105-695: The Otago Witness was a prominent illustrated weekly newspaper in the early years of the European settlement of New Zealand, produced in Dunedin , the provincial capital of Otago . Published weekly, it existed from 1851 to 1932. The introduction of the Otago Daily Times , followed by other daily newspapers in its circulation area, led it to focus on serving a rural readership in the lower South Island, where poor road access prevented newspapers being delivered daily. It also provided an outlet for local fiction writers. It
210-552: A 'heritage city' with its main streets refurbished in the Victorian style . R. A. Lawson 's Municipal Chambers ( Dunedin Town Hall ) in the Octagon were handsomely restored. The city was also recognised as a centre of excellence in tertiary education and research. The university's and polytechnic's growth accelerated. Dunedin has continued to refurbish itself, embarking on redevelopments of
315-976: A Saturday to a Friday before moving in January 1889 to a Thursday, then in September 1900 to a Wednesday. Although conservative in its views, by the latter half of the nineteenth century the Witness provided an important outlet for local fiction writers with stories appearing such as Louie A. Dawson's A Gentleman of the Slums (1893), Fabian Bell's The Wonder Stone or Arita's Vengeance (1893) and Fred Morris's Castle Ludlow or Thrown Away (1894). The publication received its first Linotype machines in 1899. The number of pages increased from thirty-two in 1886 to seventy-two in 1900 and ninety by 1908. It became known for its lavishly illustrated Christmas editions, whose covers and some inside pages were in colour. These were particularly popular among
420-610: A central city studio. Numerous large companies had been established in Dunedin, many of which became national leaders. Late among them was Fletcher Construction , founded by Sir James Fletcher in the early 20th century. Kempthorne Prosser , established in 1879 in Stafford Street, was the largest fertiliser and drug manufacturer in the country for over 100 years. G. Methven , a metalworking and tap manufacturer based in South Dunedin ,
525-630: A complete collection on microfiche of all issues of the Witness . Dunedin Dunedin ( / d ʌ ˈ n iː d ɪ n / duh- NEE -din ; Māori : Ōtepoti ) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch ), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from Dùn Èideann ("fort of Edin"), the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh ,
630-485: A daily newspaper the ability to more quickly convey the latest news to the public than a weekly newspaper. As a result, the Witness declined in importance relative to its daily sister and it slowly became a digest of reprints from its daily sister and original material oriented towards rural readers. By 1864 this original material began to include fiction which would appeal to woman such as a serialisation over 35 issues of Sir Massingberd sourced from Chamber's Journal . It
735-495: A falling out between the two until they reconciled. Generally, however, the newspaper supported Cargill, who was the province's first superintendent. The Witness' early issues gained some notoriety for its polemical editorials, which were often skewed in favour of the political views and policies of Dunedin founding father Captain William Cargill , but it soon became a more balanced journal. The Witness had no opposition until
840-645: A land area of 3,314.8 km (1,279.9 sq mi), slightly larger than the American state of Rhode Island or the English county of Cambridgeshire , and a little smaller than Cornwall . It was the largest city in land area in New Zealand until the formation of the 5,600 km (2,200 sq mi) Auckland Council on 1 November 2010. The Dunedin City Council boundaries since 1989 have extended to Middlemarch in
945-502: A letter signed by 147 citizens (which was nearly every adult male in the Dunedin) in which they stated that they had no sympathy for the editor's views. Despite this, and even though Graham was ill with consumption ( tuberculosis ), the newspaper continued to be published until 21 December 1850. Graham died in February 1851. James Macandrew , who was planning to immigrate to Otago, was aware of
1050-547: A long finger of land that formed the southeastern rim of the Dunedin Volcano . The peninsula is lightly settled, almost entirely along the harbour coast, and much of it is maintained as a natural habitat by the Otago Peninsula Trust . The peninsula contains several fine beaches, and is home to a considerable number of rare species including Yellow-eyed and Little penguins, seals , and shags . Taiaroa Head on
1155-773: A nephew of the poet Robert Burns , provided spiritual guidance. By the end of the 1850s, around 12,000 Scots had emigrated to Dunedin, many from the industrial lowlands . In 1852, Dunedin became the capital of the Otago Province , the whole of New Zealand from the Waitaki south. In 1861, the discovery of gold at Gabriel's Gully , to the south-west, led to a rapid influx of people and saw Dunedin become New Zealand's first city by growth of population in 1865. The new arrivals included many Irish, but also Italians, Lebanese, French, Germans, Jews and Chinese. The Dunedin Southern Cemetery
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#17328562193401260-552: A politician, and Edward , a prominent businessman and politician. Family circumstances forced him to sell his commission in 1820, though he was later referred to as "Captain Cargill". After leaving the army, he became a wine merchant in Scotland. On 24 November 1847, Cargill sailed for New Zealand on the ship John Wickliffe , arriving at what is now Port Chalmers , Otago on 23 March 1848. The New Zealand Constitution Act 1852 granted
1365-588: A representative of the New Zealand Company , Frederick Tuckett , sailed south from Nelson to determine the location of a planned Free Church settlement. After inspecting several areas around the eastern coast of the South Island, Tuckett selected the site which would become known as Dunedin. (Tuckett rejected the site of what would become Christchurch , as he felt the ground around the Avon River / Ōtākaro
1470-404: A short response at the end of a correspondent's letter. While "Dot's Little Folk" was at first initially dominated by children aged 6 to 12, by 1897 teens had started to fill the column with letters and by the 1900s were using it to write about their lives, interact with each other and organise social events. From 1900 to 1914 "Dot's Little Folk" was at its height with 2,500 to 3,000 letters a year
1575-505: A similar gradient close to its Mornington depot. Beyond the inner range of hills lie Dunedin's outer suburbs, notably to the northwest, beyond Roslyn. This direction contains Taieri Road and Three Mile Hill, which between them formed the original road route to the Taieri Plains . The modern State Highway 1 follows a different route, passing through Caversham in the west and out past Saddle Hill. Lying between Saddle Hill and Caversham are
1680-460: A strong antipathy developed between Cutten and James Macandrew, who had political ambitions. This led Macandrew to financially support the experienced English printer William Lambert to move from Auckland to launch the Otago Colonist , which from mid-1857 was supporting Macandrew's views and political career. In 1861 Julius Vogel (later Sir Julius) immigrated to Dunedin during the boom following
1785-585: A variety of different landforms. To the southwest lie the Taieri Plains , the broad, fertile lowland floodplains of the Taieri River and its major tributary, the Waipori . These are moderately heavily settled, and contain the towns of Mosgiel , and Allanton . They are separated from the coast by a range of low hills rising to some 300 metres (980 ft). Inland from the Taieri Plain is rough hill country. Close to
1890-525: A vibrant youth culture (students are referred to as 'Scarfies' by people who are not students), consisting of the previously mentioned music scene , and more recently a burgeoning boutique fashion industry. A strong visual arts community also exists in Dunedin, notably in Port Chalmers and the other settlements which dot the coast of the Otago Harbour , and also in communities such as Waitati . Sport
1995-507: A vote of three-fourths of the owners based upon their shareholding. Cutten meanwhile was developing other mercantile activities. He later entered politics, serving on the Otago Provincial Council from 1853 and Parliament. With Cutten becoming increasingly occurred with his other activities, William Reynolds acted in his absence with the experienced compositor Daniel Campbell, who was bought out from Edinburgh to take responsibility for
2100-484: A whaling station at Karitane in 1837 and Sydney-born Johnny Jones established a farming settlement and a mission station (the South Island's first) at Waikouaiti in 1840. The settlements at Karitane and Waikouaiti have endured, making modern Dunedin one of the longest-standing European-settled territories in New Zealand. Early in 1844, the Deborah , captained by Thomas Wing and carrying (among others) his wife Lucy and
2205-474: A year being published in a column that was four entire spreads in length. While the majority of contributors were New Zealanders, correspondence was also received from Australia, Great Britain and the United States. Following Fenwick's death in 1906, his niece Linda Fenwick (died 1962), who had been previously assisting him, took over as Dot until 1913. Following her marriage she was succeeded as "Dot" by Ethel,
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#17328562193402310-675: A year later. He was described as a "unabashed provincialist". Cargill died of a stroke on 6 August 1860, at his home "Hillside" in Dunedin, and is buried in Dunedin Southern Cemetery with his wife and three children. His granddaughter Isabel Cargill travelled to Italy with Ann Marie Babington and in 1893 they opened Babington's tea room on the Spanish Steps in Rome which still today belongs to her descendants. Numerous names have connections with Cargill. The city of Invercargill
2415-513: Is catered for in Dunedin by the floodlit rugby and cricket venues of Forsyth Barr Stadium and University Oval, Dunedin , respectively, the new Caledonian Ground football and athletics stadium near the university at Logan Park , the large Edgar Centre indoor sports centre, the Dunedin Ice Stadium , and numerous golf courses and parks. There is also the Wingatui horseracing course to
2520-438: Is frequent, since much of this rainfall occurs in drizzle or light rain and heavy rain is relatively rare. Dunedin is one of the cloudiest major centres in the country, recording approximately 1,850 hours of bright sunshine per annum. Prevailing wind in the city is mainly a sometimes cool southwesterly and during late spring will alternate with northeasterlies. Warmer, dry northwest winds are also characteristic Foehn winds from
2625-407: Is known as the Octagon . It was once a gully, filled in the mid-nineteenth century to create the present plaza. The initial settlement of the city took place to the south on the other side of Bell Hill , a large outcrop which had to be reduced to provide easy access between the two parts of the settlement. The central city stretches away from this point in a largely northeast–southwest direction, with
2730-564: Is named for him ( Inver coming from the Scots Gaelic word inbhir meaning a river's mouth ), as is Mount Cargill , which towers above northern Dunedin. "Cargill's Corner" is a major road intersection in South Dunedin , and one of the roads which crosses at it is Hillside Road, named for Cargill's house. A Tasmanian sandstone monument to Cargill, simply known as the Cargill Monument , was built in Dunedin in 1863–64. Cargill's Castle ,
2835-582: Is notable as the first newspaper to use illustrations and photographs and was the first New Zealand newspaper to provide a correspondence column for children, which was known as "Dot's Little Folk". Together with the Auckland-based Weekly News and the Wellington-based New Zealand Free Lance it was one of the most significant illustrated weekly New Zealand newspapers in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Nine months after
2940-641: Is now Dunedin, several of them large and permanently occupied, particularly in the 14th century. The population contracted but expanded again with the evolution of the Classic Māori culture which saw the building of several pā , fortified settlements, notably Pukekura at ( Taiaroa Head ), about 1650. There was a settlement in what is now central Dunedin (Ōtepoti), occupied as late as about 1785 but abandoned by 1826. There were also Māori settlements at Whareakeake (Murdering Beach), Pūrākaunui , Mapoutahi (Goat Island Peninsula) and Huriawa ( Karitane Peninsula) to
3045-687: Is served by the Port Chalmers Branch , a branch line railway which diverges from the Main South Line and runs from Christchurch by way of Dunedin to Invercargill . Dunedin is also home to MTF , the nationwide vehicle finance company. The cityscape glitters with gems of Victorian and Edwardian architecture—the legacy of the city's gold-rush affluence. Many, including First Church, Otago Boys' High School and Larnach Castle were designed by one of New Zealand's most eminent architects R. A. Lawson . Other prominent buildings include Olveston and
3150-645: Is uncommon (perhaps every two or three years), except in the inland hill suburbs such as Halfway Bush and Wakari, which tend to receive a few days of snowfall each year. Spring can feature "four seasons in a day" weather, but from November to April it is generally settled and mild. Temperatures during summer can reach 30 °C (86 °F). Due to its maritime influence, Dunedin's mild summers and mild winters both stand out considering its latitude. Dunedin has relatively low rainfall in comparison to many of New Zealand's cities, with usually only between 600 and 750 millimetres (30 in) recorded per year. However, wet weather
3255-675: The Ngāi Tahu village of Otakou at the mouth of the harbour, which became a whaling station in the 1830s. In 1848 a Scottish settlement was established by the Lay Association of the Free Church of Scotland and between 1855 and 1900 many thousands of Scots emigrated to the incorporated city. Dunedin's population and wealth boomed during the 1860s' Otago gold rush , and for a brief period of time it became New Zealand's largest urban area. The city saw substantial migration from mainland China at
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3360-741: The Dunedin Railway Station . Other unusual or memorable buildings or constructions are Baldwin Street , claimed to be the world's steepest residential street; the Captain Cook tavern; Cadbury Chocolate Factory ( Cadbury World ) (In 2018, both the factory and Cadbury World closed to make way for a new NZ$ 1.4 billion hospital to replace the existing Dunedin Public Hospital ); and the Speight's brewery. The thriving tertiary student population has led to
3465-548: The Edinburgh Witness was a popular paper. After trying the plan of a many-jointed editorship, and finding it impracticable, the owners appointed the Englishman William H. Cutten to the editorship. Cutten was genial, witty and more of a pragmatist than Graham. Cutten was a lawyer by training – he had entered business becoming a merchant and auctioneer and lacking any practical printing experience. As well as holding down
3570-638: The Otago News and its combative relationship with the settlement's leadership and that the copies being circulated in the United Kingdom were undermining efforts at marketing Otago. As a businessman he was keen for the settlement to prosper, so soon after his arrival in Dunedin in January 1851 he joined a group of eleven leading citizens (the others being A. J. Burns, T. Burns, J. Cargill, William Cargill, William H. Cutten , J. R. Johnston, John Jones, Edward McGlashan, William H. Reynolds and W. H. Valpy) in providing
3675-462: The Otago Polytechnic , accounting for a large proportion of the population; 21.6 per cent of the city's population was aged between 15 and 24 at the 2006 census, compared to the New Zealand average of 14.2 per cent. Dunedin is also noted for its vibrant music scene, as the 1980s birthplace of the Dunedin sound (which heavily influenced grunge , indie and modern alternative rock ). In 2014,
3780-636: The Southern District Health Board confirmed that test results indicated that long-term exposure to lead in the water supply posed little risk to the local population. In late January 2024, the Dunedin City Council and Otago Regional Council released a joint draft strategy to expand housing development and industrial land over the next thirty years to accommodate a projected 10% population growth. The Dunedin City territorial authority has
3885-804: The Whitcoulls group—had its origins in Dunedin in the 19th century. There were also the National Mortgage and Agency Company of New Zealand , Wright Stephensons Limited , the Union Steamship Company and the National Insurance Company and the Standard Insurance Company among many others, which survived into the 20th century. After the Second World War prosperity and population growth revived, although Dunedin trailed as
3990-608: The Witness and the ODT were taken over by George Fenwick and George McCullagh Reed , with Reed becoming the editor of both publications. George Fenwick's brother William Fenwick (1851–1906), who had previously worked at a number of publications including the Cromwell Argus (1869–1872), Otago Guardian (1873–1877) and Dunedin Evening News (which was later renamed the Age ), became printer of
4095-484: The Witness from there. Despite his duties as editor, William Fenwick took over the "Dot" byline from 1893 for 12 years. Fenwick took a personal interest in the publication's youthful correspondents and was successful in fostering a sense of club membership. Members of what became "Dot's Little Folk" chose their own pseudonyms (though they had to supply their full names and addresses) and received badges (with approximately 4,000 "D.L.F" being issued). "Dot" would often print
4200-579: The Witness . In 1878 in response to a downturn in the Otago economy George Fenwick and Reed converted their business into a public company called the Otago Daily Times and Witness Newspapers Company, Ltd. Following the death of editor Robert Wilson, his wife and four of their six children in the Octagon fire of 8 September 1879, William Fenwick was appointed as his replacement and remained in this position for 27 years until his death in 1906. He greatly expanded
4305-525: The art gallery , railway station and the Toitū Otago Settlers Museum . Meanwhile, the continued blossoming of local creative writing saw the city gain UNESCO City of Literature status in 2014. Dunedin has flourishing niche industries including engineering, software engineering, biotechnology and fashion. Port Chalmers on the Otago Harbour provides Dunedin with deep-water facilities. It
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4410-457: The discovery of gold at the Tuapeka , the first of the Otago goldrushes. After initially working for a few weeks at the Otago Colonist , he left and joined Otago Witness as editor and also became its co-owner when he purchased a half share in the business from Cutten, the business becoming Cullen and Vogel. Vogel convinced Cutten that due to the rapidly increasing population due to the gold rush now
4515-675: The " Sealers' War " sparked by an incident on Otago Harbour. William Tucker became the first European to settle in the area – in 1815. Permanent European occupation dates from 1831, when the Weller brothers of New South Wales founded their whaling station at Otago (present-day Otakou ) on the Otago Harbour. Epidemics severely reduced the Māori population. By the late 1830s, the Harbour had become an international whaling port. Wright & Richards started
4620-575: The British royals, the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York toured Dunedin. In the 1930s and early 1940s a new generation of artists such as M. T. (Toss) Woollaston , Doris Lusk , Anne Hamblett, Colin McCahon and Patrick Hayman once again represented the best of the country's talent. The Second World War saw the dispersal of these painters, but not before McCahon had met a very youthful poet, James K. Baxter , in
4725-577: The Pacific Ocean by a long line of dunes which run east–west along the city's southern coastline and separate residential areas from Ocean Beach , which is traditionally divided into St. Clair Beach at the western end and St Kilda Beach to the east. Dunedin is home to Baldwin Street , which, according to the Guinness Book of Records , is the steepest street in the world. Its gradient is 1 in 2.9. The long-since-abandoned Maryhill Cablecar route had
4830-533: The agriculture that settlement was being planned on. Matters deteriorated when he directly attacked the Free Church Association, the New Zealand Company and William Cargill accusing them of spreading misleading information about the prospects of Otago: This resulted in the cancellation of forty subscriptions. In June 1849 the newspaper began publishing weekly. In November 1849 the newspaper received
4935-676: The basis of the Otago image collection, which since 2006 has been digitising these historic photos. All issues of the Witness covering the years from 1851 to 1920 have been digitised and are available on the Papers Past website. In 2020 the National Library of New Zealand accepted a proposal from the Dunedin Public Libraries to partner in digitising the issues from January 1921 to December 1926. The Dunedin Public Libraries have
5040-608: The beginning of a later great national industry. The first successful commercial shipment of frozen meat from New Zealand to the United Kingdom was on the Dunedin in 1881. After ten years of gold rushes the economy slowed but Julius Vogel 's immigration and development scheme brought thousands more, especially to Dunedin and Otago, before recession set in again in the 1880s. In these first and second times of prosperity, many institutions and businesses were established, New Zealand's first daily newspaper, art school , medical school and public art gallery. The Dunedin Public Art Gallery
5145-402: The business to a number of prominent Dunedin citizens on the condition that they were kept on as manager and editor respectively. The new owners formed a public company in 1860, the Otago Daily Times and Witness Newspapers Co. Ltd, with Vogel, John Bathgate , F. C. Simmons and James Rattray as directors. Vogel was subsequently forced out of the business in April 1868. In 1878 ownership of both
5250-438: The capital necessary to purchase the printing plant of the Otago News . Using the newly acquired printing plant, the first issue of the Otago Witness appeared in early February 1851, three years after the founding of the settlement, which by now had a population of 745. Committing itself to principles in agreement with those of the settlement's founders, its name was chosen to indicate the city's connection with Edinburgh , where
5355-440: The capital of Scotland . The city has a rich Māori , Scottish , and Chinese heritage. With an estimated population of 136,000 as of June 2024, Dunedin is New Zealand's seventh-most populous metropolitan and urban area. For cultural, geographical, and historical reasons, the city has long been considered one of New Zealand's four main centres. The urban area of Dunedin lies on the central-eastern coast of Otago, surrounding
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#17328562193405460-524: The central city (most of these hills, such as Maori Hill , Pine Hill, and Maryhill , rise to some 200 metres [660 ft] above the plain). The head of the harbour includes a large area of reclaimed land ("The Southern Endowment"), much of which is used for light industry and warehousing. A large area of flat land, simply known colloquially as "The Flat" lies to the south and southwest of the city centre, and includes several larger and older suburbs, notably South Dunedin and St Kilda . These are protected from
5565-408: The characteristics of Edinburgh, produced a striking, "Romantic" town-planning design. There resulted both grand and quirky streets, as the builders struggled and sometimes failed to construct his bold vision across the challenging landscape. Captain William Cargill (1784–1860), a veteran of the Napoleonic Wars , served as the secular leader of the new colony. The Reverend Thomas Burns (1796–1871),
5670-716: The city centre, starting at due north) Burkes ; Saint Leonards ; Deborah Bay; Careys Bay; Port Chalmers ; Sawyers Bay; Roseneath; Broad Bay ; Company Bay ; Macandrew Bay ; Portobello ; Burnside ; Green Island ; Waldronville ; Westwood ; Saddle Hill; Sunnyvale ; Fairfield ; Abbotsford ; Bradford ; Brockville ; Halfway Bush ; Helensburgh . (clockwise from the city centre, starting at due north) Waitati ; Waikouaiti ; Karitane ; Seacliff ; Warrington ; Pūrākaunui ; Long Beach ; Aramoana ; Otakou ; Mosgiel; Brighton; Taieri Mouth ; Henley ; Allanton ; East Taieri ; Momona ; Outram ; West Taieri ; Waipori ; Middlemarch ; Hyde . Since local council reorganisation in
5775-429: The city was designated as a UNESCO City of Literature . Archaeological evidence shows the first human (Māori) occupation of New Zealand occurred between 1250 and 1300 AD, with the population concentrated along the southeast coast. A camp site at Kaikai Beach, near Long Beach to the north of the present-day city of Dunedin, has been dated from about that time. There are numerous archaic ( moa -hunter) sites in what
5880-518: The city. During the 1980s Dunedin's popular music scene blossomed, with many acts, such as The Chills , The Clean , The Verlaines and Straitjacket Fits , gaining national and international recognition. The term "The Dunedin sound " was coined to describe the 1960s-influenced, guitar-led music which flourished at the time. Bands and musicians are still playing and recording in many styles. By 1990, population decline had steadied and slow growth has occurred since and Dunedin re-invented itself as
5985-418: The closing of the publication. The popularity of the Witness declined during the early twentieth century due to competition from other forms of broadcast, notably radio, and improved roads which allowed its daily rivals the Otago Daily Times and Evening Star to reach more and more rural readers. The Witness eventually stopped publication on 28 June 1932, having published 4,085 issues. During its life
6090-402: The condition that as he was deeply religious they could use it until after midnight on what was to him the sacrosanct Sunday. While this restriction reduced the content of the Monday edition of the daily ODT it had no impact on its weekly sister. Despite the competition introduced by ODT , the boom in Otago's wealth and population which followed the 1861 Otago gold rush dramatically improved
6195-407: The daughter of the then editor, Charles Fraser. Following Ethel Fraser's departure from the Witness in 1924, the associate editor, Eileen Louise Soper , served as "Dot" and wrote for the children's pages until the Witness ceased publication. Soper subsequently moved to the Otago Daily Times , where she continued the "Dot's Little Folk" tradition until the end of the 1930s. A shortage of paper due to
6300-407: The editor's position, Cutten was also the publication's reporter, advertising canvasser, subscription collector and pressman, with the only assistance provided by J.B. Todd, who was the compositor. The two men with occasional help from volunteers were the only staff of the newspaper. On publication days people would come to watch the two men hand printing while they waited for their copy. The Witness
6405-426: The financial health of Witness and secured its future. By 1864 it had expanded to 24 pages and was selling 4,500 copies a week. In that same year the 6 February edition featured its first linograph, that of George Parr's touring All-England cricket eleven. During this time a special gold fields edition of the paper was regularly being published. It was being widely distributed throughout the South Island . Vogel, who
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#17328562193406510-428: The first immigrant ships had arrived in Otago, Henry Graham published Otago's first newspaper on 13 December 1848, the fortnightly Otago News . Graham had working class sympathies and was not enamoured with existing class structures, nor with the Free Church of Scotland and its connections to the New Zealand Company , which he held in low regard. He was English and an Anglican, and together with his views, this meant he
6615-511: The fourth 'main centre'. A generation reacting against Victorianism started demolishing its buildings and many were lost, notably William Mason 's Stock exchange in 1969. ( Dunedin Stock Exchange building ) Although the university continued to expand, the city's population contracted, notably from 1976 to 1981. This was a culturally vibrant time with the university's new privately endowed arts fellowships bringing writers including James K Baxter , Ralph Hotere , Janet Frame and Hone Tuwhare to
6720-447: The head of Otago Harbour . The harbour and hills around Dunedin are the remnants of an extinct volcano. The city suburbs extend out into the surrounding valleys and hills, onto the isthmus of the Otago Peninsula , and along the shores of the Otago Harbour and the Pacific Ocean. Archaeological evidence points to lengthy occupation of the area by Māori prior to the arrival of Europeans. The province and region of Otago takes its name from
6825-437: The late 1980s, these are suburbs, but are not commonly regarded as such. The climate of Dunedin in general is temperate. Under the Köppen climate classification , Dunedin features an oceanic climate . This leads to mild summers and coolish winters. Winter is not particularly frosty with around 49 frosts per year, lower than most other South Island locations, but sunny. Snowfall is not particularly common and significant snowfall
6930-412: The latter half of the First World War, the publication printed studio portraits of the killed, wounded and missing in action, which often covered several pages. These were obtained from the formal studio portraits that the soldiers had sat for prior to departure. Following the death of Fenwick in 1906, Charles Fraser replaced him as editor and was succeeded by J. T. Paul, who remained in the position until
7035-493: The low-lying flats and nearby hills and across the isthmus to the slopes of the Otago Peninsula . Eastern Otago is tectonically stable, meaning that it does not experience many earthquakes. One of the only known faults near Dunedin is the Akatore Fault . The first earthquake to cause widespread damage in Dunedin since its founding was the 1974 Dunedin earthquake, which had a magnitude of 4.9 and caused about $ 3.5 million in damages (2024 terms). The central region of Dunedin
7140-403: The main streets of George Street and Princes Street meeting at The Octagon. Here they are joined by Stuart Street , which runs orthogonally to them, from the Dunedin Railway Station in the southeast, and steeply up to the suburb of Roslyn in the northwest. Many of the city's notable old buildings are located in the southern part of this area and on the inner ring of lower hills which surround
7245-469: The material was sourced from overseas publications, in particular Harpers and the New York Tribune . It appeared weekly until in July 1879 appearances became irregular and then only within the context of the ladies page. The column continued under Wilson's successor, Fenwick, with no change to the format of a poem, a story and riddles. In October 1882 it was renamed "Our Little Folks" and published stories and poems, though none of them were from children. It
7350-418: The mid-17th century. European accounts have often represented these successive influxes as "invasions", but modern scholarship has cast doubt on that view. They were probably migrations – like those of the Europeans – which incidentally resulted in bloodshed. The sealer John Boultbee recorded in the late 1820s that the 'Kaika Otargo' (settlements around and near Otago Harbour ) were the oldest and largest in
7455-423: The mid-1890s, the economy revived. Institutions such as the Otago Settlers Museum (now renamed as Toitū Otago Settlers Museum ) and the Hocken Collections —the first of their kind in New Zealand—were founded. More notable buildings such as the Railway Station and Olveston were erected. New energy in the visual arts represented by G. P. Nerli culminated in the career of Frances Hodgkins . By 1900, Dunedin
7560-642: The newspaper's printing and publishing. By 1855 the newspaper had a circulation of only 210 out of a population of 3,000. By 1856 it had expanded to six pages and a year later had eight pages. The newspaper however began showing at times signs of the partisanship that its predecessor had been accused of. The most notable example occurred when the newspaper objected to the Provincial Councils policy of continuing an immigration policy with an emphasis in line with Cargill's of encouraging Scottish Presbyterian settlers. Cutten had married Cargill's daughter, which lead to
7665-530: The north of the city's urban area is undulating hill country containing several small, mainly coastal, settlements, including Waitati , Warrington , Seacliff , and Waikouaiti . State Highway 1 winds steeply through a series of hills here, notably The Kilmog . These hills can be considered a coastal extension of the Silverpeaks Range. To the east of Dunedin lies the entirety of the Otago Peninsula ,
7770-424: The north, and at Taieri Mouth and Otokia ( Henley ) to the south, all inside the present boundaries of Dunedin. Māori tradition tells first of a people called Kahui Tipua living in the area, then Te Rapuwai, semi-legendary but considered to be historical. The next arrivals were Waitaha , followed by Kāti Māmoe late in the 16th century and then Kāi Tahu ( Ngāi Tahu in modern standard Māori ) who arrived in
7875-430: The northwest . The circle of hills surrounding the inner city shelters the inner city from much of the prevailing weather, while hills just to the west of the city can often push inclement weather around to the west of the city. Inland, beyond the heart of the city and into inland Otago, the climate is sub-continental: winters are quite cold and dry, summers warm and dry. Thick freezing ground fogs are common in winter in
7980-558: The opposite side of the harbour. Port Chalmers provides Dunedin's main deep-water port, including the city's container port. The Dunedin skyline is dominated by a ring of (traditionally seven) hills which form the remnants of a volcanic crater . Notable among them are Mount Cargill (700 m [2,300 ft]), Flagstaff (680 m [2,230 ft]), Saddle Hill (480 m [1,570 ft]), Signal Hill (390 m [1,280 ft]), and Harbour Cone (320 m [1,050 ft]). Dunedin's hinterland encompasses
8085-470: The outer suburbs of Green Island and Abbotsford . Between Green Island and Roslyn lies the steep-sided valley of the Kaikorai Stream , which is today a residential and light industrial area. Suburban settlements—mostly regarded as separate townships—also lie along both edges of the Otago Harbour. Notable among these are Portobello and Macandrew Bay , on the Otago Peninsula coast, and Port Chalmers on
8190-812: The peninsula's northeastern point is a site of global ecological significance, as it is home to the world's only mainland breeding colony of royal albatross . (clockwise from the city centre, starting at due north) Woodhaugh ; Glenleith ; Leith Valley ; Dalmore ; Liberton ; Pine Hill ; Normanby ; Mt Mera ; North East Valley ; Opoho ; Dunedin North ; Ravensbourne ; Highcliff ; Shiel Hill ; Challis ; Waverley ; Vauxhall ; Ocean Grove (Tomahawk); Tainui ; Andersons Bay ; Musselburgh ; South Dunedin ; St Kilda ; St Clair ; Corstorphine ; Kew ; Forbury ; Caversham ; Concord ; Maryhill ; Kenmure ; Mornington ; Kaikorai Valley ; City Rise ; Belleknowes ; Roslyn ; Kaikorai ; Wakari ; Maori Hill . (clockwise from
8295-547: The plain, much of this is forested, notably around Berwick and Lake Mahinerangi , and also around the Silverpeaks Range which lies northwest of the Dunedin urban area. Beyond this, the land becomes drier and opens out into grass and tussock -covered land. A high, broad valley, the Strath-Taieri lies in Dunedin's far northwest, containing the town of Middlemarch , one of the area's few concentrations of population. To
8400-430: The principal local source of the nation's development capital until the Second World War . Dunedin and the region industrialised and consolidated, and the Main South Line connected the city with Christchurch in 1878 and Invercargill in 1879. Otago Boys' High School was founded in 1863. The Otago Museum opened in 1868. The University of Otago , the oldest university in New Zealand, in 1869. Otago Girls' High School
8505-410: The publication both in size, circulation and content from 28 pages with an occasional four-page supplement to issues typically of 34 pages and sometimes 92 pages, of which eight were devoted to illustrations. Its original masthead, which had been designed by the Dunedin engraver James Brown, was replaced on 26 July 1879 with a more elaborate specially design one. In April 1886 it moved from publishing on
8610-460: The publication had made a notable contribution to the development of New Zealand writers by publishing short stories, serial and verse from local writers. Under the editorship of Robert Wilson the Witness began a children's column in November 1876. Called "Children's Corner" it tried to be educational and interactive, with a number of competitions, though it did not incorporate correspondence. Most of
8715-477: The rural readership of Otago and Southland. For an example, the 1893 Christmas issue had a circulation of 13,500 and twelve fictional stories, one of which was written by the noted journalist Jessie Mackay. By the early twentieth century, the publication typically featured a wide range of literary and news content, including a cartoon, photographs and between eight and twelve pages of half-tone engravings. The illustrations and photographs were often double page. During
8820-467: The same time, predominately from Guangdong and Guangxi . Dunedin is home to New Zealand's oldest Chinese community . Today Dunedin has a diverse economy which includes manufacturing, publishing, arts, tourism and technology-based industries. The mainstay of the city's economy remains centred around tertiary education , with students from the University of Otago , New Zealand's oldest university , and
8925-623: The settler population self-government, and in 1853 Cargill was elected Superintendent of the Otago Province . Cargill also served as a Member of Parliament for Dunedin Country . He was elected unopposed on 11 December 1855. He served the multi-member electorate alongside his son John. He rarely spoke in the house and found travel to parliament in Auckland difficult. Aged 75, he announced his resignation from public office in October 1859; he died less than
9030-688: The south of the city. St Clair Beach is a well-known surfing venue, and the harbour basin is popular with windsurfers and kitesurfers . Dunedin has four public swimming pools: Moana Pool , Port Chalmers Pool, Mosgiel and St Clair Salt Water Pool. In February 2021, the East Otago towns of Waikouaiti and Karitane in New Zealand reported high lead levels in their water supplies. Local and national authorities responded by dispatching water tanks to assist local residents and providing free blood tests, fruits and vegetables. The lead poisoning scare also attracted coverage by national media. By early March 2021,
9135-430: The south. Lieutenant James Cook stood off what is now the coast of Dunedin between 25 February 1770 and 5 March 1770, naming Cape Saunders (on the Otago Peninsula ) and Saddle Hill. He reported penguins and seals in the vicinity, which led Australian, American and British sealers to visit from the beginning of the 19th century. The early years of sealing saw a feud between sealers and local Māori from 1810 to 1823,
9240-711: The surrounding settlements and rural area. Dunedin City had a population of 128,901 in the 2023 New Zealand census , an increase of 2,646 people (2.1%) since the 2018 census , and an increase of 8,652 people (7.2%) since the 2013 census . There were 61,722 males, 66,300 females and 873 people of other genders in 49,920 dwellings. 5.8% of people identified as LGBTIQ+ . The median age was 37.0 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 19,056 people (14.8%) aged under 15 years, 34,455 (26.7%) aged 15 to 29, 53,055 (41.2%) aged 30 to 64, and 22,329 (17.3%) aged 65 or older. William Cargill (New Zealand politician) William Walter Cargill (27 August 1784 – 6 August 1860)
9345-564: The upper reaches of the Taieri River 's course around Middlemarch , and in summer, the temperature occasionally reaches 30 °C (86 °F). The Dunedin City territorial authority has a population of 136,000 as of June 2024. This comprises 106,700 people in the Dunedin urban area, 15,150 people in the Mosgiel urban area, 1,580 people in Brighton , 1,330 people in Waikouaiti , and 11,240 people in
9450-439: The war forced the Otago Daily Times to reduce its size by dropping, among other features, the "Dot's Little Folk" column, with the last one appearing on 30 December 1941. The author Janet Frame 's first published writings appeared when she was 10 in the form of letters and poems to "Dot". The play "Where once our voices led: A nostalgic comedy", based upon the letters of the correspondent "High School Boy” to "Dot's Little Folk",
9555-487: The west, Waikouaiti in the north, the Pacific Ocean in the east and south-east, and the Waipori/Taieri River and the township of Henley in the south-west. Dunedin is situated at the head of Otago Harbour , a narrow inlet extending south-westward for some 15 miles. The harbour is a recent creation formed by the flooding of two river valleys. From the time of its foundation in 1848, the city has spread slowly over
9660-542: Was also a leading firm, as was H. E. Shacklock , an iron founder and appliance manufacturer later taken over by the Auckland concern Fisher and Paykel . The Mosgiel Woollens was another Victorian Dunedin foundation. Hallensteins was the colloquial name of a menswear manufacturer and national retail chain, while the DIC and Arthur Barnett were department stores, the former a nationwide concern. Coulls, Somerville Wilkie—later part of
9765-536: Was among these new foundations. It had been actively promulgated by artist William Mathew Hodgkins . There was also a remarkable architectural flowering producing many substantial and ornamental buildings. R. A. Lawson 's First Church of Otago and Knox Church are notable examples, as are buildings by Maxwell Bury and F. W. Petre . The other visual arts also flourished under the leadership of W. M. Hodgkins . The city's landscape and burgeoning townscape were vividly portrayed by George O'Brien (1821–1888). From
9870-462: Was editor of both newspapers, identified that the completion of telegraph lines as the country was opened up gave the daily ODT an advantage. The completion of a telegraph line from Campbelltown later Bluff) to Dunedin in August 1862 in particular allowed the ODT to gain quicker access to international news from ships arriving at Bluff before coming to Dunedin. As more telegraph lines were opened, it gave
9975-587: Was established in 1858, the Dunedin Northern Cemetery in 1872. In the 1860s, Ross Creek Reservoir was created so as to serve Dunedin's need for water. The London-owned Bank of Otago opened its doors in Dunedin in 1863, opened 12 branches throughout its region, then in 1873 merged with the new National Bank of New Zealand also based in London and also operated from Dunedin but, true to its name, it rapidly expanded throughout New Zealand. Dunedin remained
10080-438: Was established in 1871. By 1874, Dunedin and its suburbs had become New Zealand's largest city with a population of 29,832 displacing Auckland's 27,840 residents to second place. Between 1881 and 1957, Dunedin was home to cable trams , being both one of the first and last such systems in the world. Early in the 1880s the inauguration of the frozen meat industry, with the first shipment leaving from Port Chalmers in 1882, saw
10185-451: Was no longer the country's biggest city. Influence and activity moved north to the other centres ("the drift north"), a trend which continued for much of the following century. Despite this, the university continued to expand, and a student quarter became established. At the same time, people started to notice Dunedin's mellowing, the ageing of its grand old buildings, with writers like E. H. McCormick pointing out its atmospheric charm. In 1901
10290-466: Was not going to receive any sympathy or financial support from the Scottish leadership of the settlement. At the time the settlement had a population of approximately 500, and it is estimated that the publication at its peak had a maximum of 80 subscriptions. Graham expressed views in his newspaper such as advocating for a 10-hour working day, suggesting that the province was suitable only for grazing and not
10395-438: Was originally a four-page fortnightly newspaper, becoming a weekly publication within its first year. In its early years the business struggled financially, which meant that it had to be heavily subsidised. Management of the newspaper by a committee of the eleven owners provided unwieldy, and management by a sub-committee of two of the owners was tried before, in 1852, the owners handed control to Cutten, who could only be removed by
10500-506: Was reshaped as "Dot’s Little Folks" in July 1886 following the hiring of Louisa Alice Baker . Under Baker the Witness became the first New Zealand newspaper to provide a correspondence column for children as she developed it into a highly interactive column dedicated to supporting and improving children's composition. Baker also developed the "Alice" byline, which was designed to appeal to woman. She moved to England in 1894 but continued to write for
10605-463: Was swampy. ) The Lay Association of the Free Church of Scotland , through a company called the Otago Association , founded Dunedin at the head of Otago Harbour in 1848 as the principal town of its special settlement. The name "Dunedin" comes from Dùn Èideann , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh , the capital of Scotland . Charles Kettle the city's surveyor, instructed to emulate
10710-834: Was the founder of the Otago settlement in New Zealand, after serving as an officer in the British Army . He was a member of parliament and Otago's first Superintendent . Cargill was born in Edinburgh , Scotland, in 1784. His parents were James Cargill and Marrion Jamieson. His father died of alcoholism when William was 15. He joined the British Army in 1802 and served with distinction in India , Spain, and France. In 1813, he married Mary Ann Yates and they went on to have seventeen children. Of these, two of his five sons became notable in public life: John , who followed in his father's footsteps and became
10815-512: Was the time to publish a daily newspaper, which they did in 1861 when they launched the daily Otago Daily Times . It soon had a circulation of 2,750 compared with the 250 of the Otago Witness . Both the Witness and ODT were originally published from premises in Princes Street. On 1 December 1861 a fire swept through the premises. William Lambert offered the use of his printing plant, with
10920-510: Was then followed by Lord Oakburn's Draughters by the popular novelist Ellen Wood. Cutten sold his share in both the publications to Vogel in November 1864. Vogel took on Benjamin Farjeon as his junior partner in what became J. Vogel & Co. By early 1865 with the business struggling financially and Vogel beginning his political career, Farjeon and Vogel in March 1865 sold a majority shareholding in
11025-524: Was written and directed by Keith Scott and was performed at the Globe Theatre in Dunedin in August 2013. The author Keith Scott told the story of the "Dot" children's correspondence column in his 2011 book Dear Dot – I must tell you: A personal history of young New Zealanders . The Witness was the country's first newspaper to start publishing photos from the mid-1850s, which gained its popularity through its introduction of illustrations. These images form
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