The Lay Association of the Free Church of Scotland founded Dunedin (O-tepoti in Maori) at the head of Otago Harbour in 1848 as the principal town of its Scottish settlement. The name comes from Důn Čideann, the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the Scottish capital. Charles Kettle the city's surveyor, instructed to emulate the characteristics of Edinburgh, produced a striking, 'Romantic' design. The result was both grand and quirky streets as the builders struggled and sometimes failed to construct his bold vision across the challenging landscape.
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 southwest, led to a rapid influx of population and saw Dunedin become New Zealand's first city by growth of population in 1865. The new arrivals included many Irish, but also Italians, French, Germans, Jews and Chinese.
It is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the region of Otago. It is New Zealand's eighth largest city in terms of population, it is the hub of the fifth-largest urban area and the largest in size of council boundary areas. For historical and cultural reasons, Dunedin is considered one of the country's four main centres.
| Date | Architect | Building |
