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HISTORY OF CINEMAS - Otago Before
Television
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OTAGO’S CINEMA - The Television Survivors
The province of Otago is located in the lower half of the South Island
of New Zealand. Otago is divided in to six regions - Coastal Otago (capital
Dunedin), North Otago (capital Oamaru), South Otago (capital Balclutha),
Central Otago (capital Alexandra), Maniototo (capital Ranfurly), and the
Lakes District (capital Queenstown). Coastal and South Otago is relatively
flat while the inland areas are mainly hills and more hills. The Maniototo
area is a large flat area surrounded by hills. It was first settled in
1848 with the discovery of gold. It is now known for its sheep breeding
and fruit growing. The capital of Otago is Dunedin with a population of
120,566 approx. Cinema first arrived in Otago on 16 January 1897 when a
Professor Hausman presented a “collection of moving pictures” at the Princess
Theatre (16 Jan 1897 to 23 Aug 1951), High Street, Dunedin. By 1930 seventy
cinemas had been established in forty seven towns, 18 alone where in Dunedin.
With the exception of Dunedin, only one other Otago town sports a population
of over 10,000, that of Oamaru (13,350). Most towns in coastal Otago support
a population between three and five thousand; inland Central Otago supports
a population ranging from 100 to two thousand people. Naseby (Otago’s smallest
town) in the Maniototo area of Otago supports population of merely 130,
yet its cinema could seat about 280 persons). With the establishment of
television in Otago from July 1962 in coastal Otago, and by 1968 in inland
Central Otago, Otago cinemas quickly vanished from most small towns. .
By 1970 about twenty cinemas were left, 5 of them in Dunedin. As television
spread into the rugged back regions the number again fell. In 1979-1980
the video records were introduced to the general public. By 1998 only six
towns are served by a total of eight cinemas, three of which are located
in Dunedin. Of the eight, two have been operating continuously since opening;
four are new; and two have re-opened. Today Otago is served by nine television
channels through free to air, and Sky (which serves Central Otago and
the Lakes District via satellite). In 101 years of Otago cinema, like the
rest of the world they have faced more challenges than any other form of
business. They have faced the depression of the thirties which closed permanently
five Dunedin cinemas in the space of eight months; relaxing of the drinking
laws in the 1970s; the introduction of seven-day shopping of the 1990s;
the videos of the 1980s; changes to life styles and leisure activities;
and the greatest threat of all, introduction of television which has all
but wiped them out. The two pre-television cinema survivors are the Queens
Cinema, Dunedin, and the Municipal,
Roxburgh.
© Library of Cinema Research Data, 1998, a division
of Knewstubb Theatres.
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© Library
of Cinema Research Data 1998
©
Bradley Knewstubb 1998 E-mail: Cinemania@xtra.co.nz
Site constructed 27 September, 1998
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