Back when the Theatre Royal and Museum were being planned as a combined hub, I had the privilege of helping the South Canterbury Museum gather stories about the history of the site... its built heritage, its social fabric, its place in Timaru’s story. I absolutely loved it. The work built on research I’d already been doing into the Turnbull family, and it opened up so many windows into how Timaru’s colonial chapter began and evolved.
Sadly, at the eleventh hour, the project was shelved, and with it my involvement. At the time, it felt like those stories had been tucked away in boxes, waiting. But a few years on, I’ve found myself returning to them — the things I learned, the surprises I uncovered, and the reflections they stirred in me.
So here it is: a blog about the neighbourhood around the Stafford Street block, the place where the Theatre Royal still stands, and what its layers of history have taught me... not only about Timaru, but about myself...
Back of Timaru's theatre royal. Photography By Geoff Cloake 2023
Treasures from the Neighbours’ Past
In 2021, demolition work began on Barnard Street where the old Drill Hall once stood. Because the area dated back to the nineteenth century, archaeologists were called in to investigate. In New Zealand, whenever historic land is disturbed, there is always a chance that something important lies beneath the soil.
Principal Archaeologist Natasha Phillips and Senior Archaeologist Alix Muir oversaw the work. What they uncovered was a nineteenth century household rubbish tip that had belonged to the Budd family, who once lived beside their confectionery shop. It turned out that this rubbish tip revealed clues to how people lived, what they used, and what they valued.
Bits and bobs found in a rubbish pit on the site of a Drill Hall that once stood at 31 Barnard Street, and found by archaeologists. - Courtesy Timaru District Council
From this pit came bottles, ceramics, bones, buttons, and broken personal items. Among them was a porcelain doll’s face and leg. The bow detail moulded into the ankle made it instantly recognisable as a child’s toy. Alix reflected afterwards that finds like this never lose their power, because they provide such a direct link to past lives.
When I first learned about the doll, I imagined the child who once held it. Perhaps they had been to Alfred Budd’s shop for a sweet treat, or had wandered past Scarf and Cookson’s butchery nearby. Somewhere along the way the toy broke or was lost, and eventually it was discarded in the backyard rubbish pit. We will never know that child’s name, but the doll tells us that they were once there, playing and living in Timaru in the 1880s. It also made me think of my own childhood toys. I never really wondered what happened to them until I became a mother myself. These days, when my children grow out of things, I sometimes slip a toy quietly into the bin rather than ask them to part with it. It is easier than watching the tears. Perhaps that is what happened to this doll. A parent quietly removed it, not knowing that one day it would be dug up as part of Timaru’s history. It makes me wonder about the choices we make between what is discarded, what is treasured, and what becomes part of the story a museum chooses to keep.These discoveries add to a broader narrative, reminding us of the importance of preserving and celebrating our cultural heritage for generations to come.
1865 “New Zealand Timaru” Token , by Clarkson & Turnbull. The reverse shows a ship in harbour, behind a breakwater. The business was the first to export flour from Timaru. The harbour at Timaru was unsafe for vessels in high winds until the construction of a breakwater, a project that did not begin until 1879. – Courtesy Te Papa (NU005401)
Richard Turnbull’s Penny Token
If the rubbish pit gives us glimpses of private family life, the merchants of Timaru reveal the public face. Richard Turnbull and his partner David Clarkson ran their general store on the corner of Stafford and George Streets, a place locals called “The Corner”.
In the 1860s small change was scarce, so shopkeepers often issued their own tokens. Turnbull and Clarkson produced a penny token that carried their business name on one side. On the other was an image of ships lying safe behind a breakwater. At that time no breakwater had been built in Timaru.
That token has always fascinated me. It was more than money, it was a message. Turnbull was imagining Timaru as a thriving port before the harbour existed. It shows how confidence and vision were as important as trade.
When the fire of 1868 swept through Timaru and destroyed much of the town, Turnbull rebuilt in stone. His new bluestone store became the place where 600 townspeople gathered to debate the future of the harbour. Out of that meeting came the push to construct the breakwater, a decision that changed the town forever.
I think about that penny token often. A small piece of copper, stamped with an image of a future that did not yet exist, helped spark conversations that shaped a community. It makes me wonder what small things we leave behind today that speak of our hopes for tomorrow.
Fun Facts about Richard Turnbull, Tokens and the Theatre Royal
- The Corner Shop – In 1864 Richard Turnbull and David Clarkson opened their general store on Stafford and George Streets, known simply as The Corner.
- Money of Their Own – With copper coins scarce, they minted penny tokens that acted as both currency and advertising.
- A Harbour Before Its Time – Their 1865 token pictured ships behind a breakwater, years before one was built.
- First Flour Exporters – Their business was the first to export flour from Timaru.
- The Great Fire of 1868 – Their shop, along with three quarters of the business district, was destroyed in the blaze.
- From Shop to Department Store – Clarkson later sold his drapery to John Ballantyne, whose Ballantynes store still operates today.
- Stone and Vision – After the fire Turnbull rebuilt in bluestone, hosting a meeting of 600 townspeople in 1873 to push for a harbour.
- A Rare Independence – Timaru’s harbour became one of only two independently owned ports in New Zealand.
- From Store to Stage – Turnbull’s bluestone store was later converted into Turnbull Hall, once called “one of the prettiest little theatres in the Southern Hemisphere.”
- Theatre Royal is Born – In 1882 Mayor Moss Jonas purchased the hall, altered it further, and renamed it the Theatre Royal.
- Theatre with Many Lives – Over time it became a theatre, sports arena, movie house, and then a civic landmark owned by the Timaru City Council.
- A Family Legacy – Turnbull’s son James became a prominent architect in Timaru, and another son, David Clarkson Turnbull, founded a grain and seed business that still operates after more than 125 years.
c1877 The Roadstead in Timaru before the breakwater was constructed Courtesy of Private Collection Illustrated Australian News Melbourne Vic 1876-1889 Wed 3 Oct 1877 P155
At the back of the Criterion Hotel looking at a mash of old and more modern buildings. The 1925 Oxford Building dressed in scafford for a painting rejuvenation. By Geoff Cloake.
Francis Wilson and the Rebuild
The fire of 1868 destroyed three quarters of Timaru’s wooden business district in only a few hours. It must have been devastating to watch so much disappear so quickly. But out of the ashes came a decision to build differently.
Francis John Wilson, a carpenter who had become an architect and builder, was central to this new phase. He worked on some of the most significant projects of the time, including Clarkson’s new store, Richard Turnbull’s warehouse, the Timaru Herald offices, and the Criterion Hotel.
The Criterion opened in 1873 as a two storey bluestone hotel with dining rooms, bars and bedrooms. It was not only a place for travellers, it was a symbol of resilience. Wilson went on to work on schools, churches, and civic buildings, and earned a reputation as the man who practically rebuilt Timaru after the fire.
I admire Wilson’s determination. He saw the need for strength and permanence, and helped create it. His story makes me think about resilience in my own life. When things fall apart, do I rebuild in the same fragile way, or do I take the opportunity to create something stronger?
Fun Facts about Francis J. Wilson and Timaru’s Rebuild
- Born in Cape Town – Francis John Wilson (c.1836–1911) was born in South Africa and arrived in Timaru around 1855.
- Jack of Many Trades – Before becoming known as an architect, he worked as a carpenter, contractor, hotelkeeper, and even stood for council.
- Married in a Wooden Church – He wed Kate Foley in 1862 at St Mary’s, when it was still just a small wooden church.
- First Customs House – In 1863 he built Timaru’s first wooden customs house.
- Hotels and Politics – He held licences for hotels in Timaru and Washdyke, including the Club Hotel, and was elected to the Borough Council in 1869.
- The Fire of 1868 – Just three months after joining the council, the great fire destroyed most of the town’s wooden centre.
- Rebuilding in Stone – Wilson designed or built many of the bluestone replacements, earning a reputation as the man who “practically rebuilt Timaru.”
- Busy Year 1869 – That year alone he worked on Clarkson’s store, a government building, Richard Turnbull’s stone warehouse, the St Mary’s extension, and more.
- Criterion Hotel – He designed, built, and leased the two-storey Criterion Hotel in 1873, complete with dining rooms, bars, and 12 bedrooms.
- Civic Buildings – He also built the Timaru Main School and the Freemasons Masonic Hall in 1873, among many others.
- Turnbull’s Warehouse – Records suggest he constructed Turnbull’s large stone warehouse, later converted into Turnbull’s Hall and eventually the Theatre Royal.
- Breakwater Meeting – In 1876, 500–600 people met in Turnbull’s Hall to push for a harbour breakwater, a turning point for Timaru’s future.
- Economic Hard Times – By the late 1870s work dried up, with “five architects” competing for fewer projects, so Wilson left Timaru for Melbourne in 1887 with his wife and ten children.
- Partnership in Australia – In Melbourne he joined Joshua Charlesworth to form Wilson and Charlesworth, entering design competitions and chasing new work.
- Work in New Zealand – Later he designed buildings in Wellington, Palmerston North, and Gisborne, including meat works, hotels, and theatres.
- Architectural Dynasty – His grandson, Francis Gordon Wilson, became New Zealand’s Chief Government Architect and oversaw the state housing programme of the 1930s.
- Final Years – Francis and his wife Emily settled in Gisborne in 1905. He died in 1911 and was buried at Karori Cemetery in Wellington.
Theatre-Royal-AN1918- Faces that look down from the theatre boxs - Photo Geoff Cloake
From Store to Stage
Richard Turnbull’s warehouse did not stay a warehouse for long. It was soon converted into Turnbull’s Hall, a space for public meetings and performances.
John L. Hall, an actor and theatre manager from Dunedin, leased the hall and raised funds to make it a proper theatre. He brought in Maurice Duval, a French architect and engineer, to design the alterations. Then in 1882 the Mayor, Moss Jonas, bought the building, made further changes, and renamed it the Theatre Royal.
I like this story of transformation. A storehouse for grain and goods became a gathering place for ideas, and then a theatre for entertainment. It shows how buildings, like people, adapt and change with time. The Theatre Royal is still standing today, a reminder that Timaru’s story is not fixed but constantly evolving.
1870 photograph of what was then known as South Road, Timaru (present day Stafford Street) showing construction underway of Richard Turnbull’s Stone Store up the hill on the left. On the corner is Richard Turnbulls shop that was rebuilt in stone after the 1868 fire. – Alfred Charles Barker, Canterbury Museum ID 13/57.
What These People Taught Me
Looking back, I see more than just artefacts, coins, or buildings. I see the people behind them. Natasha Phillips and Alix Muir lifting a little childs doll from the soil. Richard Turnbull ordering in the tokens to sell a dream with his currency. Francis Wilson designing in brick and stone to rebuild a fire destroyed town. John Hall developing a former wool and grain store into a stage. Moss Jonas giving it the name we still use today.
Each of them left something behind for us to study. I think by sharing stories from our history we can learn what to value, what to dream about, and to choose which way to proceed. One day people may look back at what we leave behind. I wonder what they will find and what stories they will tell about us.
Crop of a Map of timaru in 1874 of the Central Business District.
