The Meteor movie theatre was built by Maurice Millar of Millar and Giorgi, a menswear store. It was opened in the era of the 'talkies', in September 1937, on the eastern side of The Square. It had a capacity of 940 and was considered one of the most up to date in the country. the Meteor was closed in 1963.
The State Theatre Foyer with an advertisement for the film "3 Coins in a Fountain". This negative comes from the Elmar Collection - a large series of semi-identified and unidentified images from the 1930s-1970s.
The Meteor movie theatre was built by Maurice Millar of Millar and Giorgi, a menswear store. It was opened in the era of the 'talkies', in September 1937, on the eastern side of The Square. It had a capacity of 940 and was considered one of the most up to date in the country. the Meteor was closed in 1963.
The Palace Theatre was built in 1915 on the site once occupied by the Manawatu Stables. The Palace continued operation until 9 February 1935 when the theatre was badly gutted by fire. It was not until 1936 that the theatre reopened after extensive work was done. The front veranda roof decorations and much of the interior woodwork was replaced at this time. Palmerston Amusements Ltd owned the theatre at the time of the fire. They had planned to open a new 1300 seat theatre in its place, but this never eventuated. Instead, the newly refurbished building reopened as The Mayfair. The Mayfair became part of the Kerridge Odeon Corporation in 1946 and continued until 1965 when it was closed for a modernisation works. The theatre reopened later in 1965 as The Odeon, the name it held until the building's demolition in 1992. Harvey Norman now stands in its place next to the junction of Coleman Mall and George Street.
This group, photographed upstairs at the Palace Theatre, played at both the Kosy and Palace Theatres. From left. Back: C Fleming; O D Huse; W Carbine; A Berryman. Front: CE Bell; Miss S Hancock; G Raffles. Walter Leet later replaced C Fleming on the bass.
Initially built as the Palace Movie Theatre in 1915, later the Mayfair Theatre, the rebuilt Odeon Movie Theatre opened 10 December 1965. It closed and was demolished in 1990.
The film being advertised here is the 1924 melodrama Lilies of the Field, staring Corinne Griffith and based on a play by William Hurlburt. The Palace Theatre was built in 1915 on the site once occupied by the Manawatū Stables. The first talking pictures to be shown in Palmerston North opened here in 1929. The Palace continued operation until 9 February 1935 when the theatre was badly gutted by fire. It was not until 1936 that the theatre reopened after extensive work was done. The front veranda roof decorations and much of the interior woodwork was replaced at this time. Palmerston Amusements Ltd owned the theatre at the time of the fire. They had planned to open a new 1300 seat theatre in its place, but this never eventuated. Instead, the newly refurbished building reopened as The Mayfair. The Mayfair became part of the Kerridge Odeon Corporation in 1946 and continued until 1965 when it was closed for a modernisation works. The theatre reopened later in 1965 as The Odeon, the name it held until the building's demolition in 1992. Harvey Norman now stands in its place next to the junction of Coleman Mall and George Street.
The Meteor theatre was located on the west side of The Square, it operated from 1937-1964. This photograph shows the exterior of the building in the late 1950s. Gregory Peck starred in Moby Dick in 1956. Seating capacity was for 940 - 990 people, obtaining its films through J.C. Williamson company known as Palmerston North Amusements Limited. Upon closure it was converted into shops. The theatre was built by Maurice Millar of Millar and Giorgi, local menswear businessmen, with a value of 8500 pounds. In 1947 Robert Kerridge took over the Regent, Vogue, Mayfair and the Meteor establishing the Kerridge-Oden empire. The arrival of Television in 1960 led to a slump in theatre patronage, resulting in the closure of the Meteor and the Vogue. Ian Matheson for Evening Standard August 1990. See: Ian Matheson City Archives Research file A 175/ 148.
the building at centre is the Chief Post Office of Palmerston North. It was completed and opened in 1906, on the site of the previous one, on the corner of Main Street and The Square. The building was later extended along Main Street, and the tower was removed after the 1942 Wairarapa earthquake, as it was considered unsafe. The clock and chimes were put into storage until reinstated in the Hopwood Clock Tower in The Square, which was completed in 1957. The Post Office building is now used as a restaurant and bar. The building on the left is "The Kosy" theatre.
Looking down Broadway Avenue, Palmerston North, from the corner of The Square and Broadway, showing Christmas decorations strung across the street. The photograph features the three buildings that comprised Collinson and Cunninghame Ltd, established in 1904. The tallest of the three buildings was built in 1964-1965, and now houses Farmer's department store (2007). Further down can be seen the State and Regent Theatres. Currently (2020) the tall building houses Westpac Bank and the smaller has a clothing shop, Just Looking.
His Majesty's Theatre opened on 6 February 1911. Charles Blackbourn, building contractor, is in the black suit on the left, standing on the scaffold. Blackbourn's building firm collapsed during the depression, after which he drove a taxi while his brother, Albert Blackbourn (who had worked with him), started out on his own account. It was then used as a skating rink, auction rooms and for storage until returning to theatre use, at first as the Paramount, then the De Luxe (1924-30). It continued use as the De Luxe Skating Rink, the De Luxe Dance Hall, the Coconut Grove Dance Hall (1936-42), ANA Dance Hall, George Street Dance Hall and eventually the Ballroom Astoria from approximately 1948-84. The ballroom was demolished in 1984 but the façade remains. It now the frontage for retail shops. (2004).
Taken from the Public Library on the corner of The Square and Main Street, looking across to the Downtown multi-storey car park building that fronts Main Street. The Downtown retail and cinema complex opened in 1990, with its main entrance on Broadway. The complex housed Palmerston North's first multiplex cinema, foodhall and multi-level car park.
This photograph shows cars and pedestrians on Coleman Mall (then Coleman Place). The Palace Theatre was built in 1915 on the site formally occupied by the Manawatu Stables. The first talking pictures to be shown in Palmerston North opened here in 1929. The Palace continued operation until 9 February 1935 when the theatre was badly gutted by fire. It was not until 1936 that the theatre reopened after extensive work was done. The front veranda roof decorations and much of the interior woodwork was replaced at this time. Palmerston Amusements Ltd owned the theatre at the time of the fire. They had planned to open a new 1300 seat theatre in its place, but this never eventuated. Instead, the newly refurbished building reopened as The Mayfair. The Mayfair became part of the Kerridge Odeon Corporation in 1946 and continued until 1965 when it was closed for a modernisation works. The theatre reopened later in 1965 as The Odeon, the name it held until the building's demolition in 1992. Harvey Norman now stands in its place next to the junction of Coleman Mall and George Street.
The $40,000 Coleman Mall redevelopment was opened on 27 July 1973 by the Mayor of Palmerston North, Mr B.G.C. Elwood. The work was done by Palmerston North City Council workmen except for the asphalting of the parking and pedestrian areas. This view shows the mall from The Square looking through to George Street. Coleman Mall was further revitalised during the development of the Palmerston North City Library in 1996. Photograph published in the Manawatu Evening Standard 26 July 1973.