Home & SEARCH

North Island

South Island

International

This Site

The Drawings

C.A.D programs

Contribute

North Island Demolished / Closed

South Island Demolished / Closed

In the 19th century, it seems every town had to have a "Theatre Royal"
Despite grand sounding titles, the earliest venues were simply a rough stage (or no stage at all) in a corner of or adjoining a local Hotel. Many performances also took place in Town Halls, Church Halls, and throughout the country in the local Oddfellows Halls.

During the 1870's and through to the turn of the century a large number of purpose built theatres were constructed throughout the country. Some are still standing, an alarming number were destroyed by fire, many were demolished and almost all those remaining were converted into cinemas as film became increasingly popular.

By the end of the depression films were firmly established as popular entertainment, and not until the 1970's would the country see any theatres built especially for live entertainment again.

The once immensely popular cinemas in their turn were displaced by Television, and huge numbers of cinemas closed throughout New Zealand during the late 1960's and 70's. Many of these were demolished, but a surprising number of the buildings remain, thinly disguised as warehouses, bargain barns and the like, or converted into shops, offices or even apartments. 

At present this part of the site is mostly just listings of the venues, but as other information amasses, and as I have the time, I hope to be able to present some photos, plans etc. of some of these buildings.

As always, if you have any info you would like to share: venues@venueweb.co.nz

Sources:

The Encyclopaedia of New Zealand

Cinemas of Auckland 1896-1979
Bruce & Selwyn Hayward
Lodestar Press 1979

Everyone's Gone to the Movies
60 Cinemas of Auckland
Gordon Ingham 1973

Cinemas - Dunedin & Districts 1897 - 1974
Knewstubb Theatres, Dunedin, 1974

Wellington's Picture Theatres
Carlos Gonzales 1987 (Thesis)

Shadows on the Stage
Peter Downes 1975

Opera's Farthest Frontier
Adrienne Simpson
Reed, 1996

Pat Lawlor's Wellington
Pat Lawlor
Millwood Press, 1978

Evening Post Newspaper, Wellington

Cover Story (The History of the State Insurance Office 1905 - 1980)
Arthur Manning

Music and the Stage in New Zealand.
Maurice Hurst
Charles Begg & Co, 1944

Elke Chilwell
Auckland