Who were the first settlers of Otago?
The Otago settlement, an outgrowth of the Free Church of Scotland, materialised in March 1848 with the arrival of the first two immigrant ships from Greenock on the Firth of Clyde —the John Wickliffe and the Philip Laing.
When did Otago become part of New Zealand?
Otago Province (1852–1876) originally was all of New Zealand south of the Waitaki River. Due to the gold rush by 1870 one quarter of New Zealanders lived in Otago and one third of exports came from there. In 1881 Dunedin was New Zealand's largest urban centre.
What was Otago used for in the 1800s?
During this time inland Otago was largely used seasonally and for its mineral deposits, first by the Māori digging for pounamu stone, then European settlers searching for gold. With the advent of the railway, and refrigerated trade with Britain, inland Otago became more consistently productive.
Why did Chinese immigrants come to Otago?
In 1866 Chinese immigrants came to Otago with the support of local businesses. They were to work in the gold mines and experienced legislated racism from other immigrants. When New Zealand provinces were formed in 1853, the southern part of New Zealand belonged to Otago Province.
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Where did Otago originate?
ScotlandHistory. The Otago settlement, an outgrowth of the Free Church of Scotland, was founded in March 1848 with the arrival of the first two immigrant ships from Greenock on the Firth of Clyde—the John Wickliffe and the Philip Laing.
Who were the first settlers in Dunedin?
The 'John Wickliffe' and the 'Philip Laing' landed with the first settlers in 'Dunedin' in 1848 at the end of a period of intense activity at 'Home' and in New Zealand.
When was Otago founded?
The University of Otago, founded in 1869 by an ordinance of the Otago Provincial Council, is New Zealand's oldest university.
Why did Māori come to Otago?
Around 1250–1300, Māori arrived in Otago, where they hunted the flightless moa and burnt much of the inland forest. The first tribes were Waitaha, then Ngāti Māmoe; later Ngāi Tahu were dominant. They intermarried with the first Europeans in Otago, who were sealers and whalers.
What drove these settlers to Otago?
The gold rushes. Although the gold rushes brought a more diverse population into Otago, they did not overwhelm the Scottish presence. In fact, the Scottish character of the south was reinforced by miners drawn to the Otago goldfields.
Why did people settle in Dunedin?
Dunedin was established in 1848 by the Lay Association of the Free Church of Scotland. 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.
Who founded Otago?
3 June 1869 Governor George Bowen gave his assent to the Otago Provincial Council's University of Otago Ordinance, enabling the establishment of New Zealand's first university. The council set aside 100,000 acres (40,500 ha) of 'pastoral land … of a quality not required for settlement' to fund the new institution.
What is Otago famous for?
The Central Otago region is world renowned for its viticulture, particularly when it comes to the production of Pinot Noir varietals. Many wine tours take visitors across the area's rich vineyards and wineries, but if you have a car handy, a self-guided trip from Queenstown might be worth adding to your itinerary.
Is Otago a Māori word?
'Otago' is a version of Ōtākou, the name of a village on Otago Harbour. There is no 'g' in written Māori, so people have often assumed that 'Otago' is a corruption.
Where did Māori come from before NZ?
Māori are the indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand, they settled here over 700 years ago. They came from Polynesia by waka (canoe).
When did Māori first arrive in NZ?
Discovery and migration New Zealand has a shorter human history than any other country. The date of first settlement is a matter of debate, but current understanding is that the first arrivals came from East Polynesia in the late 13th century. It was not until 1642 that Europeans became aware the country existed.
Who lived in New Zealand First?
Māori were the first inhabitants of Aotearoa New Zealand, guided by Kupe the great navigator.
Is Dunedin the oldest city in New Zealand?
It is for good reason that New Zealand's oldest city is known as the Edinborough of the South - 'Dunedin' comes from Dun Eideann the Scots-Gaelic name for Edinburgh, founded largely by Scottish immigrants, who raised the impressive buildings which now add much to the city's charm.
What do you call someone from Dunedin?
Nicknames: Edinburgh of the South; Dunners (colloquial)
What is the oldest city in NZ?
By this measure, Wellington is the oldest city. An advance party of New Zealand Company officials and surveyors arrived in September 1839 and made a highly dubious land purchase from local iwi (Tonk, 1990, p. 40).
Why is Dunedin called Otepoti?
The name Otepoti (O-te-poti), the Maoris claim, was given to describe the canoe landing-place centuries ago, and, therefore, cannot owe its origin to pakeha days, as some historians claim. This stream is sometimes referred to as the “Kaituna” (eel-food) and sometimes as the Toitu stream.
Who were the first settlers of Otago?
The John Wickliffe sailed from Gravesend on 24 November 1847, with 97 passengers aboard. The Philip Laing sailed three days later from Greenock with 247 passengers. Burns and Cargill both came as settlers. Despite Burns’s dislike of ‘the little enemy’, as he called the non-Presbyterian settlers, only two-thirds of the original Otago settlers were Free Church Presbyterians. In August 1848, over half of Otago’s United Kingdom-born population of 403 was Scottish.
Where did the name Dunedin come from?
‘Dunedin’ is an older variant of ‘Edinburgh’, and the name Invercargill (devised to honour one of Otago’s founders, William Cargill), includes the Gaelic word 'inver', meaning river mouth, which is part of such Scottish place names as Inverness.
What was the name of the New Zealand settlement?
The Otago settlement , an outgrowth of the Free Church of Scotland, materialised in March 1848 with the arrival of the first two immigrant ships from Greenock on the Firth of Clyde —the John Wickliffe and the Philip Laing. Captain William Cargill, a veteran of the Peninsular War, was the secular leader: Otago citizens subsequently elected him to the office of provincial Superintendent after the New Zealand provinces were created in 1853. The Otago Province was the whole of New Zealand from the Waitaki River south, including Stewart Island and the sub-Antarctic islands. It included the territory of the later Southland Province and also the much more extensive lands of the modern Southland Region .
Where is Otago located?
Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Otago ( / əˈtɑːɡoʊ / ( listen), / oʊ -, ɒ -/; Māori: Ōtākou [ɔːˈtaːkou]) is a region of New Zealand located in the southern half of the South Island administered by the Otago Regional Council.
What is the Otago Province?
The Otago Province was the whole of New Zealand from the Waitaki River south, including Stewart Island and the sub-Antarctic islands. It included the territory of the later Southland Province and also the much more extensive lands of the modern Southland Region . Arrowtown, a historic mining town. Initial settlement was concentrated on ...
What is the meaning of the name "Otago"?
The name "Otago" is an Anglicisation of " Otakou ", the name of the Māori village near the entrance to Otago Harbour. The exact meaning of the term is disputed, with common translations being "isolated village" and "place of red earth", the latter referring to the reddish-ochre clay which is common in the area around Dunedin. "Otago" is also the old name of the European settlement on the harbour, established by the Weller Brothers in 1831, which lies close to Otakou. The upper harbour later became the focus of the Otago Association, an offshoot of the Free Church of Scotland, notable for its adoption of the principle that ordinary people, not the landowner, should choose the ministers.
What are the mountains in Otago?
Beginning in the west, the geography of Otago consists of high alpine mountain s. The highest peak in Otago (and highest outside the Aoraki / Mount Cook area) is Mount Aspiring / Tititea, which is on the Main Divide. From the high mountains the rivers discharge into large glacial lakes. In this part of Otago glacial activity – both recent and very old – dominates the landscape, with large 'U' shaped valleys and rivers which have high sediment loads. River flows also vary dramatically, with large flood flows occurring after heavy rain. Lakes Wakatipu, Wānaka, and Hāwea form the sources of the Clutha / Matau-au, the largest river (by discharge) in New Zealand. The Clutha flows generally to the southeast through Otago and discharges near Balclutha. The river has been used for hydroelectric power generation, with large dams at Clyde and Roxburgh. The traditional northern boundary of the region, the Waitaki River, is also heavily utilised for hydroelectricity, though the region's current official boundaries put much of that river's catchment in Canterbury .
When did the provincial government end?
The provincial governments were abolished in 1876 when the Abolition of the Provinces Act came into force on 1 November 1876, and were replaced by other forms of local authority, including counties. Two in Otago were named after the Scottish independence heroes Wallace and Bruce.
When was the University of Otago founded?
New Zealand's first university, the University of Otago, was founded in 1869 as the provincial university in Dunedin. The Province of Southland separated from Otago Province and set up its own Provincial Council at Invercargill in 1861. After difficulties ensued, Otago re-absorbed it in 1870.
Overview
History
The Otago settlement, an outgrowth of the Free Church of Scotland, was founded in March 1848 with the arrival of the first two immigrant ships from Greenock on the Firth of Clyde—the John Wickliffe and the Philip Laing. Captain William Cargill, a veteran of the Peninsular War, was the secular leader: Otago citizens subsequently elected him to the office of provincial Superintendent aft…
Geography
Beginning in the west, the geography of Otago consists of high alpine mountains. The highest peak in Otago (and highest outside the Aoraki / Mount Cook area) is Mount Aspiring / Tititea, which is on the Main Divide. From the high mountains the rivers discharge into large glacial lakes. In this part of Otago glacial activity – both recent and very old – dominates the landscape, with larg…
Climate
Weather conditions vary enormously across Otago, but can be broken into two broad types: the coastal climate of the coastal regions and the more continental climate of the interior.
Coastal regions of Otago are subject to the alternating warm and dry/cool and wet weather patterns common to the interannual Southern oscillation. The Southern Hemisphere storm track produces an irregular short cycle of weather which repeats roughly every week, with three or fou…
Population
Otago Region covers 31,186.33 km (12,041.11 sq mi). The population is 246,700 as of June 2021, which is approximately 4.8 percent of New Zealand's total population of 5.1 million. The population density is 7.9 people per km . About 42.6 percent of the population resides in the Dunedin urban area—the region's main city and the country's sixth largest urban area. For historical and geograp…
Politics
The seat of the Otago Regional Council is in Dunedin. The council is chaired by Andrew Noone as of July 2021 .
There are five territorial authorities in Otago:
• Queenstown-Lakes District
• Central Otago District
Economy
The subnational gross domestic product (GDP) of Otago was estimated at NZ$14.18 billion in the year to March 2020, 4.38% of New Zealand's national GDP. The regional GDP per capita was estimated at $58,353 in the same period. In the year to March 2018, primary industries contributed $1.25 billion (9.8%) to the regional GDP, goods-producing industries contributed $2.38 billion (18.6%), service industries contributed $8.05 billion (63.0%), and taxes and duties contrib…
See also
• North Otago, the northern area of the region
• Otago Central Rail Trail
• Otago Rugby Football Union
• North Otago Rugby Football Union
from New Edinburgh to Otago
- The planned settlement on the shores of Otago Harbour was to be called New Edinburgh, reflecting its Scottish origins. But instead the name Otago was adopted, a version of Ōtākou, the name of the Māori pānear the entrance to the harbour. Two Scots, George Rennie and William Cargill, were early promoters of settlement. They allied themselves with members of the Free Ch…
Arrival
- After a voyage of 100 days, the first emigrant ship, the John Wickliffe, arrived off Otago Peninsula on 21 March 1848, under a ‘sultry ethereal sky, quite of the Italian character’. 1 It entered Otago Harbour in calm, sunny autumn weather two days later. While only about half of households were Free Church adherents, and there was a significant number of English, the 12,000 immigrants w…
Burns, Cargill and The Sabbath
- Burns and the layman William Cargill were the leaders of the settlement. Burns was the principal minister. Cargill was the agent for the New Zealand Company, and the first superintendent when the settlement elected a provincial council in 1853, an office he held until his death in 1860. But a number of those in positions of authority – such as justices of the peace – were of English origi…
A Frontier Town
- Although socially and culturally distinctive, Otago resembled the settlements established in central New Zealand earlier in the 1840s. Crops were sold to Victoria and Sydney during the Australian gold rushes, and some half a million sheep were profitably pastured by 1861. Successful pastoralists preferred to lease land, and invested in stock, not l...