The Gaiety Cinema and Theatre is a representative example of a provincial cinema and has served as a cultural hub of Wairoa since it was originally constructed in 1925. The building collapsed during the 1931 Hawkes Bay earthquake, after which it was rebuilt. It has local historical and social significance as a long-standing site of entertainment and community events, and technical significance for its reinforced concrete construction and association with structural engineer Samuel T. Silver. The building forms an important part of the historic streetscape of the town’s main street, Marine Parade.

Wairoa’s first Gaiety Cinema and Theatre (then known simply as the Gaiety Theatre) was constructed in 1925 and from 1928 was run by Robert Kerridge, whose company would become one of the major players in the New Zealand cinema scene. On 3 February 1931 Hawke’s Bay was hit by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake and buildings in Wairoa were badly damaged, with the Gaiety Theatre being described as ‘flattened right out.’ The rebuilding of the theatre by A.H. Davis began in August to the designs of Wellington structural engineer Samuel T. Silver (1882-1939) and was completed in early 1932. Silver was on the government’s Buildings Regulations Committee of 1931, which was charged with improving building standards in the wake of the destructive earthquake.

The rebuilt theatre was designed in contemporary art deco style and constructed in ferro-concrete. The two-story frontage had an upper balcony above a bull-nosed verandah supported by cast iron posts at street level. In September 1932 Hawke’s Bay experienced another significant earthquake but the Gaiety Theatre, with its reinforced concrete construction, only suffered superficial damage to the plasterwork. Its performance was indicative of the modern and ground-breaking earthquake-proof construction techniques used by Silver, who was recognised on his death in 1939 for ‘success with earthquake-resisting structures.’

In addition to movie screenings the Gaiety Theatre hosted of range of events, including town meetings, boxing matches, concerts, political rallies and balls. In the wake of the introduction of television to New Zealand in 1960, the theatre closed its doors later that decade and fell into disrepair. The building was subsequently used as a supermarket, basketball court and office space. The first floor street frontage was converted into an apartment in 1969, when the balcony was partially enclosed by windows.

Following the sale of theatre to local people in 1998, a trust was formed to undertake an extensive restoration project. The building re-opened as the Gaiety Cinema and Theatre in 2000. Financial challenges resulted in closure in 2009 but it opened again in 2015 with the support of the Wairoa District Council. That year a high-tech sound system was installed. The Gaiety Cinema and Theatre is once more a vital part of the Wairoa community, providing regular movie screenings, live shows and hosting the renowned Wairoa Māori Film Festival. Part of the ground floor is occupied by a café.