Dunedin, New Zealand, sits at the head of Otago Harbour on the South Island’s southeast coast. It is known for its Scottish and Maori heritage, Victorian and Edwardian architecture, and a large student population. Hiking and cycling trails crisscross the dramatic landscape of the adjoining Otago Peninsula, home to colonies of albatross, sea lions and rare yellow-eyed penguins.
Unlike the English settlement of the rest of New Zealand, Dunedin was founded by the Lay Association of the Free Church of Scotland in 1848. While the city was originally to have been called New Edinburgh, 'Dunedin' is derived from the old Gaelic name for the same city. A gold rush in the Otago province during the 1860s caused Dunedin’s population and wealth to increase dramatically. It was, for several years, New Zealand’s largest and most prosperous city. The University of Otago, New Zealand’s oldest, was founded in Dunedin in 1869, and since then students have made a major contribution to the city’s unique character.
Unlike the English settlement of the rest of New Zealand, Dunedin was founded by the Lay Association of the Free Church of Scotland in 1848. While the city was originally to have been called New Edinburgh, 'Dunedin' is derived from the old Gaelic name for the same city. A gold rush in the Otago province during the 1860s caused Dunedin’s population and wealth to increase dramatically. It was, for several years, New Zealand’s largest and most prosperous city. The University of Otago, New Zealand’s oldest, was founded in Dunedin in 1869, and since then students have made a major contribution to the city’s unique character.
