The Herald visited St James Theatre in 2018 as part of its Take a Walk series.
A long-decaying jewel of Auckland’s arts hub that played host to the smooth tones of trumpeter Miles Davis, the husky vocals of Joni Mitchell and the royal waves of Queen Elizabeth before being mothballed last decade has been thrown a financial lifeline.
The Government has promised $15 million to help restore the St James Theatre - and potentially in time for its 100th birthday in 2028, Auckland Central MP Chloe Swarbrick said.
The offer is dependent on a $15m pledge from Auckland Council and other funding conditions that will be developed after talking with “the community around the theatre”, including Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga and mana whenua, Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Carmel Sepuloni said.
“[Taxpayers’] contribution towards the preservation of the St James Theatre will sit alongside funding from Auckland Council and the owner to support its restoration so it can reopen for the wider public to enjoy again – concert experiences, stately décor and all.”
The scene at St James Theatre in Auckland after another vandalism attack in August last year. Photo / Green Party of Aotearoa
Auckland mayor Wayne Brown had told her the council remained committed to restoration plans at the Heritage NZ category 1 building provided work was underway by June 30 next year, Sepuloni said.
The funding triumph was down to “years of community organising” by many people, Swarbrick said.
“Across the mayor’s office and ministry, we’ve confirmed shovels should be able to get in the ground within a year”, the Green MP said.
“That means we should hopefully be able to restore this jewel in our arts precinct before its 100th birthday … when tens of thousands of people will also happen to be spilling out of the new CRL [City Rail Link] stations and a city centre revived by more critical projects like this.
“We have all of the ingredients - limitless talent, immense passion and creativity, and now, an incredible ‘new’ venue on the horizon - to carve out a unique international identity as a thriving arts and cultural hub.”
The view of St James Theatre in Auckland from the stage in 2015, when the theatre was undergoing a later abandoned restoration process. File photo / Nick Reed
The theatre is where Sir Howard Morrison first performed Whakaaria Mai - his Te Reo Māori version of How Great Thou Art - in 1981, Sepuloni said.
It was also considered nationally significant as one of the best-preserved vaudeville theatres in Aotearoa, she said.
Even Hollywood Golden Age couple Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier trod its boards in the late 1940s.
Government funding announced today for the restoration of St James Theatre must be matched by that of Auckland Council, but mayor Wayne Brown had told her the council was on board as long as work began before July next year, deputy Prime Minister Carmel Sepuloni said. Photo / Hayden Woodward
But St James has been in sad decline since closing its doors in 2007 when a fire raised concerns about safety and compliance, and then remaining largely abandoned since losing funds for restoration a decade later.
The theatre shut after Target Furniture heir and heritage enthusiast Steve Bielby’s Auckland Notable Properties Trust started work it couldn’t finish when the neighbouring St James Apartment scheme was axed in 2016 due to lack of sales and rising construction costs.
The preservation and conservation of the theatre is no longer dependent on the construction of an apartment complex next door, Sepuloni’s office confirmed.
“Water drips from a patchy ceiling, as the crowd files in to take photos and wander around the historic venue.
“The ground level no longer has seats - or even a floor, just a mixture of dirt and rubble. There’s graffiti on the walls, and mould laying waste to the carpet in the foyer.”
Cherie Howie is an Auckland-based reporter who joined the Herald in 2011. She has been a journalist for more than 20 years and specialises in general news and features.
