Maintained by | Dunedin City Council |
---|---|
Location | central Dunedin, New Zealand |
Postal code | 9016 |
Anticlockwise end | Princes Street |
Major junctions | Upper Stuart Street George Street Lower Stuart Street |
Clockwise end | Princes Street |
Moray Place is an octagonal street which surrounds the city centre of Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand. The street is intersected by Stuart Street (to the east and west), Princes Street (to the south) and George Street (to the north). Like many streets in Dunedin, it is named for a street in the Scottish capital Edinburgh (Dùn Èideann itself is the Gaelic name of its Scottish sister city).
The northeastern quadrant between George Street and Lower Stuart Street is flat, but the other three quadrants slope considerably, especially the southeastern and northwestern quadrants.
Many of Dunedin's major inner city buildings are located on Moray Place. These include Dunedin Municipal Chambers, Dunedin Public Library, and the grounds of St. Paul's Anglican Cathedral, which lie within the northwestern quadrant between Moray Place and the City Centre (The Octagon).
The southwestern quadrant includes the former Dunedin Public Library building (the Carnegie Centre), the former Fortune Theatre (in the old Trinity Methodist Church building), and one of the city's main cinemas, the Rialto. This quadrant is regarded as part of the heart of Dunedin's art district, and has in the past contained numerous galleries, one of which was housed in the city's original synagogue. There are still currently two galleries in this quadrant, and it also houses one of the city's main live music venues, the Dog With Two Tails cafe and bar.
The southeastern quadrant is dominated by First Church, which sits atop the remnants of Bell Hill, the top of which was lowered to allow for First Church's construction. A plaque marks the site of Atahapara, the home and private museum of Thomas Hocken, which was located in this quadrant of Moray Place at the top of the steep, historic Burlington Street. The offices of Taylormade Media were also located in this quadrant until the early 2000s, and the regional offices of the Automobile Association.
The northeastern quadrant is part of Dunedin's central retail precinct, and includes the southern end of the Dunedin central bus hub, at the junction with Great King Street.
The centre of Dunedin was first laid out by surveyor Charles Kettle during the 1840s. An initial obstacle to the development of the city was Bell Hill, a large outcrop situated where the southeastern quadrant of Moray Place now lies. This effectively split the early settlement of Dunedin in two, and for the first few years of settlement, a cutting through the hill was the only land route between the parts of the town to the north and south. The hill was quarried during the 1850s, providing building material for many of the city's early buildings. [1]
Kettle's initial plan may have been for the entire area within Moray Place to be a public reserve. This did not come to pass, and it was only through Kettle's direct intervention that the central part of the Octagon itself was not built on. As it is, the buildings between Moray Place and The Octagon include many of Dunedin's most prominent structures, and - though it may not have been Kettle's original intention - the concentric octagons of Moray Place and The Octagon are now undeniably the city's centre. [2]
In 1897, a fire station was built on Moray Place, located between the Municipal Chambers and St Paul's Cathedral. It was located here for accessibility to the city, but was moved just 14 years later in 1911 because the new motor engines used on the trucks woke residents and caused complaints as they went through the town on callouts. A larger building was also needed to house new equipment. [3] The original building has long since been demolished and a car park now exists on that site.
Several buildings in Moray Place have Category I or Category II Historic Place classification by Heritage New Zealand. Clockwise from Princes Street, these include the Savoy Restaurant building (I), [4] St James Theatre building (I), [5] former Dunedin Synagogue (I), [6] Moray Terrace (II), [7] former Congregational Church (II), [8] Carnegie Centre (former Public Library) (II), [9] York and Kirkwood Houses (II), [10] former Holy Trinity Methodist Church (I), [11] Stephens Inks building (II), [12] Otago Pioneer Women's Memorial Hall (I), [13] Security Building (II), [14] and First Church (I). [15]
In addition, Burlington Street, a short, steep street which leads off Moray Place next to First Church, and its environs are classified as a historic precinct, [16] and both St. Paul's Cathedral [17] and the Dunedin Municipal Chambers [18] are Category I historic places with access off Moray Place.
Cathedral Square, locally known simply as the Square, is the geographical centre and heart of Christchurch, New Zealand, where the city's Anglican cathedral, ChristChurch Cathedral is located. The square stands at the theoretical crossing of the city's two main orthogonal streets, Colombo Street and Worcester Street, though in practice both have been either blocked off or detoured around the square itself. The square was badly damaged in the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake.
George Street is the main street of Dunedin, the second largest city in the South Island of New Zealand. It runs for two and a half kilometres north-northeast from The Octagon in the city centre to the foot of Pine Hill. It is straight and undulates gently as it skirts the edge of the hills to its northwest. South of The Octagon, Princes Street continues the line of George Street south-southwest for two kilometres.
First Church is a prominent church in the New Zealand city of Dunedin. It is located in the heart of the city on Moray Place, 100 metres to the south of the city centre. The church is the city's primary Presbyterian church. The building is regarded as the most impressive of New Zealand's nineteenth-century churches, and is listed by Heritage New Zealand as a Category I structure.
The Octagon is the city centre of Dunedin, in the South Island of New Zealand. It is an eight-sided plaza with a circular one-way carriageway, bisected by the city's main street, and is also the central terminus of two other main thoroughfares. The Octagon is predominantly a pedestrian reserve, with grass and paved features, and is surmounted by a statue of the Scottish poet Robert Burns. Several of Dunedin's significant buildings and institutions adjoin the plaza, which is also a major hub for public transport in Dunedin, primarily taxi services.
Princes Street is a major street in Dunedin, the second largest city in the South Island of New Zealand. It runs south-southwest for two kilometres from The Octagon in the city centre to the Oval sports ground, close to the city's Southern Cemetery. North of The Octagon, George Street continues the line of Princes Street north-northeast for two and a half kilometres. Princes Street is straight but undulating, skirting the edge of the City Rise to its northwest. The part of the street immediately below The Octagon is the steepest section, as the road traverses an old cutting through Bell Hill.
Stuart Street is one of the main streets of Dunedin, New Zealand. As with many of Dunedin's streets, it is named after a main street in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Hanover Hall is a community arts centre and event venue in central in Dunedin, New Zealand, opened in 2018 as home to the Dunedin Symphony Orchestra. The building was built in 1912 as the Hanover Street Baptist Church, located in Hanover Street 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) northeast of the city centre, close to the Otago Medical School.
South Dunedin is a major inner city suburb of the New Zealand city of Dunedin. It is located, as its name suggests, 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi) to the south of the city centre, on part of a large plain known simply as "The Flat". The suburb is a mix of industrial, retail, and predominantly lower-quality residential properties.
St Matthew's Church is an inner-city Anglican church, located on the City Rise in Dunedin, New Zealand. Designed by William Mason, the foundation stone was laid on 11 July 1873 and the building was consecrated on 3 December 1874. It cost NZ£4,874 to construct which wasn't paid off until 1901. It comfortably seated 750 people.
The Exchange is an area of central Dunedin, in the South Island of New Zealand.
The Dunedin Town Hall, also known as the Dunedin Centre, is a municipal building in the city of Dunedin in New Zealand. It is located in the heart of the city extending from The Octagon, the central plaza, to Moray Place through a whole city block. It is the seat of the Dunedin City Council, providing its formal meeting chamber, as well as a large auditorium and a conference centre. The oldest part of the building has been called the only substantial Victorian town hall still in existence in New Zealand.
Colombo Street is a main road of the city of Christchurch, New Zealand. It runs south-north through the centre of Christchurch with a break at Cathedral Square. As with many other central Christchurch streets, it is named for a colonial Anglican bishopric, Colombo, Sri Lanka in what at the time was known as Ceylon. Parts of the street which run through Sydenham were known as Addison Street during the 1880s, and some parts were known as Colombo Road.
TheTrinity Church or Trinity Congregational Church designed by Benjamin Mountfort, later called the State Trinity Centre, is a Category I heritage building listed with Heritage New Zealand. Damaged in the 2010 Canterbury earthquake and red-stickered after the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake, the building was threatened with demolition like most other central city heritage buildings. In June 2012, it was announced that the building would be saved, repaired and earthquake strengthened. The building, post its church status, has housed some commercial operations, including the State Trinity Centre; 'The Octagon' (2006–2010); and later, following earthquake repairs, a business called 'The Church Brew Pub' (2023–present).
Dunedin Gasworks Museum is located in South Dunedin, in the South Island of New Zealand. It is one of only a few known preserved gasworks museums in the world.
The Dunedin Law Courts is a notable historic building in central Dunedin, in the South Island of New Zealand. They are located at the corner of Lower Stuart Street and Anzac Square, directly opposite the city's historic railway station. Since 1902, the building has been used as the city's law courts, and contains four court rooms, including the ornate High Court, as well as housing the offices and library of the Law Society.
The former Public Trust Building in Christchurch, New Zealand, is a heritage building designed by leading architect Cecil Wood that was threatened with demolition. It is now being restored for a range of office and hospitality tenants.
The Warehouse Precinct is an urban area of the New Zealand city of Dunedin. Sited on reclaimed land at the northernmost tip of the Southern Endowment, it lies between 1 and 2 kilometres south of The Octagon, the city's centre.
Queens Gardens is a roughly triangular area of trees and lawn in central Dunedin, New Zealand.