A New Home for South Canterbury Museum
Timaru District Council is redeveloping the historic Theatre Royal, Timaru and constructing a new Museum on an adjacent site, joined by a laneway to create a vibrant arts and culture venue for the community.
The site of the museum on Barnard Street was formerly occupied by the Olympia Hall, a prominent Edwardian building constructed in 1910 as a 2,000-seat multi-use venue designed by architect James Turnbull. Originally hosting silent movies, roller-skating, and events such as the 1909 South Canterbury Jubilee, it was taken over in 1939 by the New Zealand Army who used it as a drill hall during World War II. The building was demolished in 2021 to make way for the current development.
The new Museum facility allows for the South Canterbury Museum’s public-facing functions to be relocated to a modern fit-for-purpose facility. The purpose-built exhibition, education, and programme spaces allow for national and international visiting exhibitions, while also displaying the permanent collection in a fresh environment.
Using objects and stories from the Museum’s existing collections, the 580m² main exhibition gallery explores our local landscape and environment, Māori heritage, European settlement, and more recent social history. The 80m² education room is a flexible space for learning programmes, meetings, talks, community events, and short-term displays. The separate 200m² ground floor exhibition gallery features a changing programme of local and travelling exhibitions, giving visitors a reason to return multiple times throughout the year to discover something new every time.
The new laneway links the two facilities, from the museum on Barnard Street through to the theatre on Stafford Street, providing a public space for people to informally gather before or after visiting the new facilities or as a communal space in its own right.
Together, the theatre, museum, and laneway create a shared space that encourages interaction with each other, history, art and culture for locals and visitors.
Watch the video below to see an artist’s impression fly-through of the new facilities, for an indication of what to expect when they open.
Note: these images are indicative only; amendments to design features may vary from what is shown.
Last updated: 17 Feb 2026