Oamaru Opera House

Architect John Meggett Forrester designed the Oamaru Opera House in 1907, then promptly left town. He sailed to Western Australia in 1911 and never came back to see his masterpiece age. The building opened with a performance by the Pollard Lilliputian Opera Company, a touring troupe of child performers who specialized in scaled-down grand opera.

By the 1970s, the opera house had fallen into such disrepair that demolition seemed inevitable. The Oamaru Operatic Society stepped in, raised funds, and spent decades restoring the building to working order. Today it’s a fully functioning theatre again, hosting everything from local productions to international acts- all because a group of dedicated locals refused to let their soft-stone palace crumble. Forrester’s father had been an architect in Oamaru too, which makes the opera house a family legacy that outlasted the family’s presence in town.