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Dunedin's First Film Maker: Henry Gore, 1882-1967
Like many of New Zealand's early film makers, Henry Gore was a photographer by profession.
Gore was involved in running Dunedin's earliest picture theatres. In 1910 he was employed as chief operator at the Plaza, also managing Saturday screenings at Hayward's Pictures in the Burns Hall. During this time Gore began filming local events which were shown within days of being filmed.
Travelling to Hollywood in 1916, Gore became one of the first New Zealanders to gain overseas film making experience. He visited movie sets, became friends with Charlie Chaplin and worked in a factory assembling Simplex projectors.
Back in New Zealand he continued to make home movies and local interest and sporting films. He filmed many important local events such as the wreck of the SS Tyrone 1913, the Otago Battalion’s departure for the war in 1914, the 1919 Peace procession and the Prince of Wales visit in 1920.
Henry Gore was active in the film industry until his death in July 1967. Most of his surviving films are held at the Film Archive.
- Wreck of the SS Tyrone, 1913 (1,076kb)
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