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Story: Historic places

Demolishing Masterton's Opera House

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Demolishing Masterton's Opera House

Following the devastating 2010 and 2011 Canterbury earthquakes, in which many historic buildings were destroyed or damaged, local authorities became more wary of earthquake-prone buildings in their districts. One response was to demolish the most hazardous buildings. Masterton District Council took this approach with the town's 114-year-old opera house, which it considered too weak to survive a moderate earthquake.

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Wairarapa Times-Age

by Lynda Feringa

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How to cite this page

Ben Schrader, Historic places – Recent developments, 2010s, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/42148/demolishing-mastertons-opera-house (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Ben Schrader, published 4 July 2013, updated 19 August 2016.