Collections

The Municipal Opera House that once graced Church Street has a long and storied history.

It was opened by Mayor Maurice Cohen on November 12 1905 to great fanfare. Some accounts say that the opening day almost ended in disaster after too many curious attendees chose to visit the upper gallery at once, leading to signs of visible sagging.

The facilities were used for a variety of events over the years including as a movie theatre, concert hall, meeting place, events hall, and as a venue for sports, particularly wrestling.

It was renovated inside and out in the 1950s after being condemned as unsafe. The work including substantial reinforcement throughout and an extensive remodeling of the exterior.

After many further years of useful service, declining usage numbers led to the building being sold in 1992. It was demolished in 1996.

Below are just some resources the Ian Matheson City Archives holds about the building - do you have something to share? Get in touch with us at heritage@pncc.govt.nz

Provides the origins of street names in Palmerston North and examines street histories.

Sources of information include:

• The Ian Matheson City Archives, including Research Files compiled by:

  • AGS Bradfield
  • MA Sullivan
  • I Matheson

• Road names from Land Administration Log, Palmerston North City Council.

• Local history books from Local History Collection, Palmerston North City Library.

• Historic reporting from Papers Past.

• Built Heritage Inventory, Palmerston North City Council.

• Birth, death & marriage historical records, New Zealand Government.

• New Zealand passenger lists 1839-1974, Archives New Zealand.

• Named person and/or whānau (family).

This collection is a work in progress.

The Rotary Club of Palmerston North was established in 1924. The club is part of a network of global volunteers that have been serving their community for over 100 years.

Anti-apartheid activism was largely centred around rugby tours between the All Blacks and the Springboks from the late 1950s through to the early-1990s. During the 1981 Springbok Tour of New Zealand, more than 150,000 people took part in demonstrations around Aotearoa, including Palmerston North. Other sports such as hockey, surf lifesaving, squash, and lawn bowls, were also targeted for protest.

The Māori Battalion trained at the Palmerston North Showgrounds from January to May of 1940. They then travelled to Wellington, where they embarked aboard the vessel, Aquitaia, to England. In 1964, Te Rau O Te Aroha Māori Battalion Hall was opened as a national memorial to the men of the 28th Māori Battalion who lost their lives in the Second World War.

Centrepoint Theatre is a theatre and theatre company in Palmerston North. It first opened in November 1973 at 81 George Street. By 1978, the theatre relocated to its current location, a former train workshop on the corner of the Church and Pitt Street.

Manawatū People's Radio is the broadcast arm of the Manawatū Access Radio Charitable Trust, a not-for-profit Community Access radio station. It provides access to recording equipment and expertise for the community to make their own content, especially groups who have been underrepresented in traditional media. It has been broadcasting on 999AM since 1997, covering a region from the coast to the gorge and from north of Levin to south of Whanganui. It is funded by grants, donations and with support from NZ On Air to deliver content by and for the local community under Section 36)c) of the Broadcasting Act.

Stuart Birks' oral history recordings as featured on the Manawatū People's Radio programme, "Manawatū Conversations."

These images come from the back catalogue of negatives created by the Manawatu Evening Standard from 1956-1999. Negatives are continually being digitised and processed, so keep checking back to see what has been added to the online collection. Contact heritage@pncc.govt.nz with any questions about use or access.

This collection features photographs of some of the approximately 523 Palmerston North women who signed the Suffrage petition. The petition was submitted to Parliament in 1893.

Opened in 1955 by Clarance Beeby, Freyberg High School was named after the leader of New Zealand’s World War II armed forces; Lieutenant General Bernard Freyberg. This collection is comprised of items from the archives of Freyberg High School.

Journalist Tina White's weekly "Memory Lane" article in the Manawatū Standard.

The Manawatū Journal of History contains articles on the history of the wider Manawatū area, written by a variety of contributors. The journal is published annually.

Back Issues is a local history series that appears weekly in the Manawatū Standard Saturday broadsheet. Each article is the work of Manawatū historians and researchers.

General Elections throughout the years in the Manawatū

Discover Manawatū's WW1 history

Throughout Palmerston North there are numerous places named after ordinary New Zealanders who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. The New Zealand Poppy Places Trust has been established to develop, promote, and oversee a nation-wide project to commemorate and recognise as part of the heritage of New Zealanders, the participation of New Zealand in military conflicts and military operational services overseas.

"Belonging" is a series of 10 portraits celebrating migrant women who made Palmy their new home. The exhibition reflects on the personal experience of the photographer, Aline Frey, as a migrant woman who chose Palmerston North as a new home for her family and herself.

Have a look at some of the buildings in Palmerston North that feature on the Heritage New Zealand register.

A collection of cook books from research files and community archives.

This collection of posters were loaned for digitisation and display on Manawatū Heritqage by the The Stomach, Lombard Street, venue for Creative Sounds Society Incorporated.

Woodleigh was designed and built in 1911 by architect, James Chapman-Taylor. It is an Arts and Crafts inspired design. It was visited during Local History Week 2019.

A collection documenting the COVID-19 Pandemic of 2020.

Images shot by Roland Penhall of the railway yards in Palmerston North.

Photographs from a small bound photograph album found in the Slack and Hewett Families archive. This album contains informal photographs, mostly of the Hewett family. They lived on Long Melford Road, Awapuni at a homestead called "Waitangi".

Sun Park Ngan, born 1924, emigrated from China to the Manawatū in 1940, arriving with his brother Joy to join his father in Feilding. He trained as a mechanic and worked at the Farmers Co-Op until beginning his own Fruiterer and Greengrocer business in Bulls in 1950. He travelled widely to sell his produce and was contracted to supply places such as Waiouru Army Camp and Ohakea Air Base. Sun Park Ngan married Kathleen Joe and they raised 5 children. He retired in 1988 and the couple moved to Palmerston North. He died in 2018.

Manawatū Heritage has a great collection of maps.

Subjects include family, animals and scenic views around New Zealand, including images from Mount Stewart, Rotorua and Auckland.

Youth Space is an inviting hub for teens to find inspiration, be creative, socialise and equip themselves with tools and skills to help them live life to the full.

It’s a welcoming, safe, alcohol and drug free space young people aged 13-19 can call their own.

All activities and events are free of charge.

The Lindsay Family Collection consists of images taken by Charles Wildbore in the Manawatū and Horowhenua regions. Included are images depicting the construction of the Mangahao Electric Power Scheme, the flax fibre industry, and life in the Pohangina Valley during the early 20th Century.

Images of musicians and ensembles performing at the Manawatū Jazz Club's 25th annual Jazz Festival held over Queen's Birthday weekend, 29-31 May, 1992.

Peter Patten was the Clerk of Works for Palmerston North City Council during the construction of Civic Administration Building. He had an interest in buildings around the city and documented them throughout the 1980s - 2000s.

From family and school photos to wartime memories and souvenir albums

This collection showcases the long and proud history of local Rugby and Rugby League teams in the Manawatū.

Items for which we seek further information.

Read real letters and postcards sent to and from Palmerston North

Articles and books pertaining to the history of Palmerston North and surrounding areas.

A celebration of writing by students from non-English speaking backgrounds at Palmerston North Intermediate Normal School.

PalmyProud celebrates the people, places and events in our city. The free quarterly magazine aims to inspire locals and visitors to learn more about this special place we call home. It’s published by Palmerston North City Council.

The Friends of the Regent is a voluntary group established in 1995 during the fight to save the Regent Theatre. Its primary activities are to support the theatre through the provision of Front of House services and fundraising.