Sir Robert “Bob” Kerridge was a pioneering New Zealand entrepreneur whose flair for showmanship transformed the nation’s cinema landscape, turning a childhood hobby into a multimillion-dollar empire.
Born on 30 October 1901 in Christchurch to tram driver Frederick Thomas Kerridge and Ellen Maude Bell, young Bob displayed an early entrepreneurial spark. At age 5, Bob’s parents gave him a magic lantern, a gift that promptly sparked his entrepreneurial instincts as he captivated local children with shows, charging a penny per viewer.
Leaving school at 15, he hustled through jobs in Christchurch’s mailrooms and learning accountancy before relocating to Gisborne in the early 1920s, where his family had taken up orcharding. There, Kerridge dabbled in real estate, motor services, and even founded a local commercial college.
His cinematic odyssey began in 1926, inspired by a Gisborne theatre’s box-office success. Partnering with H.B. Williams, he acquired and renovated the Palace Picture Theatre, rechristening it the Regent. By 1929, as “talkies” revolutionised the industry, Kerridge managed to control 16 cinemas across the North Island. The Great Depression weeded out competitors, allowing him to amass 26 venues by the late 1930s, including several Auckland lcations. Post-war expansion was meteoric: acquiring New Zealand Theatres in 1943, Fuller-Hayward in 1945, and J.C. Williamson’s in 1947, his chain ballooned to 133 screens—the largest in Australasia. Every major town boasted a Kerridge Regent, a name now synonymous with Hollywood glamour.
In 1946, Kerridge’s acumen shone globally. He sold 50% of the circuit to Britain’s J. Arthur Rank Organisation for nearly £1 million, securing numerous British film titles and a Rolls-Royce in the bargain. Renamed Kerridge Odeon, his new venture guaranteed U.S. studio premieres, fuelling peak attendances of 40 million tickets in 1960.
Beyond screens, Kerridge’s ventures spanned tourism (hydrofoils, resorts like Pakatoa Island), star-studded concerts (The Beatles, Bolshoi Ballet), and retail (246 Shopping Centre). A philanthropist, he funded Auckland’s Selwyn Village and King’s College. Knighted in 1962 and honoured by Italy’s Order of Merit (1958), he Kerridge sealed his reputation as a Kiwi success story based on hard work and inventiveness.
Retiring as managing director in 1976, he remained chairman until his death at Remuera on 26 April 1979, leaving a legacy of celluloid magic and bold enterprise.
Robert James Kerridge
Died 1979
Block J Row 14 Plot 052
