Dunedin Botanic Gardens
Encyclopedia
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
, in the South Island
South Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. They are located close to the University of Otago
University of Otago
The University of Otago in Dunedin is New Zealand's oldest university with over 22,000 students enrolled during 2010.The university has New Zealand's highest average research quality and in New Zealand is second only to the University of Auckland in the number of A rated academic researchers it...
and one of the city's most historic cemeteries, the Northern Cemetery, on a spur of Signal Hill
Signal Hill, New Zealand
Signal Hill is a prominent landform in the city of Dunedin, New Zealand. It is located close to, and due north of, the head of the Otago Harbour and reaches an elevation of 393 m . The suburbs Ravensbourne, St. Leonards, and Opoho lie on its southern, eastern, and northwestern flanks, respectively...
and on the river plain immediately below it. These two parts of the gardens are known simply as the upper gardens and the lower gardens. The location of the gardens makes them popular with University students, as they lie between the University and the mouth of North East Valley
North East Valley
North East Valley is a suburb of the New Zealand city of Dunedin.-Geography and demographics:...
, which houses a substantial proportion of the city's tertiary students.
The Gardens - New Zealand's oldest - were established in 1863 on a site surrounding the Water of Leith
Water of Leith, New Zealand
The Water of Leith , is a small river in the South Island of New Zealand.It rises to the north of the city of Dunedin, flowing for 14 kilometres southeast through the northern part of the city and the campus of the University of Otago before reaching the Otago Harbour...
now occupied by the University of Otago
University of Otago
The University of Otago in Dunedin is New Zealand's oldest university with over 22,000 students enrolled during 2010.The university has New Zealand's highest average research quality and in New Zealand is second only to the University of Auckland in the number of A rated academic researchers it...
. After extensive flooding in 1868, the gardens were moved to their current site in 1869. The name of the former site is still recorded in corrupted form in the now little-used name of Tani (i.e., Botanic) Hill for the small but steep rise located close to the university's registry building
University of Otago Registry Building
The University of Otago Registry Building, also known as the Clocktower Building, is a Victorian and later structure in the city of Dunedin, New Zealand. It stands next to the banks of the Water of Leith and is constructed from contrasting dark Leith Valley basalt and Oamaru stone, with a...
).
The gardens were extensively enlarged during the early years of the 20th century under the stewardship of David Tannock. The gardens forms part of Dunedin's Town Belt
Town Belt
The Town Belt is a green belt which surrounds the centre of the New Zealand city of Dunedin. Covering a total of over , it extends around three sides of the city's centre at a distance from it of some 1-3 km in a broad crescent from the Oval at Kensington in the south through the suburbs of...
, a green belt surrounding the inner city.
The lower garden's features include rose and herb gardens, a duck pond, band rotunda, and Japanese garden, the latter commemorating links with Dunedin's Japanese sister city, Otaru. There is also a cafe and visitor's centre. A small tributary of the Leith, the Lindsay Creek
Lindsay Creek
The Lindsay Creek is a tributary of the Water of Leith which runs through the northern suburbs of Dunedin, New Zealand. The Māori name for the creek, now rarely used, is Puke-haukea....
, flows through the lower gardens.
The upper gardens are split by a winding public road, Lovelock Avenue (named for former Dunedin resident, Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
gold medallist Jack Lovelock
Jack Lovelock
John Edward Lovelock was a New Zealand athlete, and the 1936 Olympic champion in the 1500 metres....
). Along each side of this road are bush walks. The upper garden also features an Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n garden, a wetlands garden, a small aviary
Aviary
An aviary is a large enclosure for confining birds. Unlike cages, aviaries allow birds a larger living space where they can fly; hence, aviaries are also sometimes known as flight cages...
, and an extensive rhododendron
Rhododendron
Rhododendron is a genus of over 1 000 species of woody plants in the heath family, most with showy flowers...
dell. A rhododendron festival is held in the gardens every October.
In July 2010, the Dunedin Botanic Gardens were awarded a rank of "garden of international significance" by the New Zealand Gardens Trust, becoming one of only five gardens nationwide to be awarded this honour. The only other garden in the South Island with this ranking is also in Dunedin, at Larnach Castle
Larnach Castle
Larnach Castle , is an imposing mansion on the ridge of the Otago Peninsula within the limits of the city of Dunedin, New Zealand, close to the small settlement of Pukehiki...
.