Opera House

It’s no coincidence that the Town Clerk’s early correspondence records hold a surfeit of complaints about overcrowding at the Opera House, all of which were penned by the Captain of the Fire Brigade. Wellington’s first Imperial Opera House, which opened in 1878, burned down in 1879, as did its 1886 successor due to suspected incendiarism. The 1878 fire was severe: it first broke out in the dome of the Imperial Opera House and spread out, destroying four acres of buildings including the Wesleyan Church Parsonage and school-house, the Workingmen’s Club, the Royal Oak Hotel, the Branch Bank of New Zealand, and more than twenty other buildings.

Within 6 months, the Te Aro Opera House (later the Regent Picture Theatre) was opened, but was eventually deemed too small for grand shows. The Grand Opera House, later the State Opera House, began construction in 1911, made of masonry and brick rather than the timber of its predecessors, and was opened in April 1914. It was designed by Melbourne architect, William Pitt, and the construction supervised by his brother-in-law, Albert Liddy. This is the Opera House that stands today.

The stage was one of the largest in Australasia, and the interior is celebrated for its fine detail and skilled craftsmanship. It was modelled on London theatres of the 1880s, featuring a three-tier auditorium and domed ceiling. The construction also benefitted from the work of a scenic artist, decorative artist, and a fibrous plaster decorator. The ceiling’s plasterwork is decorated with New Zealand wildflowers, Australian eucalypts, and English roses, and the original upholstery was made and designed by Kirkcaldie & Stains. The interior is considered unique in Wellington and are possibly unique in New Zealand.

Hoping to keep the Opera House open, it was purchased and refurbished by State Insurance in 1977. The refurbishment included digging out and significantly expanding the size of the orchestra pit. It was refurbished again in 2016 by Mitchell Burrows of Shand Shelton Architects, whose restorative efforts were described as “breathtakingly beautiful” and resulted in a Resene Total Colour Heritage Award .

Many celebrated artists have graced its halls since, including Anna Pavlova, Yehudi Menuhin, Dame Sybil Thorndike, and Marcel Marceau – there are plenty more featured in our poster collection! In 2005, Peter Jackson used the Opera House for the theatre scenes in King Kong.