to Barnett's Warwick Arms Hotel! Papers of the time do not specifically record the event, but during the year of 1876 Blondin was busy doing similar performances in Auckland.

Auckland Star 16 April 1937

Further investigation of the event are necessary, as it stands it must have been an amazing sight. A possible view in the photo below...the red line showing where the tightrope could have been, based on Rowley's memories of the day Charles BLONDIN walked the tight rope across Pollen Street.

Background on Charles BLONDIN:

On June 30, 1859, the “Great Blondin” walked along a tightrope suspended above the rapids of Niagara Falls, becoming the first man to walk across the Falls.