Dance floor at Copper Cat coffee house

Possibly about 1959 to possibly about 1962

Couples dancing on an outdoor dance floor at the coffee house, Copper Cat. Groups of well-dressed people are sitting around the edge of the dance floor at small, round tables, taking and drinking coffee.

Contributors note: "Dion Murphy played in a variety of bands, which in 1958 obtained a residency in a local coffee lounge called The Copper Cat at 137 Lower High Street, Christchurch. The band at the Copper Cat reformed to become Dion Shannon and the Shamrocks in 1959. The Copper Cat was one of the original night spots in Christchurch and attracted a large regular following - it became a favourite spot for musicians such as Howard Morrison and the Howard Morrison Quartet, to drop in for "coffee" after their local gigs, as the hotels closed at 6pm, and the Copper Cat stayed open till 2:00am in the morning, something rare in 1959."

Creator: Peter Basire

Contributor: Barbara Newcombe

Source: Entry in the 2025 Christchurch City Libraries Photo Hunt.

Reference ID: CCL-PH25-BaNe-0018

Uploaded by: CCL Photo Hunt

CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

This material has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. Please contact Christchurch City Libraries if you have any questions relating to the use of this material or wish to order a hi resolution copy for commercial purposes. It is the responsibility of the user to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

Dance floor at Copper Cat coffee house

Comments

Report this entry

More from the same area

Occupational therapy pottery class

Mansfield Gardens retirement home

Chateau Blanc under construction

Holly Lea, Fendalton

Clothing for Operation Good Samaritan

Puawai Dancers in Cathedral Square

Suia Tuulua with donations

Flourmills Limited donation for Cyclone Ofa victims

Bangladeshi performers from Savar Children's Village

Training at the Regional Survey of Draughting School

Woolston Primary School pupils fundraise for Tonga

H.G. Stiles repairing sewing machines

Knitting for the Himalayan Trust Hospital

40 Hour Famine participants at Opawa Baptist Church

Former Sydenham fire station

Fire engines departing central station

The new Kilmore Street fire station

Kilmore Street fire station switchboard

New central fire station

Laying the foundation stone for the new central fire station

Peter Rowe overlooking Kilmore Street

Christchurch's first woman firefighter

Denis Robins, world president of Fire Engineers