Harbour Light Theatre

The Harbour Light had to come down soon after the Earthquakes, therefore this has been a virtual attraction since 2011. Imagine it here. It was a beauty.

Through the middle years of the 20th century, a night out at the "pictures" was the highlight of the week for many New Zealand families. The Harbour Light Cinema was a reminder of the place of movie-going in New Zealand life until it fell victim to earthquake activity in 2011. The Harbour Light was built in 1916 and opened in March 1917. The Christchurch architects J.S. and M.J. Guthrie designed a local variant of the overseas "picture palace". The small towers, surmounted by domes, were reminiscent of Spanish Mission, an appropriately (with Hollywood already a centre of movie-making) Californian style. The building also had art nouveau detailing, which is relatively rare in New Zealand. A suitably theatrical building for uses which in its early days included vaudeville as well as movies. Though it is no longer a cinema, the building continues to play an important role in Lyttelton's entertainment life. - John Wilson