Author(s): Graham Stewart

NZ Pictorial

This book gives an insight into a city through the decades: the imposing building facades, hills that rise steeply from the harbour centre, a look back at the city streets showing a city that has largely been saved from the demolition ball of the 1950s and 1960s.  Like San Francisco, Dunedin’s little cable cars once climbed the hills right up to the stars!

Dunedin, at the head of the Otago harbour, is a city of dignified charm with elegant Edwardian and Victorian stone, brick and concrete buildings, majestic cathedrals and churches. Private residences with towers and turrets of architectural splendour, cast iron lacework balustrades, ornamental fretwork and finials; old villas and cottages.

The city was founded on gold discoveries in Central Otago by sturdy Scottish stock and is known as the Edinburgh of the south. For a time in the 19th century it was the largest city in New Zealand and the commercial capital of the country. Home to New Zealand’s first university, the first medical school and teachers’ college, it is a university town with a student population of about 20,000.