Kerikeri’s Cathay Cinema History Goes Back 90 years

Kerikeri’s Cathay Cinema history goes back 90 years
Sandy Myhre 26 Mar, 2026 04:55 AM
The Cathay Cinema complex as it stands today. The building was extended to add two new 50-seat cinemas at the back in 2008.

It was an ambitious project at the time, given the population of Kerikeri in 1936, just after the depression, was reportedly 480.

The community was small, with the economy heavily focused on fruit growing and surviving financially.

The first film shown was “Brewsters Millions” and patrons were advised to book early “as indications point to the available seating accommodation being severely taxed”.

The British musical comedy was directed by Thornton Freeland and starred Jack Buchanan, Lili Damita and Nancy O’Neil. It was based on the 1902 novel and subsequent 1906 play, with the action relocated from the United States to Britain.

The newspaper clipping declared that “perfect vision is ensured from any position in the theatre and there are no pillars to obstruct the view”.

In those days and for many years afterwards, the films came as a reel which had to be loaded on to the equipment. Current manager, Sheryl Eyre, said they had to have a projectionist on shift to fix, stop and start the new films.

“We did have a few laughs when the wrong movie was accidentally loaded.”

Today, the process is computerised and each movie starts automatically.
Cathay Cinema in Kerikeri when it was first constructed in 1936.
Most independent cinemas made the transition from physical film reels to digital loading projection (DCM package) from about 2011.

She said she used to have some interesting conversations with Doug and Pat Turner who owned the cinema for 34 years before selling it in 1994. He was a key figure in local arts and the Turner Centre is named after him.

“Mrs Turner used to make toasted sandwiches for the boys who had drunk too much and had come to the movies, and she wanted to make sure they were sober enough to drive home.”

The spring-loaded dance floor was believed to have been taken out some time in the 1980s. Some refurbishment occurred in 2003 and in 2008 it closed for a total modernisation and reopened in 2009.
Cathay Cinema operates as an independent yet still manages to show popular and contemporary movies. Hail Mary and Wuthering Heights are two examples of the current crop of shows
The current owner, Ross Churchouse, posted a lengthy article to Facebook a week ago.

“We are often told by customers from across New Zealand and from around the world how lucky we are to have a local theatre,” he said.

“Most recently a lady from Canada told us her local cinema had closed during Covid and it never came back, so to be here serving you all makes us incredibly proud and a little humble.”

He said that independent cinemas do not have the deep pockets of global chains, they rely on the loyalty and enthusiasm of the people they serve.

“We are proud to be part of an independent cinema community across New Zealand that helps to support each other like no other industry does.

“Independent cinemas like Cathay also play a crucial role in giving young New Zealand film-makers a platform to highlight their work from special screenings and Q&As to community premieres, cinema helps support these local storytellers to reach real audiences.”

Despite being independent, Cathay Cinema still managed to show a healthy collection of contemporary and popular films.

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