Dunedin: Buildings and boats

An early (1861) view of Dunedin's Princes Street. Ref: 1/4-002689. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington

Back in the 1860s Otago was an autonomous province with its own government. It benefited hugely from levies on miners and on the export of gold.

But Dunedin and Otago flourished with the decline of gold fever as those lured to the Province by the promise of 'dust' stayed on to become farmers and entrepreneurs.

By the 1870's, Otago had 'an excellent postal system, a network of established goldfield and rural towns, good consumer demand for its crops, the first university in New Zealand, and a surprisingly strong capacity in engineering and shipping (DCC).'

Dunedin Station: Designed by George Troup (‘Gingerbread George’) in the Flemish renaissance style, using local basalt and Oamaru stone facings, pink granite and terracotta shingles imported from Marseilles. It was opened in 1906.

As the surface gold was exhausted new forms of extraction took over: deep-level hydraulic elevating, quartz mining, and dredging. All of which created demand for mechanical and engineering skills and manufacture.

In the 1890s the Chinese entrepreneur Sew Hoy discovered a system of dredging that 'made it possible for large-scale mining to be carried out on the river-flats for the first time' with a new generation of paddock dredges.

This gave rise to the dredging boom, which exploded across Otago and Westland.

The seven storey Consultancy House, formerly The New Zealand Express Company Building. Built out of ferroconcrete in 1908-10 the bulding was New Zealand's first true skyscraper and reputed to be the tallest building in Southern Hemisphere at the time

The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency building

Otago received 27,000 assisted immigrants in the 1870s – more than any other province. Railways were laid linking with Christchurch (1878) and Invercargill (1879).

The town's population nearly tripled again in the 1870s, to 39,000 by 1881.

'In that year, it was New Zealand’s largest urban centre, and Otago had a fifth of the country’s population. Neither ranking was ever attained again.' (Teara)

Dunedin First Curch designed by Robert Lawson in the decorated Gothic style and opened in 1873. It is considered the finest of New Zealand's 19th century churches

Looking across Princess Street Dunedin in 1864 (William Meluish Photographer) Ref: 1/2-004373-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington,

Early 20th century Dunedin: St Andrew St.

A 1903 Burrell Traction Engine, made in Thetford, England.

Commercial Dunedin with Mt Cargill (676m) in the background

The car park at Countdown supermarket in Dunedin

Shady Trees in the Museum Reserve outside the excellent Otago Museum — Shady giant Lime Trees in the Museum Reserve outside the excellent Otago Museum

Dunedin waterfront from Waverley on the Otago Peninsula

Dunedin tile-roofed detached house opposite the Museum Domain

Dunedin from Waverley on the Otago Peninsula.

The extensive suburbs of South Dunedin: costorphine and Calton HillThe extensive suburbs of South Dunedin with Edinburgh names: Costorphine and Calton Hill — The extensive suburbs of South Dunedin with Edinburgh names: Costorphine and Calton Hill.

The TSS Awatea built for the Union Steamship Co of NZ in Barrow-in-Furness, England. Built in 1936 the 'Greyhound of the Tasman Sea' could do a round trip to Australia in a week. Sunk in the Med i — The TSS Awatea built for the Union Steamship Co of NZ in Barrow-in-Furness, England in 1936. The 'Greyhound of the Tasman Sea' could do a round trip to Australia in a week. Sunk in the Med in 1942 during the Allied invasion of North Africa (OtagoMuseum).

Route Map for the Union Steamship Co of New Zealand, founded Dunedin 1875 with a near-monopoly of trans-Tasman shipping it was known as the 'Southern Octopus'. Sold to P&O in 1917 (Otago Museum)

DunDunedin's container port, Port Chalmers from the Otago Peninsula and port of arrival for many of the first Otago settlers and gedin's container port, Port Chalmers — Dunedin's container port, Port Chalmers from the Otago Peninsula. Port of arrival for many of the first Otago settlers and gold miners

An MSC container ship heading north. Seen from Papanui Inlet.

Professor Mykhaylo Aleksandrov registered in Nelson, NZ and owned by the NZ Sealord Group Ltd which exports $500m of fish products (220,000 tonnes) to 30 countries each year with 1,100 employees in NZ and 400 abroad

The Professor Mykhaylo Aleksandrov at the wharfside in Dunedin. Crewed by Ukrainians the boat works six month shifts in the Arrow Squid and Jack Mackerel fisheries (see photo link)

Otago Peninsula VII: Bachs and Boathouses