Oamaru Opera House

Last updated

Oamaru Opera House
00 1666 Oamaru (New Zealand, Otago Region) - Opera House.jpg
Oamaru Opera House
Oamaru Opera House
Former namesOamaru Town Hall
General information
Architectural style Edwardian Baroque
Location90 Thames Street, Oamaru, New Zealand
Coordinates 45°05′55″S170°58′13″E / 45.098603°S 170.970322°E / -45.098603; 170.970322 Coordinates: 45°05′55″S170°58′13″E / 45.098603°S 170.970322°E / -45.098603; 170.970322
Construction startedOctober 1906
Completed8 October 1907
Design and construction
Architect(s)John Megget Forrester
Website
https://oamaruoperahouse.co.nz/
Designated13 December 1996
Reference no.7356

The Oamaru Opera House and former Town Hall in Oamaru is a historic building and current performance venue on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. The building is classified as a "Category I" ("places of 'special or outstanding historical or cultural heritage significance or value'") historic place by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga, previously known as the New Zealand Historic Places Trust. [1]

Contents

History

The first borough council offices in Oamaru were in a wooden building on the south side of the Thames Street Bridge, occupied since the 1860s, but by the turn of the century were considered too small for hosting civic events, as well as being "old and unsightly". [1] The only public hall in Oamaru, the Theatre Royal, had been lost to redevelopment which made the situation more urgent. Mayor Robert Milligan instigated the purchase of land for a new town hall in 1905, and the Council called for designs. Oamaru architect John Meggett Forrester won the competition. Forrester was the son of another local architect Thomas Forrester. [1]

Builders Winsley and Sons were contracted to construct the building for £10,600, although the design was then altered to include both a second storey and a concert hall. [1]

Construction and style

Sir Joseph Ward laid the foundation stone in October 1906, and the building was officially opened on 8 October the following year. The building is constructed of the local Oamaru stone, in the Edwardian Baroque style. [1]

The auditorium had a raked floor to the orchestra pit, an upstairs gallery, and seated 1007 people. The town hall and council chambers were lit by gas, while the Opera House was lit by electricity. [1]

According to conservation architect Chris Cochran the building ‘is a significant example nationally of the Edwardian Baroque style, a bold and assertive design that proclaims the prosperity and pride of the town of Oamaru...The design significance is particularly evident in the interior – particularly the Proscenium arch, circle, council chambers, and the plaster ceilings in the theatre circle." [1]

The Opera House was used to show moving pictures and live acts, political meetings and town celebrations. [1] The former Council Chambers house memorial honour rolls. [1]

The building was registered by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust as a Category I item in December 1993, with registration number 7356. [1]

Refurbishment

Changes to the floor plan over the years have included removal of walls and construction of new stairs. The Opera House was refurbished in 1997 to include a new ground floor theatre. The foyer was also upgraded and strengthening work carried out to the overall structure. [1] A further redevelopment in 2009 won the Public Architecture category of the 2010 Southern Architecture Awards and the 2011 New Zealand Institute of Architects Heritage award for Heritage Conservation. [2]

The current building includes a 500-seat auditorium, a cafe, a black box theatre and conference venue. Besides a complete range of civic functions, the Opera House has hosted theatre, ballet, concerts, cinema and boxing. [3]

In 1989 the Oamaru Borough council was combined with Waitaki County, Waihemo County, and Palmerston Borough councils to create Waitaki District Council. The Waitaki District Council has been based nearby at 20 Thames Street, in the former Post Office building, since 1994. [4] [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oamaru</span> Town in Otago, New Zealand

Oamaru is the largest town in North Otago, in the South Island of New Zealand, it is the main town in the Waitaki District. It is 80 kilometres (50 mi) south of Timaru and 120 kilometres (75 mi) north of Dunedin on the Pacific coast; State Highway 1 and the railway Main South Line connect it to both cities. With a population of 13,900, Oamaru is the 28th largest urban area in New Zealand, and the third largest in Otago behind Dunedin and Queenstown. The town is the seat of Waitaki District, which includes the surrounding towns of Kurow, Weston, Palmerston, and Hampden. which combined have a total population of 23,200.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geraldine, New Zealand</span> Town in Canterbury, New Zealand

Geraldine is a town in the Canterbury region in the South Island of New Zealand. It is about 140 km south of Christchurch, and inland from Timaru, which is 38 km to the south. Geraldine is located on State Highway 79 between the Orari and Hae Hae Te Moana Rivers and 45 kilometres to the east of Fairlie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rangiora</span> Town in Canterbury, New Zealand

Rangiora is the largest town and seat of the Waimakariri District, in Canterbury, New Zealand. It is 29 kilometres (18 mi) north of Christchurch, and is part of the Christchurch metropolitan area. With an estimated population of 19,700, Rangiora is the 30th largest urban area in New Zealand, and the fifth-largest in the Canterbury region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queen Street, Auckland</span>

Queen Street is the major commercial thoroughfare in the Auckland CBD, Auckland, New Zealand's main population centre. The northern end is at Queens Wharf on the Auckland waterfront, adjacent to the Britomart Transport Centre and the Downtown Ferry Terminal. The road is close to straight, the southern end being almost three kilometres away in a south-southwesterly direction on the Karangahape Road ridge, close to the residential suburbs in the interior of the Auckland isthmus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Otago Boys' High School</span> State secondary, day and boarding school in Otago, New Zealand

Otago Boys' High School (OBHS) is a secondary school in Dunedin, New Zealand. It is one of New Zealand's oldest boys' secondary schools. Originally known as Dunedin High School, it was founded on 3 August 1863 and moved to its present site in 1885. The main building was designed by Robert Lawson and is regarded as one of the finest Gothic revival structures in the country. Situated on high ground above central Dunedin it commands excellent views of the city and is a prominent landmark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Zealand Parliament Buildings</span> Government complex in Wellington, New Zealand

New Zealand Parliament Buildings house the New Zealand Parliament and are on a 45,000 square metre site at the northern end of Lambton Quay, Wellington. They consist of the Edwardian neoclassical-style Parliament House (1922); the Parliamentary Library (1899); the executive wing, called "The Beehive" (1977); and Bowen House, in use since 1991. Whilst most of the individual buildings are outstanding for different reasons, the overall setting that has been achieved "has little aesthetic or architectural coherence".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heritage New Zealand</span> Crown entity of New Zealand

Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga is a Crown entity with a membership of around 20,000 people that advocates for the protection of ancestral sites and heritage buildings in New Zealand. It was set up through the Historic Places Act 1954 with a mission to "...promote the identification, protection, preservation and conservation of the historical and cultural heritage of New Zealand" and is an autonomous Crown entity. Its current enabling legislation is the Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Act 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christchurch Town Hall</span> Performing arts centre in Christchurch, New Zealand

The Christchurch Town Hall, since 2007 formally known as the Christchurch Town Hall of the Performing Arts, opened in 1972, is Christchurch, New Zealand's premier performing arts centre. It is located in the central city on the banks of the Avon River overlooking Victoria Square, opposite the former location of the demolished Christchurch Convention Centre. Due to significant damage sustained during the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake, it was closed until 2019. Council staff initially recommended demolition of all but the main auditorium, but at a meeting in November 2012, councillors voted to rebuild the entire hall. In 2020, the town hall was registered as a Category I heritage building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Lawson (architect)</span> NZ architect

Robert Arthur Lawson was one of New Zealand's pre-eminent 19th century architects. It has been said he did more than any other designer to shape the face of the Victorian era architecture of the city of Dunedin. He is the architect of over forty churches, including Dunedin's First Church for which he is best remembered, but also other buildings, such as Larnach Castle, a country house, with which he is also associated.

The architecture of New Zealand, though influenced by various cultures, expresses pre-dominantly European styles. Polynesian influences emerge in some areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Auckland Town Hall</span> Civic in Auckland CBD

Auckland Town Hall is an Edwardian building on Queen Street in the Auckland CBD, New Zealand, known both for its original and ongoing use for administrative functions, as well as its famed Great Hall and separate Concert Chamber. Auckland Town Hall and its surrounding context is highly protected as a 'Category A' heritage site in the Auckland District Plan.

Waitaki Boys' High School is a secondary school for boys located in the northern part of the town of Oamaru, Otago, New Zealand, with day and boarding facilities, and was founded in 1883. As of 2020, it has a school roll of approximately 400 students.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hamilton Central</span> Central business district of Hamilton, New Zealand

Hamilton Central is the central business district of Hamilton, New Zealand. It is located on the western banks of the Waikato River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dunedin Town Hall</span>

The Dunedin Town Hall, also known as the Dunedin Centre, is a municipal building in the city of Dunedin in New Zealand. It is located in the heart of the city extending from The Octagon, the central plaza, to Moray Place through a whole city block. It is the seat of the Dunedin City Council, providing its formal meeting chamber, as well as a large auditorium and a conference centre. The oldest part of the building has been called the only substantial Victorian town hall still in existence in New Zealand.

William Barnett Armson was an architect, surveyor, engineer in colonial New Zealand. A co-founder of the Canterbury Association of Architects, and an architect to the provincial government, he established the architectural firm of Armson, Collins and Harman in 1870, which remained active until 1993. It was one of the two oldest architectural firms in New Zealand. His most important work was the Bank of New Zealand building in Dunedin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parliament House, Wellington</span> Home of the New Zealand legislature

Parliament House, in Lambton Quay, Wellington, is the main building of the New Zealand Parliament Buildings. It contains the Parliament's debating chamber, speaker's office, visitors' centre, and committee rooms. It was built between 1914 and 1922, replacing an earlier building that burned down in 1907. Parliament started using the yet to be completed building from 1918. Parliament House was extensively earthquake strengthened and refurbished between 1991 and 1995. It is open for visitors almost every day of the year, and is one of Wellington's major visitor attractions. Parliament House is a Category I heritage building registered by Heritage New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waitaki District Council building</span> Historic building in Oamaru, New Zealand (previously the Oamaru Post Office)

The Waitaki District Council building, the former Oamaru Chief Post Office, is the seat of the Waitaki District in Oamaru, New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Civic Theatre (Invercargill)</span> Theatre in Invercargill, New Zealand

The Civic Theatre is a theatrical venue in the southern New Zealand city of Invercargill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clock Tower Chambers</span> Municipal building in New Zealand

The Clock Tower Chambers, also known as the Westport Municipal Chambers, are the former municipal offices in Westport, New Zealand. Built during World War II, the building has been described as "possibly the jewel in the crown of West Coast historic buildings". It has a Category I registration with Heritage New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Government Buildings, Hokitika</span> Former government buildings in Hokitika, New Zealand

The former Government Buildings in Hokitika, also known as Seddon House, are on the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand. The building is classified as a "Category I" historic place by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga, previously known as the New Zealand Historic Places Trust.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Oamaru Town Hall and Opera House (Former) | Heritage New Zealand". www.heritage.org.nz. Archived from the original on 28 April 2021. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  2. "History". Oamaru Opera House. Archived from the original on 28 April 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  3. "Oamaru Opera House". Waitaki, New Zealand. Archived from the original on 19 May 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  4. "Home – Waitaki District Council". www.waitaki.govt.nz. Archived from the original on 19 May 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  5. "Oamaru Chief Post Office (Former) | Heritage New Zealand". www.heritage.org.nz. Archived from the original on 28 April 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2021.