Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown admits he demolished His Majesty's Theatre

During the last Auckland Council meeting for the year last Thursday December 16, Auckland's new mayor, Wayne Brown, decided to make some off the cuff remarks about what will happen to the shares Auckland Council owns if say, the Airport company decided to dilute its shares to raise funds for a new runway.

This resulted in a share trading halt on Auckland Airport on the NZ Stock Exchange, while the mayor clarified that he was just speculating, and didn't apologise.

The other delightful fact to emerge from this meeting was reported by NZ Herald's Simon Wilson:

@simonbwilson Dec 16
"Guess who the demolition contractor on His Majesty’s was? Guess what he said about then-mayor Cath Tizard? (I’m told it’s true.) From my ⁦@nzherald⁩ wrap of yesterday’s big council meeting, newspaper only."

"Near the end of the meeting, in a discussion on heritage buildings, Brown produced another surprise. He revealed he was the demolition contractor who pulled down His Majesty's Theatre in 1987. The mayor at the time, whose name he couldn't quite remember, was publicly opposed to the building coming down. It was Cath Tizard.

"But, said Brown, she was keen to promote 'another building up the road'. So she signed the demolition order on His Majesty's and got up very early one morning to give it secretly to Brown. Then she came back to join the protest..."

Former NZ Listener editor Finlay McDonald replied, highlighting the role of Auckland City Council member and entertainment promoter Phil Warren, with Tizard's daughter Judith noting her mother did not make a habit of dropping off demolition permits. Her initial reply to Wilson was...

@JudithTizard
Dec 16 Replying to @simonbwilson and @nzherald
"Told by whom? No mayors ever signed nor delivered administrative orders! If Brown is lying it’s a worry but if he thinks this is true it’s even more worrying."

Finlay Macdonald
Dec 16 Replying to @simonbwilson and @nzherald
"Seem to recall Phil Warren's fingerprints were all over that clandestine demo job."

@JudithTizard
Dec 16 Replying to @MacFinlay @simonbwilson and @nzherald
"That’s my memory. Cath was in the middle of getting all the CWGames [Commonwealth Games] venues done. The ACC couldn’t buy it so had no choice but let it be knocked down. She NEVER delivered demolition permits personally! And was very sad that she couldn’t do anything to save it."

Timespanner Blog has the story of His Majesty's from its beginnings thru to its demise... here's the last days recounted...

"The last show in the theatre was Vince Carmen’s magic show, which ended 21 December 1987. Kerridge Odeon advertised the building for sale by auction for the following February. The upcoming opening of the Aotea Centre also meant that any refurbishment costs Kerridge Odeon might have put into His Majesty’s were unlikely, in their opinion, to be recovered.

The situation wasn’t helped by comments such as those made by City Councillor Phil Warren, who described His Majesty’s as “a rat-infested dump with no artistic, historic or architectural significance.” Hamish Keith disagreed, saying that the councillors should lead the way and not let developers “walk all over them.”

Added to this – by then, Kerridge Odeon itself had been taken over by Pacer Pacific Corporation, to become Pacer-Kerridge. Demolition of the building now became imperative.

Demolition work began on the night of 23-24 December 1987. Protestors gathered, and the Council inspector was summoned, gaining entry at 1am to tell the workmen inside to cease, as the demolition permit, applied for by Pacer Corporation, had only been lodged the day before.

The permit was granted anyway on 31 December 1987, and the demolition proceeded in the new year on 3 January with a crane arriving to remove the roof, the stage was demolished 13 January, and the point of no return was reached by around 14 January 1988 when most of the rear of the theatre was destroyed. 29 protestors were arrested for trespass and obstruction at this time." 

This timeline suggests Brown started demolition on 23 Dec without a permit.

Pacer Kerridge collapsed in 1992, owing its bankers $129 million.

ADDED Stuff.co.nz's Todd Naill covered the story, noting that writer Maurice Shadbolt and musician Jools Topp were among the 29 protestors arrested.

'Brown recalled a family trip to see the stage show “My Fair Lady” at the theatre, but he saw little of it, due to being sat behind a post.

His tale to the council meeting ended with his pleasure at later “being able to drive the digger which pulled that bloody post down” though he seems to have meant it metaphorically, telling Stuff he just got the permit for a client.'