Akaroa

This is one of two cottages built by an early settler, Captain Bruce, for his widowed brother-in-law, John Donnet, and his nieces (John Donnet’s daughters) when they arrived from Scotland in 1855 (see Cottage, 9 Bruce Terrace).
This cottage became the home of a married daughter of John Donnet’s, Isabella, whose husband was William Bruce (who was, confusingly, not related to Captain Bruce). After William Bruce’s death, Isabella remained in the cottage until her own death in 1915.
With a sharp triangular dormer at the centre of its frontage, the cottage originally had no verandah. There were two front rooms, a kitchen in a lean-to at the rear and two small attic bedrooms. About 1922, a second building was brought onto the site by sledge from William Street and attached to the original cottage.
Many New Zealand cottages have been added to and extended in this way through the years. This cottage shares with 9 Bruce Terrace the picket fences and garden settings which, along with their ages, make Akaroa’s old cottages special.
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The Gaiety Theatre was built as an Oddfellows Lodge, but for most of its life, since it opened on 3 April 1879, the hall has been the town’s main theatre and gathering place.
An imposing architectural presence on Rue Jolie, the building also has an important place in the social history of Akaroa. Deigned by a Christchurch architect, A.W. Simpson, the façade has Italianate/Classical detailing usually executed in stone but here entirely of wood. The detail includes pilasters with Corinthian capitals, bracketed window hoods and a prominent triangular pediment. Behind this façade, the building is a plain wooden shed.
Through the years, the building has been the scene of dances, meetings, theatrical performances and movie showings. By the late 20th century it had become dilapidated, but a group of three local women took the venerable building in hand. The Gaiety Trust raised more than $300,000 to renovate the building. Wonderfully restored and brought back to life, it is once again a popular venue for community events.
The Friends of the Gaiety continue to oversee maintenance of the building.
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