One of Lyttelton’s best known landmarks has celebrated 150 years, with a special outdoor film screening marking the Timeball’s longstanding connection with the Port and the Lyttelton community.
The Timeball 150th Celebration, hosted by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga and Tohu Whenua on Friday 23 October 2026, brought people together at the historic site for an outdoor screening of archival footage featuring the Timeball, the Port and the people of Lyttelton.
Timeless connection with the port
Built in 1876, 27 years after Lyttelton became an official port, the Timeball played an important role in maritime navigation. At 1pm, the ball dropped from the tower, allowing ships in the harbour to check their chronometers before heading to sea.
LPC Chief Executive Graeme Sumner says the anniversary was an opportunity to recognise the Timeball’s longstanding connection with the Port.
“Here it stands today magnificently, reminding us of the wonderful history of Lyttelton Harbour and the role that it played,” says Graeme.
Graeme also has a personal connection with the landmark. He was Chief Executive of Siemens when the company was involved in an earlier restoration of the Timeball.
Rebuilt after the quakes
The original structure was lost following the Canterbury earthquakes. Reconstruction began in 2017, with the rebuilt tower reopening in November 2018.
Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Director Southern Christine Whybrew says the film was specially curated for the anniversary, celebrating the Timeball’s multigenerational connections to the people of Lyttelton.
“The development and operations of Lyttelton Port also feature in much of the footage, including many moments and personalities familiar to Lyttelton locals,” says Christine.
The outdoor screening made use of the site’s natural amphitheatre, with rarely seen archival footage shown against the backdrop of Whakaraupō Lyttelton Harbour.
The celebration also marked the Timeball’s recent inclusion in the Tohu Whenua network.