St James Theatre

• 1912
• Original construction (00053: 167: 9229)
• 1926
• Building additions and alterations – three floors of offices for John Fuller and Sons added at the top of eastern end of the fly tower. Architects S and A Luttrell of Christchurch, permit issued 8 September, builder William Husband (00056: 18: B1796)
• 1927
• Building additions and alterations - New glazed doors added to the stalls entrance. Architect Llewellyn Williams, permit issued 24 May 1927, builder William Husband
• unknown
• Brick alterations to theatre (00056: 34: B3368)
• 1934
• Building additions and alterations – New ticket box added in stalls entrance. Architects Ronald Muston and Associates, builder Peter Shipton (00056: 142: B12855)
• 1941
• Building additions and alterations – New sweet stall added in stalls entrance. Architects Ronald Muston and Associates, builder Peter Shipton (00056: 273: B22077)
• 1947
• Building additions and alterations – New refreshments stall added in the circle. Architect Sydney Drake, builder Gudsell and Wallace (00056: 335: B26019)
• 1949
• Possible alteration - rewiring carried out
• 1953
• Building additions and alterations – alterations to women’s stalls toilets and circle ticket office (00056: 448: B34051)
• unknown
• Alterations to entrance doors (00056: 453: B34403)
• 1958
• Building additions and alterations – Auditorium painted, seats upholstered and the stalls boxes converted to dressing rooms
• 1961
• Building additions and alterations – various alterations: new dressing rooms in basement, alterations to basement access, to stage toilets, and to grand circle toilets. Architects Orchiston, Power, and Associates, builder Fletcher Construction (00058: 191: c8777)
• 1996
• St James Theatre redevelopment Stage 1 (00078: 30: 24006)
• unknown
• St James Theatre redevelopment Stage 2 (00078: 44: 24785)
• unknown
• St James Theatre redevelopment Stage 3 (00078: 961: 26340)
• 1997
• Building additions and alterations – renovations, including auditorium restored, new seating incorporated, and a major upgrade of the backstage and services area
• 1998
• Alterations to café kitchen and ground floor (00078: 1264: 46856)
• 2000
• Building additions and alterations – Earthquake strengthening
• 2012
• Internal fit-out of the ground floor (00078: 4351: 266236)

• unknown
• Not Assessed

Not assessed

The St James’s Theatre is a three-storey Edwardian Baroque building that was purpose-built for a successful vaudeville and variety theatre company.

The façade to Courtenay Place is designed with Classical details in solid plaster; it has two-storey high Ionic pilasters supporting a cornice, with a pediment at each end and an arch in the middle defining the main circle entrance. It has a restrained Edwardian Baroque character, symmetrical and well modelled.

The interior spaces are similarly well-designed and have been finished to a high standard, with decorative plasterwork including masks, cupids, full figures, highly ornate cornices, and decorative work; all in a “cheerfully theatrical Rococo” style.

Note: See WCC 16/67.2 for the adjacent St James Theatre foyer / former Counties Building

The St James Theatre is one of few buildings on Courtenay Place that has an entirely steel structure. It is typical and good structural work of the time utilising angles and riveted plate connections. Concrete and brickwork were used for fire-proofing the steel as well as for foundations and for infill panels.

Timbers for the building include Rimu for floor joists; Totara for plates and window frames, and deal for doors and window sashes. The lime plaster, reinforced with cow hair was applied to expanded steel mesh which was fixed directly to the structural steel members.

The St James Theatre is a local landmark for its size, scale, and for its bold, symmetrical, Edwardian Baroque façade. It is well-known as one of Wellington’s best known performance venues – most specifically as home to the NZ Ballet.

Adjoining the western side of this building is the A & J Burt Building (WCC ref 16/ 67.2), which now functions as the main entrance, theatre foyer and ticket office, and is home to ‘The Jimmy’ bar and café. The eastern side of the building is flanked by a laneway that helps to separate it from the more modern renovated façade of the ‘Mermaids’ building.

The theatre is one of many heritage buildings on Courtenay Place. Most, but not all, of these buildings can be found in the nearby Courtenay Place Heritage Area which includes the distinct warehouse precinct of Blair and Allen Streets, the mixed-use streetscape of northern Kent Terrace and Cambridge Terrace, and the street-wall of (predominantly) early 20th c commercial Classical buildings that line the road from Tory Street to Kent Terrace.

• Architectural

  Does the item have architectural or artistic value for characteristics that may include its design, style, era, form, scale, materials, colour, texture, patina of age, quality of space, craftsmanship, smells, and sounds?

  St James is a particularly fine example of an Edwardian purpose-built theatre. It is notable for its highly competent, well-proportioned, symmetrical façade, for the technical innovation of its structure, and for its fine interiors.

• Group

  Is the item part of a group of buildings, structures, or sites that taken together have coherence because of their age, history, style, scale, materials, or use?

  The building can be seen as part of a group of nearby performance spaces that include the Michael Fowler Centre and Wellington Town Hall at the nearby Civic Square, the State Opera House on Manners Street, the Paramount and Downstage on Courtenay Place, and the Embassy Theatre on Kent Terrace.

• Townscape

  Does the item have townscape value for the part it plays in defining a space or street; providing visual interest; its role as a landmark; or the contribution it makes to the character and sense of place of Wellington?

  The St James Theatre is a local landmark for its size, scale, and for its bold, symmetrical, Edwardian Baroque façade. It is well-known as one of Wellington’s best known performance venues – most specifically as home to the NZ Ballet.

Not assessed

• Archaeological

  Does the item have archaeological value for its ability to provide scientific information about past human activity?

  This building is included in the NZAA Central City Archaeological area R27/270. There has been a building on this site since the late 1870s, making the likelihood of archaeological remains being present very high and protected as an archaeological site by the HPA 1993.

• Technological

  Does the item have technological value for its innovative or important construction methods or use of materials?

  The building has technical value as one of the first fully steel framed, reinforced concrete building in Australasia.

• IdentitySenseOfPlaceContinuity

  Is the item a focus of community, regional, or national identity? Does the item contribute to sense of place or continuity?

  The building has had few intrusive modern alterations or additions, and has remained in use as a performance venue for over 100 years. It contributes to the sense of place and continuity of Courtenay Place, and to the sense of identity of Wellington as the ‘cultural capital’ of New Zealand.

• PublicEsteem

  Is the item held in high public esteem?

  The St James Theatre is held in high public esteem. It was the site of one of New Zealand’s largest heritage battles, and has been awarded the protection of a Heritage Order.

• SentimentConnection

  Is the item a focus of community sentiment and connection?

  This building is likely to be a focus of community sentiment and connection as it retains educational, functional, and social use values.

• SymbolicCommemorativeTraditionalSpiritual

  Does the item have symbolic, commemorative, traditional, spiritual or other cultural value for the community who has used and continues to use it?

  This building has traditional and cultural values for the people of Wellington through the retention of its original use as a performance venue for over a century.

• Authentic

  Does the item have authenticity or integrity because it retains significant fabric from the time of its construction or from later periods when important additions or modifications were carried out?

  This building retains authenticity of materials, design and craftsmanship. It has had few exterior modifications.

• Rare

  Is the item rare, unique, unusual, seminal, influential, or outstanding?

  This building is one of the few surviving theatres of its time in New Zealand, and was a significant architectural and engineering achievement as the first fully steel framed reinforced concrete building in Australasia.

• Representative

  Is the item a good example of the class it represents?

  This building is a good representative of an Edwardian Baroque style theatre.

• Importance

  Is the item important for any of the above characteristics at a local, regional, national, or international level?

  This building is locally and nationally significant due to its architectural qualities, the connection that it has to the history of Wellington, the contribution that it makes to the present character of Wellington, its technological importance, its townscape values, and its historical associations.

Not assessed

• Cochran, Chris. ‘St James Theatre, Courtenay Place Wellington: Cultural Heritage Assessment’, Unpublished Cultural Heritage Assessment for the NZHPT, 1998.
• Historic Places Trust, “White, Henry Eli”, Professional Biographies, accessed April 24, 2013,
• McKinlay, Duncan. ‘The Phantoms of the Operas: The Haunts of Wellington’, in Salient, accessed 56/04/2013,
• Schone, Fritz. ‘St James Theatre’, Panoramio, accessed 24/04/2013,
• Wellington City Council, “77-81 Courtenay Place,” Wellington Heritage Building Inventory 2001: Precincts. Wellington City Council, 2001. COURT17 .Criteria for assessing cultural heritage significance

• Inventory Report
• 1912 plans

Not available