Can you help find Auckland’s 1960s music venues?

By -
Gareth Shute is one of the Auckland Library Heritage Trust research scholars for 2018. His project is an online map for the NZ music history website, www.audioculture.co.nz, of all the music venues that have existed in Auckland since the early 1900s. He hopes to find both information about and images of these venues through his time researching at Auckland Libraries.

We would love some of our readers to help him locate venues and try to identify some images.

Can anyone identify the locations and people shown in these images below?

Unless noted the bands are also unknown, so please let us know if you spot anyone you recognise. Our wish in displaying these photographs is for the people in the images to be reunited with their family, extended family and other people known to them.

There are a number of ways you can provide us with more information about these images. You can comment at the bottom of this page. You can click on the Heritage Images link which is included in the captions below many of the images. Please note, not all the photographs shown below have been digitised, when there is no link in the caption, it means there is no record on Heritage Images. When you are on the Heritage Images website you can comment by clicking on the 'Tell us more' link on the right hand side. You can also comment by emailing specialcollections@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

Ref: Rykenberg Photography. 19 December 1961. Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections, 1269-E136-10.

Ref: Rykenberg Photography. 21 December 1961. Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections, 1269-E139-12.

Ref: Rykenberg Photography. 31 December 1961. Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections, 1269-E162-24.

Ref: Rykenberg Photography. 1950s. Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections, 1269-E146-9.

Ref: Rykenberg Photography. 11 May 1964. Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections, 1269-W239-10.

Shute is also looking for the location of venues from this era (and slightly earlier). So if you can answer any of the following questions then it would be a great (even if it’s a rough approximation - e.g., “On Karangahape Road near Pitt Street”).

Where as Carlton Cabaret located - somewhere on Karangahape Road?
Ghandhi Hall (circa 1958) - is this the same as the Mahatma Ghandi centre that is now on New North Rd?
Metropole - somewhere on Upper Queen St?
Was Bali Hai in the same location as Embers?

Visit Audioculture to see how Mapping Auckland's venues: the 1960s is looking so far. Do let us know if you spot any errors or can think of anywhere that should be added.



Author: Gareth Shute

Comments

  1. Alan from New Zealand16 August 2018 at 19:43

    Ghandi Hall was in Victoria Street, across the road from the Empire Tavern

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    Replies
    1. AkL24 August 2018 at 08:21

      Thank you! - Zoë, Heritage Collections Librarian

      Delete
  2. Jane17 August 2018 at 09:35

    Just tried to send an email to the address you listed but it bounced back. A small piece of info to share re: the location of the Gandhi Hall – it was on Victoria St and linked to the Gujarati School (see History, here: http://www.aiai.org.nz/gandhi-gruh-gujarti-school/).

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    Replies
    1. AkL24 August 2018 at 08:22

      Thank you for this information! Sorry, I made a typo with the Special Collections email, it has been corrected in the blog post now. - Zoë, Heritage Collections Librarian

      Delete
  3. juliana and Greg18 August 2018 at 10:15

    David Register Gould on clarinet Jack Robert's on piano. Somewhere in Otahuhu possibly the country club. David Hardy on drums. Dave still plays drums in his local brass band!

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  4. juliana and Greg18 August 2018 at 10:17

    Reg Gould - correction!!!

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    Replies
    1. AkL24 August 2018 at 08:23

      Thank you! - Zoë, Heritage Collections Librarian

      Delete
  5. juliana and Greg18 August 2018 at 21:52

    1269-E162-24 Dave is sure it was the Clevedon country club

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    Replies
    1. Gareth6 September 2018 at 13:36

      This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
  6. AkL24 August 2018 at 08:23

    Thank you! Great to have this information! - Zoë, Heritage Collections Librarian

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  7. DARIAN ZAM30 August 2018 at 11:27

    In Anna Hoffman's first book, on her time in Auckland Central before departing for Sydney, she discusses a number of venues that were used for music performance and dances at the time. These date from the early-mid 1950s. A little earlier than you're looking at but may still be relevant.

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    Replies
    1. AkL7 September 2018 at 09:40

      Thanks for this information Darian! Zoë, Heritage Collections Librarian

      Delete
  8. Unknown30 August 2018 at 22:03

    The Metropole became the Peter Pan Cabaret, in the last block on the left at the top of Queen St, a few doors up from what was later Geddes Dental Renovations (492 Queen St, cnr City Rd).

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    Replies
    1. AkL7 September 2018 at 09:41

      Thanks Graham! Great to have that venue address. - Zoë, Heritage Collections Librarian

      Delete
    2. Ian Dalziel20 December 2018 at 08:05

      And of course 492 Queen Street became Real Groovy's City shop (after Mt Eden) - let's not forget Chris Knox's animated ad for it from the time.
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46OM0qS6g5M

      from:
      https://www.audioculture.co.nz/scenes/real-groovy

      Delete
    3. DARIAN ZAM5 March 2019 at 14:29

      From recollection the Peter Pan moved from its Lorne Street location to Upper Queen around 1946. Before that it was downtown in Britomart area somewhere, from recollection.

      Delete
  9. Unknown30 August 2018 at 22:05

    The bass guitarist in the top 2 pics is the late Bill Rawhiti/Rafferty (later with the 1962-3 Quin-Tikis lineup). In the second pic, along with Bill, at far right is Gugi or Nukl Waaka/Walker. The third pic features an early version of the Keil Isles with Olaf (left) and Herma (or Freddy?) Keil on guitars, Klaus Keil on drums, possibly Rudolph Keil on bass and maybe Norman Akers on piano? The pic with the empty stage is probably of the "Bel Air" coffee bar (Queen St, opp. Town Hall), where Gene & The Dynamites had a residency.

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    Replies
    1. Gareth6 September 2018 at 13:24

      Thanks for that. However, when you say "third pic", I assume you are referring to the last image (which we removed since we found the location). If so, that's really helpful to know! Hopefully we can prioritise that roll to get properly digitised. More recently, the library have put up another set of images of the Quin Tikis with Bill, Gugi and drummer Gimmick Cameron, but if you can identify any of the others that would be awesome!:
      http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/dbtw-wpd/exec/dbtwpub.dll?BU=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aucklandcity.govt.nz%2Fdbtw-wpd%2FHeritageImages%2Findex.htm&AC=QBE_QUERY&TN=heritageimages&QF0=ID&NP=2&MR=5&RF=HIORecordSearch&QI0=%3D%221269-L591-2%22

      Delete
    2. AkL7 September 2018 at 09:53

      Thanks heaps for these identifications Graham! Great news! - Zoë, Heritage Collections Librarian

      Delete
  10. Anonymous1 September 2018 at 10:25

    Good idea Gareth! Some of the central Auckland clubs can't be input on a 2018 google map as the streets have changed -

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  11. Anonymous11 October 2022 at 15:06

    Hello. Is anyone still monitoring this request for information? If so, I can identify people in the 2nd last picture of Cook Island dancers.

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    Replies
    1. AkL13 October 2022 at 11:50

      Hello! Yes, we are still monitoring this post. We would love to have identifications for the people in the image you reference. Please follow this link to the online image and add your identifications in the 'comments' field on the webpage: https://kura.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/digital/collection/photos/id/78024#.Y0dEDsbHS-8.link Thank you! Zoë, Heritage Collections Librarian.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous13 October 2022 at 12:55

      Will do, thank you.

      Delete
  12. Anonymous1 November 2022 at 21:22

    I remember going frequently to the Picasso nightclub in the early 60’s.... Eddie Low was on stage weekly... and also in the 60’s I went to The Embers ....Howard Morrison...

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  13. Anonymous1 November 2022 at 21:25

    I remember going frequently to the Picasso Nightclub in the early 60’s....Eddie Lowe on stage... fantastic... also went to The Embers....Howard Morrison. The Orange Ballroom.... great memories.

    ReplyDelete

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