A history of Te Whare Whakarauika Wellington Town Hall

Wellington was rapidly growing due to British immigration, and did not have a big enough space to perform council administration and large events, which was considered to be stunting the development of local music and culture.   

Reclaimed land near Jervois Quay had been set aside for a town hall in the 1880s, and the construction of a public forum was considered an urgent matter voted in almost unanimously by ratepayers in April 1900.   

The first stone of the project was laid by the Duke of Cornwall and York (who went on to become King George V of England) on his visit to New Zealand in June 1901. A musical ode was made to mark the occasion. Construction then officially began in May 1902, and finished November 1904, a month before the building’s opening.  

The design for the Town Hall was made by Wellington architect Joshua Charlesworth, winner of the city’s competition to design the best plan for the civic space. While the building was originally constructed with a clock tower, it was removed alongside a few other features as a safety precaution following the 1931 Hawke’s Bay earthquake.  

The opening of the Town Hall was met with public awe, and high regard was held for the building’s acoustics. In March 1906, the new Town Hall organ was installed. Built in London, the organ cost 5,000 pounds, and was shipped to Wellington in 51 cases.  

As a dedicated space for Wellingtonians to gather to enjoy performances, hold demonstrations and partake in other community matters, the Town Hall quickly became the location of many of Wellington’s historic events.  

During WWI and WWII, the venue hosted many fundraising and morale boosting concerts for war efforts and became a site for volunteers and medics to work and gather donated clothes during the 1918 influenza epidemic.  

Legendary New Zealand Scientist Sir Ernest Rutherford held a lecture in The Town Hall on the atom in 1925. A few years later, during the great depression, Wellingtonians would lift their spirits by gathering at the Town Hall for community singalongs. The space’s accessibility to the community paved way for many fond memories, with many a debutante ball, wedding, and graduation ceremony happening within its walls. 

In 1954, The Town Hall’s 50th anniversary year, freshly crowned Queen Elizabeth held a reception in Te Whare Whakarauika. But not all of the events at the Town Hall have been regal.

2000 people gathered to discuss the ‘No Maoris No Tour’ movement in preparation of the 1960 Springbok tour. Beatlemania swept the building in 1964, and although the Town Hall is renowned for its world-class acoustics, they were barely audible over the screaming of 2,000 excited fans, who caused damage to the seats by dancing on them in heels. The frenzied events were measured at the time by Victoria University psychology lecturer Tony Taylor, who used the opportunity to conduct the world's first data-based study of 'Beatlemania'. Similar chaos hit in 1965 and 1966 when the Rolling Stones Came to the venue. 

The Town Hall has seen Wellington through many historic events, including many of the city's biggest earthquakes. Although the Town Hall has been through a number of earthquake strengthenings in the past century, it has always kept its architectural significance in its style and form. In 1977, there was a lot of public debate about the demolition of the Town Hall, sparing just the main auditorium, that led to the intention to replace the venue with the Michael Fowler Centre. Local music enthusiasts lobbied to save the Town Hall, citing its brilliant acoustic sound. After a council vote to unanimously retain the Town Hall in 1983, the building was refurbished to shine in the city’s new plan for the Civic Square.  

From the 1990s until the the Town Hall was closed in 2013 for earthquake strengthening, many historic events graced the auditorium. Freshly elected South African president Nelson Mandela was hosted, and parts of the iconic soundtrack for The Lord of the Rings was recorded within the world class auditorium by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.  

When the Town Hall re-opens, the venue will once again be a world-class musical and recording venue with improved rehearsal and performance space. It will be a base for civic and community events and part of a centre of musical excellence for New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (NZSO) and Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington’s New Zealand School of Music—Te Kōkī. The redeveloped, much-loved Wellington Town Hall, with its wonderful auditorium and world-class acoustics, will be at the heart of the national music centre.   

To find out more about the works in Te Ngākau, you can visit our website or keep up to date with the projects happening in Wellington city on the Positively Pōneke site.