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Story: Theatres, cinemas and halls

Civic Theatre: exterior

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Civic Theatre: exterior

Auckland's Civic Theatre was built in 1929 on the site of the old colonial marketplace, at a cost of £200,000. It is New Zealand’s first and best preserved example of an ‘atmospheric theatre’ – a type of opulent movie theatre popular in the 1920s. The other two theatres built in this style were Dunedin’s St James and Christchurch’s Regent. 

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How to cite this page

Ben Schrader, Theatres, cinemas and halls – Rapid growth, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/46831/civic-theatre-exterior (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Ben Schrader, published 17 February 2017.