Royal Whanganui Opera House facts for kids
The Royal Whanganui Opera House is a special theatre in Whanganui, New Zealand. It was built way back in 1899. This makes it New Zealand's very last theatre from the Victorian era. It's located on St Hill Street in central Whanganui. The theatre can seat 830 people. It hosts many different events.
These events include big opera shows, concerts, and piano recitals. Schools use it for events and graduation ceremonies. You can also see fashion shows and many types of dance. The theatre is perfect for anything needing a stage and seats. Even wedding ceremonies have happened there! The stage can hold a reception for up to 80 guests.
How It All Started
In 1897, a local council member, F.M. Spurdle, had an idea. He suggested building an opera house to celebrate Queen Victoria's long time as queen. The mayor, Alexander Hatrick, liked the idea. A group was formed to look into it, and the council agreed to go ahead.
The Wanganui Opera House Company then offered shares to the public. They wanted to raise money for the building. The council also held a competition to design the opera house. It would be built next to the council offices. The winner would get to oversee the building work.
In January 1899, George Stevenson, an architect from Wellington, won the competition. Sadly, he passed away that July. This was the same day the first stone was laid for the building. A retired builder from Whanganui, James Tawse, took over supervising the project for free. The building job was given to Nicholas Meuli, who had his own company in Whanganui.
About the Building
The Opera House has a classic design. It uses different styles of pillars on its lower and upper parts. This design fits well with the council building next door.
The original plans drawn by Stevenson are kept safe. You can see copies of them inside the Opera House. These plans show how the building was laid out. They include details for the basement, ground floor, and the upper seating area.
When it was built, newspapers said the theatre was made of wood. It sat on strong concrete foundations. All the inside walls were plastered. The main seating area was large, about 60 feet by 60 feet. It could seat over a thousand people. The seats in the upper circle and main floor were modern. They had metal frames and soft backs that could tip up. This made it easier for people to walk past.
The upper seating area was held up by 18 metal pillars. These pillars were painted to look like marble. But they sometimes blocked the view for people sitting behind them. Even today, some people try to avoid seats too close to these pillars. Behind the upper seating area, there was a room for refreshments.
The main seating area was quite narrow. This made the stage feel closer to the audience. Ten large windows helped with air flow and let in daylight. Other small vents in the walls also helped with air. At night, electricity lit up the theatre.
Key Moments in Time
- 1897 – The council started talking about needing an Opera House.
- 1898 – A competition was held to design the building.
- 1899 – Mayor Alexander Hatrick laid the first stone.
- 1900 – The Opera House officially opened on February 9. The Premier, Richard Seddon, was there.
- 1900 – The first shows, A Sporting Life and The White Heather, were performed.
- 1909 – Handrails were added to the stairs leading to the upper seating area.
- 1917 – An engineer checked the ventilation system.
- 1920 – Changes were made to the Opera House to create a movie theatre.
- 1937 – A fire in the sweet stall closed the theatre for several months.
- 1938 – An extra section, called an annexe, was added.
- 1957 – The Opera House was completely debt-free.
- 1963 – The outside of the building was repainted.
- 1978 – There was a fire in the annexe.
- 1989 – A group called "Friends of the Opera House" was started to help. Smoke detectors were installed.
- 1990 – The orchestra pit, where musicians sit, was updated.
- 1991 – A grant helped pay for a sprinkler system.
- 1992 – New and improved toilets were built, including one for people using wheelchairs.
- 1993 – The stage was replaced. Volunteers helped lay new timber.
- 1995 – The new sprinklers helped save the Opera House from an attempted fire.
- 1996 – The Opera House was given a top historic grading.
- 1999 – Construction began on a new annexe. Centennial celebrations started. In October, the Opera House was given a "Royal charter." Its name changed to the Royal Wanganui Opera House.
- 2015 – The Whanganui District Council said the building needed earthquake strengthening.
