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Story: Taranaki places

Stratford’s glockenspiel clock tower

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The glockenspiel housed in the clock tower in Stratford is the only one of its kind in New Zealand. A glockenspiel resembles a xylophone, but has metal rather than wooden keys. In 2014 the Stratford glockenspiel played four times daily (10 a.m. and 1, 3 and 7 p.m.) for about five minutes after the hour sounded. The music was accompanied by scenes from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, acted out by wooden figures (made by Nigel Ogle of Hawera’s Tawhiti Museum) in the windows near the base of the tower.

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Stratford District Council

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How to cite this page

Ron Lambert, Taranaki places – Stratford, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/interactive/25891/stratfords-glockenspiel-clock-tower (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Ron Lambert, published 23 February 2010, updated 1 September 2016.

Comments

The Barretts
11 January 2011
Firstly the figures are fibreglass. Secondly Romeo & Juliet appear at various levels up & down the tower constantly declaring their undying love 4 times a day. We know this because the mechanics were designed by me Lyal.H. Barrett. Stratford.