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Kumara Memorial Hall
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DescriptionKumara Memorial Hall where many of us in days of yore attended dances which began at 11pm and finished at 3am. We travelled by bus from Greymouth and Hokitika. Some of the lads usually had a beer or two at the old Theatre Royal Hotel before seeking the young ladies to dance with. Acker's Dance band usually supplied the music for waltzes, foxtrots, Canadian 3 step, Maxina, Destiny and others which older contributors might recall.PhotographerDon HuttonDate of PhotoBetween 1st January 2017 and 31st December 2017Map[1] ContributorDon Hutton
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Location (city or town)KumaraLandmark (Place)Kumara Memorial HallOrganisation (eg business)Kumara Memorial Hall
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Category TagOld buildings
From Facebook
Date Created11th November 2017CommentsDorothy Wills
Gypsy Tap was my favourite dance. Unfortunately with age and balance problems I can’t enjoy it now even supposing I could find someone playing suitable music
Heather Newby
Author
Admin
Dorothy Wills i remember that and the Venetia Gay gordons
Pam Mcmanus
Loved those days.
Kevin Oregan
Did a few spins around in there myself. Kumara fire brigade ball, that was the one we all looked out for
Kerry Keating
I was in Tony Flanagan's team that built the shelter covering the front of the hall. The old one only covered the doorway.
Anthea Rose
We will remember them and the Nurses too.
May be an image of monument
Jocelyn Steele
Bring back those days when everyone had a job
Allan Russ
Some of my earliest memories, seeing movies at the hall put on by My Hayes with my Father and Brother there
Linda Skelton
We had some great dances at Maruia and Rahu halls. There were special dances for learning . You had to be a teen at least and the Adults dancedwith us and taught all the steps.
Nova Hichens
I remember good times held in the Kumara Hall. Movies, dances, weddings,school concerts & travelling shows. We loved being upstairs lots of great memories. On Anzac Day the school children & adults would March from the top of Main St. to the Hall. Mr Jim Brown would read the names from the Memorial wall. It was a sad day for him as he had lost two brothers to the war.
Bruce Tones
Played there many times, with Terry Kennedy and the ramblers band, and later, the westsiders band, great times and great nights, Don
Cherie Alison Goode
Bruce Tones this is going back but McAlisters had a family band to my mum's relatives
Les Holmes Germanicus
It is one Hall left that still has its original Dusty Rhodes mountain and lake stage landscape backdrop too.
Tom Ryall
Looking really good the Kumara Hall
Trish Rennie
Lots of great memories held within those walls of times past. Shame we don’t enjoy the same happy occasions today for families and communities. Great music and homemade suppers etc….
Murray Webber
One place I never got to
Lyn Whittle
Taught aerobics classes in that hall
Valda Blair
I remember dancing 2 The Tremors back in the day,good times.1960s.!!
Peter Gray
Kumara this week, Gladstone next week, lot of fun back in the day
Frances Carey
Remember the concerts. Clare McNabb conducting etc. Also one time fell off the stage a broke her legs. Terrible. Also going to movies. By the time I was old enough the dances had finished. My sisters & brothers enjoyed them. Those were the days.....
Catherine Carrington
My brother had dances their and guess a few beers I think it was in the 70,s.He just loved it.
RIP Vince (Densie)
Fiona Pollard
Spent many a night dancing to live bands in 1980s and 1990s in this wonderful hall. Roll on to 2020s and I helped organize a few Hooleys for Kumara community. Great to to relive my youth/teenage years...still can dance all night if the vibe is good
Sheree Hume
The good old days and nice memories
Bob Laing
The hall had a wooden, what was called, a sprung floor, ensuring it was a n excellent sports and dance floor. One of the few on the Coast. Google sprung floors if you do not know what they are
Rosalie Fleming
My husband's Aunty Bev played in Ackers Dance Band
Wendy Hogan
I loved going dancing on the bus toackers dance band
John Ryall
Every Saturday night we went dancing Kumara Gladstone,st John’s and many others loved it and all the best people you met
Lucy Lorraine Lucking
I was a bit young but would sneek up there, and listen to the band
Eleanor Morel
Great memories of Kumara and my friends the Breretons. Especially the dances after the Kumara races. They were very lively. This all in the 60’s.
Clare Pierson
Memories! Went to the "pictures" at the Regent Theatre in Hokitika at 8.0pm, caught the Road Services bus at 10. 30pm and off to one of the country dance halls - Kumara, Kanieri, Gladstone, Ruatapu etc. Supper after midnight meant that Catholics wanting to receive Communion at Mass on Sunday couldn't eat anything with the strange rules of those days. Back in Hokitika three of us walked in stockings, shoes on hand, up the centre of Weld Street which was sealed by then.
Christine Farrell
I think Uncle Ken and Aunty Marie Duffry had their Wedding there
Kath Rogers
There was always a lovely supper, catered by the mothers.
Helen Hutchison
Yep very Happy Memories of Kumara Dances .
Allan Upston
Yes great memories. Those were the days.
Corinne Ord
Love the dancers there .great memories
Gypsy Tap was my favourite dance. Unfortunately with age and balance problems I can’t enjoy it now even supposing I could find someone playing suitable music
Heather Newby
Author
Admin
Dorothy Wills i remember that and the Venetia Gay gordons
Pam Mcmanus
Loved those days.
Kevin Oregan
Did a few spins around in there myself. Kumara fire brigade ball, that was the one we all looked out for
Kerry Keating
I was in Tony Flanagan's team that built the shelter covering the front of the hall. The old one only covered the doorway.
Anthea Rose
We will remember them and the Nurses too.
May be an image of monument
Jocelyn Steele
Bring back those days when everyone had a job
Allan Russ
Some of my earliest memories, seeing movies at the hall put on by My Hayes with my Father and Brother there
Linda Skelton
We had some great dances at Maruia and Rahu halls. There were special dances for learning . You had to be a teen at least and the Adults dancedwith us and taught all the steps.
Nova Hichens
I remember good times held in the Kumara Hall. Movies, dances, weddings,school concerts & travelling shows. We loved being upstairs lots of great memories. On Anzac Day the school children & adults would March from the top of Main St. to the Hall. Mr Jim Brown would read the names from the Memorial wall. It was a sad day for him as he had lost two brothers to the war.
Bruce Tones
Played there many times, with Terry Kennedy and the ramblers band, and later, the westsiders band, great times and great nights, Don
Cherie Alison Goode
Bruce Tones this is going back but McAlisters had a family band to my mum's relatives
Les Holmes Germanicus
It is one Hall left that still has its original Dusty Rhodes mountain and lake stage landscape backdrop too.
Tom Ryall
Looking really good the Kumara Hall
Trish Rennie
Lots of great memories held within those walls of times past. Shame we don’t enjoy the same happy occasions today for families and communities. Great music and homemade suppers etc….
Murray Webber
One place I never got to
Lyn Whittle
Taught aerobics classes in that hall
Valda Blair
I remember dancing 2 The Tremors back in the day,good times.1960s.!!
Peter Gray
Kumara this week, Gladstone next week, lot of fun back in the day
Frances Carey
Remember the concerts. Clare McNabb conducting etc. Also one time fell off the stage a broke her legs. Terrible. Also going to movies. By the time I was old enough the dances had finished. My sisters & brothers enjoyed them. Those were the days.....
Catherine Carrington
My brother had dances their and guess a few beers I think it was in the 70,s.He just loved it.
RIP Vince (Densie)
Fiona Pollard
Spent many a night dancing to live bands in 1980s and 1990s in this wonderful hall. Roll on to 2020s and I helped organize a few Hooleys for Kumara community. Great to to relive my youth/teenage years...still can dance all night if the vibe is good
Sheree Hume
The good old days and nice memories
Bob Laing
The hall had a wooden, what was called, a sprung floor, ensuring it was a n excellent sports and dance floor. One of the few on the Coast. Google sprung floors if you do not know what they are
Rosalie Fleming
My husband's Aunty Bev played in Ackers Dance Band
Wendy Hogan
I loved going dancing on the bus toackers dance band
John Ryall
Every Saturday night we went dancing Kumara Gladstone,st John’s and many others loved it and all the best people you met
Lucy Lorraine Lucking
I was a bit young but would sneek up there, and listen to the band
Eleanor Morel
Great memories of Kumara and my friends the Breretons. Especially the dances after the Kumara races. They were very lively. This all in the 60’s.
Clare Pierson
Memories! Went to the "pictures" at the Regent Theatre in Hokitika at 8.0pm, caught the Road Services bus at 10. 30pm and off to one of the country dance halls - Kumara, Kanieri, Gladstone, Ruatapu etc. Supper after midnight meant that Catholics wanting to receive Communion at Mass on Sunday couldn't eat anything with the strange rules of those days. Back in Hokitika three of us walked in stockings, shoes on hand, up the centre of Weld Street which was sealed by then.
Christine Farrell
I think Uncle Ken and Aunty Marie Duffry had their Wedding there
Kath Rogers
There was always a lovely supper, catered by the mothers.
Helen Hutchison
Yep very Happy Memories of Kumara Dances .
Allan Upston
Yes great memories. Those were the days.
Corinne Ord
Love the dancers there .great memories
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West Coast New Zealand History (19th Apr 2023). Kumara Memorial Hall. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 25th Apr 2026 00:51, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/22351