NOBODY bothers to check the time on the big clock on the Central Theatre building on St George St in Papatoetoe anymore.
The clock has long since stopped at half past six. It broke down in the late 1980s and has never been fixed.
Audrey Rooke has lived in the town for almost 45 years.
"It was fine when we moved here in 1966. It just makes me so jealous. Other town centres have their clocks. Why can't we have one?'' she asks.
"I've been looking at Otahuhu. They have a clock. Manurewa and Otara town centres have their clocks maintained by the council. It would be great if we can have our own town centre clock.''
Deputy Mayor Gary Troup, who's also a Papatoetoe councillor, says repairing the Central Theatre clock, apart from being expensive, is tricky.
The building is owned privately and, even if Manukau City Council pays for the clock's repair, maintaining it would come at a substantial cost.
The building's owner, Kirit Kumar, says a former tenant estimated the repair works alone would cost around $5000, an amount he is not willing to put up.
Neither are the tenants interested in spending on repairs.
"When you look at it, it feels that if it works it would look better, but no,'' says Mr Kumar.
However, Mr Troup says the local community board and the council are looking at putting up another clock at the town hall, a few metres away.
"Papatoetoe Town Hall has always been the historical focus and the central part of the town,'' he says.
"It would be nice to have a clock there. It will be visible from all parts. Most other towns have a clock as a centrepoint of their township.''
Mr Troup says the council's property managers are already assessing another clock for suitability at the hall in terms of size and shape. Its condition is also being checked.
This clock is owned by the Papatoetoe Railway Preservation Trust and is an ex-railway, double-faced electric clock with Roman numerals. The council has borrowed it for
appraisal.
Ray Strong, one of the trustees, says the preservation trust is willing to sell the clock to the council.
"If it is satisfactory to the council and they think it looks good in the hall, then we are willing to negotiate a price,'' he says, stressing that the trust is not donating the clock to the council.
A clock of some description is likely to be installed above the verandah on the town hall within the next few months.
"There is just a bit more process to go. It should be up this year,'' says Mr Troup.
Time will tell.
Fiery history
The Central Theatre opened on September 12, 1928. But it very nearly was not finished.
On August 19, 1928, a large house next to the partially completed theatre building caught fire. The newly-formed Papatoetoe Volunteer Fire Brigade, attending its first fire, managed to save the theatre but not the house.
Built for Mr R Corbett, the theatre was regarded at the time as one of Auckland's finest suburban cinemas.
Mr V M Tracey took it over in 1932, and it was later managed by Mrs Tracey.
The clock above the building was made in Onehunga and originally had a ship's bell to strike the hours.
The theatre closed in May 1987, after which it was redeveloped as shops and offices.
The projection equipment and screen flickered on for another 10 years after being sold for $1000 to the Village Theatre in Takaka, near Nelson. - Papatoetoe Historical Society.