Opera house's last stand

The bell has begun to toll for Masterton's old opera house on Lincoln Road with a demolition crew yesterday starting the task of dismantling the huge concrete building.

Better known in recent times as Mick D's Auctions, the building was deemed to be an earthquake risk when structural engineers inspected it and reported to its owners, Lands Trust Masterton, who then sought district council consent to demolish it.

A team from Metro Earthworks was on-site yesterday erecting scaffolding prior to taking away the verandah above the main entrance.

Next on the agenda will be taking off the roof which is supported by massive timber bearers.

Although to the layman the old opera house appears an extremely sturdy structure, engineers reports belie that.

It was built in 1897 as a purpose-built town hall after the original town hall - which stood near where the current ANZ Bank is - burned down.

The hall switched roles at the outbreak of World War I to become an opera house and picture theatre and was badly damaged by earthquakes in the 1930s and in 1942.

In later years it served as the NZR Road Services depot before Peter Colvin started up an auction rooms there.

Inspections of the old opera house have revealed it is suffering from advanced concrete cancer and was made of unreinforced masonry. The building was not able, for those reasons, to be insured.

Mick D's Auctions held its last auction in the building in late January.