Great Lake Centre celebrates 20th anniversary

It has hosted worldwide hit shows such as Riverdance, Grease and Les Miserables, and now the Great Lake Centre (GLC) is about to turn 20 years old.

The GLC was built in 1992 and replaced the old memorial hall at the site on Tongariro Domain. On Tuesday 28 August, the centre celebrates 20 years.

Taupō District Council’s Event Logistics Manager Jo Lynskey says the GLC is becoming more community-focused as time passes and there are some groups who used the original memorial hall that are still using the centre 20 years on.

“We’re actually reaching out to quite a wide demographic,” Mrs Lynskey says. “We have become more accessible to the community.”

These days, groups use the GLC for everything from annual fundraisers to dance recitals, trade shows and sporting events.

Since 2007, the GLC has hosted at least 300 events each year and, since its inception, more than a million people have walked through the doors.

In its rich history, the GLC has been visited by stars Dave Dobbyn and Dame Malvina Major, as well as past prime ministers Helen Clark and Jenny Shipley. It has hosted theatre and musicals including Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar and The Mikado.

Mrs Lynskey says the GLC is a diverse and flexible venue which attracts people because of the surrounding greenery and central location. The building itself had stood the test of time, with only minor maintenance required.

“I think it was built really well; it’s a solid building,” Mrs Lynskey says.

Mrs Lynskey says, with 20 years down, the centre has a great future ahead of it serving Taupō. “It’s accessible, it’s affordable, we’ve got a really good crew here who will do anything for the community,” she says.