If the walls could talk!  Next year the Loons building will be celebrating its grand 100^th anniversary.  Built in 1912 the building sits on the foundations of an even earlier building still unknown.  Its location is in the first block settled in Lyttelton, Canterbury - in Canterbury Street.

If the walls could talk the stories would go on forever.  It has been a grocers, a tailors, a bakers, a mechanics garage, a theatre, a union social club, a working mans club, and a rifle club.

The Loons was at the heart of Lyttelton during the 1951 lockout from the wharfs and industrial action and welfare of the town was organised out of there.  The building was gifted to the Working Mans Club by the Union to safeguard it from the clutches of the Government who were seizing the unions assets.

When it came time for a party "The Loons" was the village hall and 64 years on, it still is!

During the days of 6 o'clock closing and no trading on Sundays, behind closed doors the Loons was a sly drinking haunt and the committee had to keep control of a building packed full of men angry at their lot.   Lyttelton was a rough tough place and you were known by where you drank, and what side of the fence you were on.  The Loons is a huge part of the historic fabric of this town.    The name came about in the 1930s' when it was 'Loons Garage' .

Generations of Lytteltonians can be traced through the photos of successive committees.  The club has run continuously since 1947, with men returning from war wanting to leave their military days behind and return to being '' WORKING MEN''.

Bouncing Back, Better Than Ever:

As luck would have it ,the damage to the Loons building at 16 Canterbury Street, Lyttelton is repairable. From the first day after the September quake, Lyttelton Builders Limited stepped in, along with Structex Engineers, to monitor the damage and formulate a plan.

When February 22 hit things got a little worse but with a hand from the Loons Theatre  Company the weight on the building was reduced by taking down 100 ton of parapet bricks and half of the building reopened.

The building was stabilised and opened as a the Samo Cafe and bar but when June 13 struck, we were tempting fate to carry on.  A 100 year old two storey brick building, still standing with a future, as long as we could get the strengthening in place quickly. Building consent came through a month ago and the builders were in to it.

The Lyttelton locals got in and dug the trenches in the basement to take four huge in ground concrete beams, these connect to eight steel columns that will be welded at the ground floor and support the walls up to the roof.

The trusses are being strengthened with new timber and concrete bond beams will run the length of the building on top of the brick walls tying into a new front wall. All sounds simple but there is a mountain of work to get this place open before Christmas.

We have a great crew from Rotorua working with our Lyttelton locals. The club committee are working through all the issues of insurance, extra funding, upgrades, resource consents and leases that need to all come together.

Opening with a season of Berlin Burlesque in December, you can all look forward to an even more vamped up Loons in the future. 

The Loons is a Lyttelton community owned building, and any offers of support are greatly  appreciated.  If you would like to help, please contact the Secretary:  Nev Walker 03 328 8968 or forward your enquiry to The Loons, PO Box 103, Lyttelton.