Avalon, New Zealand

Avalon, a suburb of Lower Hutt in New Zealand, formed as a private residential development in the 1970s on land formerly occupied by market-gardens on the left (eastern) bank of the Hutt River. It features mostly California-inspired designed houses, often split-level, with 3 or 4 bedrooms.

Avalon came to the attention of most New Zealanders as the early centre of the country's nation-wide television broadcasting production, particularly with the opening of the purpose-built [http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/826505/820709 Avalon Studios] in 1975. Given that New Zealand started regular public television-broadcasting for the first time in 1960, and instituted networked television in 1973 with only a single (and State-owned) channel available to viewers, the sole provider of television-broadcasting acquired a monopoly position of immense influence within the New Zealand mass media, and the name "Avalon" summarised and expressed that clout for many years. Television New Zealand has inherited the Avalon real-estate and maintains some functions from Avalon, even though its corporate centre now operates in Auckland. Avalon continues to produce television-shows such as " Dancing with the Stars", "Good Morning" and the New Zealand Lotteries Commission's live Lotto draw.

Avalon also became the focus of New Zealand film-production (through and building on the National Film Unit), which Peter Jackson bought in the late 1990s and incorporated into his Park Road Post facility.

External links

* [http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/826505/820709 Avalon Studios info - TVNZ]