Customhouse Cinema

Located in central Auckland, the former Customhouse, designed by Thomas Mahoney, was built between 1888 and 1889.

In addition to housing the Customs service, the building was also home, over the years, to the offices of Lands & Survey, Native Land Court, Audit Inspector, Sheep Inspector and Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages.

In 1909 a substantial addition was built at the rear which provided another 60 rooms.

Government use ceased in 1973. The building was saved from demolition through the concerted efforts of city residents and organisations and, after restoration, it re-opened in 1982 as a combined cultural and commercial centre.

This included a cinema, but I have been unable to find full details about this (including its name). This might be because, as one on-line reminiscence (which recalled seeing “Back to the Future”, starring Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd, there in 1986) added that “the cinema didn’t last very long”.

The building was further restored and upgraded in 1997, and re-opened as DFS Galleria, a luxury retail complex.

It is now recognised for its significant as a major public building of the Colonial era, and one of the city’s finest remaining late-Victorian buildings. It is registered as Category One by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust.

Get Movie Tickets & Showtimes

Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater.