Central Dunedin
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Central Dunedin | |
|---|---|
 St. Paul's Anglican Cathedral, Dunedin Municipal Chambers, and the Civic Centre in the Octagon | |
 Interactive map of Central Dunedin | |
| Coordinates: 45°52′27″S 170°30′13″E / 45.87417°S 170.50361°E | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| City | Dunedin |
| Local authority | Dunedin City Council |
| Area | |
| • Land | 131 ha (320 acres) |
| Population (June 2025)[2] | |
• Total | 2,400 |
| • Density | 1,800/km2 (4,700/sq mi) |
| Dunedin North | ||
| City Rise |
  Central Dunedin  |
Dunedin Harbourside |
| Kensington | South Dunedin |
Central Dunedin is the central suburb and business district of the New Zealand city of Dunedin.
Dunedin was founded by Scottish pioneers in 1848; as a result, many of the city's streets are named for equivalent streets in Edinburgh.
Central Dunedin is centred around The Octagon, a central reserve ringed by a street of the same name on which lie several of the city's main buildings, among them the Dunedin Municipal Chambers, Dunedin Public Art Gallery, St. Paul's Anglican Cathedral, and the city's main live theatre, the "Regent Theatre". Around this hub is a larger octagonal road, Moray Place, Dunedin. The city's main commercial streets, George Street and Princes Street stretch to the north and west respectively from the Octagon.
Another main arterial road, Stuart Street runs at right angles to these roads, with Upper Stuart Street stretching up to the city's hill suburbs in the west, and Lower Stuart Street running east to the city's historic railway station. Beyond this lie the city's inner docks and the waters of Otago Harbour.
Other major roads within the central city include Great King Street and Filleul Street which run parallel to George Street, and Crawford Street, which runs parallel to Princes Street. Other major roads running parallel to these streets include Castle Street and Cumberland Street. Parts of Castle, Cumberland, and Crawford Streets are part of State Highway 1 (New Zealand). Other streets crossing these include St Andrews Street and Frederick Street. The eastern end of St Andrews Street forms the beginning of SH 88. Between this and Moray Place, on Great King Street, is the city's bus hub, from which buses travel to the city's suburbs.
In March 2018, Barnes Dance crossings were introduced at the Octagon's southern and northern junctions (with Princes Street and George Street). They became the city's first Barnes Dance crossing for over 20 years (the last previously being at Cargill's Corner in South Dunedin), and the pilot for a scheme which saw several more such crossings put in place by the end of the year, including others at the junctions of Moray Place with George Street, Princes Street, and Lower Stuart Street.
A park, Queen's Gardens, marks an approximate southern end of the central city. This triangular area includes the city's main war memorial and is bordered by one of the city's main museums, Toitū Otago Settlers Museum, and Dunedin Chinese Garden. Beyond this lie the inner city precincts of The Exchange and the Warehouse Precinct.