Historic treasures unearthed during reconstruction of Hastings Opera House

Toitoi will be open this weekend following extensive reconstruction the past 2.5 years. Photo / Warren Buckland

Historic parts of the Hastings Opera House were uncovered and old items found as the building was reconstructed the past two and a half years.

The original back-up generator for the Opera House Theatre was uncovered when ripping up the floor in the foyer.

Toitoi marketing manager Rosie Dawson-Hewes said the generator "is of such epic proportions it is believed the theatre was literally built around it".

One of only two of its kind in the world, the generator was built in the UK in 1913 and is "pretty much an antique", Toitoi manager Megan Peacock-Coyle said.

When it was unearthed during the reconstruction, the serial number was used to track down the English manufacturer, Mawdsley's in Dursley, Gloucestershire which was founded in 1907 and still operates today.

Mawdsley's worked out that the generator was an early model Mawdsley M-type, manufactured between 1907 and 1918 with an American motor.

"It is extremely rare – when Mawdsley's celebrated their 50th anniversary they couldn't find one of these models to showcase," Dawson-Hewes said.

While the team have always known about the generator, it now sits under the stairs in the foyer and will be covered by a glass pane so the public can take a peek.

Old signs, match and cigarette boxes and a trowel and scissors given to the Mayor and Mayoress at the time of building were uncovered in the reconstruction. Photo / Warren Buckland

In October 2019, a silver trowel and small pair of silver scissors were found in their original velvet-lined boxes in a safe in the office amongst items which were left in a hurry when the building was condemned.

Scrapit HB Ltd pried open the safe that the items were locked in with an excavator and cutter.

An engraving on the trowel shows it was presented to Hastings Mayor William M Hart by Stanley Brothers to commemorate the laying of Hastings Municipal Building foundations in February 1916.

A small plaque on the scissors box shows they were presented to the Mayoress Mrs W Hart at the opening of Russell St, formerly named Station St, Hastings, on October 16, 1922.

The original generator was uncovered during the reconstruction and will now be available for public view. Photo / Warren Buckland

Peacock-Coyle said Toitoi was about "recognising the past while moving forward" and the historical things found will be on display.

The trowel and scissors and other old items such as signs and the cigarette box will be on display in a china cabinet in the dress circle foyer.

One of the foyers on Hastings St will have historic photos and posters from old shows on display.

The items found serve as a reminder of the deep history the Hawke's Bay Opera House has.

A history which includes long standing rumours of paranormal activity such as a "lady in red" rumoured to haunt the building.

Many of the original elements of the Spanish Mission Style Opera House have been recreated.

All the decorative elements in the foyer spaces had to be removed and re-created after the shear walls were installed.

While most of the original walls have been encased by steel framing and concrete, one of them remains visible at the stairs to the theatre. Photo / Warren Buckland

While the moulding in the theatre remains, the wall and feature colours have been tweaked to better resemble the original colour scheme from 1915.

The 500,000-tile mosaic floor in the foyer had to be taken up for steel reinforcements to be put in the foundations.

The floor was replaced with identical tiles from Australia and the mosaic was replicated by a specialist heritage tiler from Auckland.

During the fire that damaged the first floor of the Opera House in November 2018 some copies of old show posters were lost.

A boxing match held in the Opera House theatre in 1922. Photo / MTG

As part of the reconstruction 620cu m carpet has been laid in the Opera House, 5900 litres of paint have been used in the Opera House and Functions on Hastings, 163 tonnes of structural steel and 37 tonnes of reinforcing steel have been used and the building now has 85 trucks worth of concrete in its walls.

Toitoi will open at the end of this week with a dawn blessing held February 29 followed by a community festival on March 1.