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221:, which operates a private lending library and a theatre. Both of these structures also have Category I NZHPT ratings. Several cafes and bars complete this quadrant, and similar businesses also make up much of the Octagon's northeastern quadrant, along with a second office block, Burns House. Many of the Octagon's bars and cafes have provision for
278:) enclosing a smaller octagonal space, originally designated as a reserve. This status was embodied in law in 1854, six years after the arrival of the first European settlers to the city. At this stage in Dunedin's history the area was officially designated as "the Square of Moray Place", though it was colloquially known as the Octagon even then.
158:; the bus stops are actually mostly on approaching streets with one main stop in the southwestern quadrant, outside Reading cinema. In 2018, a new bus hub was created close to the corner of Moray Place and Great King Street (one block to the east of George Street), which reduced some of the bus traffic through the Octagon.
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newspaper to build a fountain in the
Octagon. The Star Fountain, as it became known after its installation in 1966, was a popular attraction, with synchronised lighting, music, and water displays, which played at regular times of the morning and evening. Despite its popularity, it was also unsightly
228:
The area within the roadway — with the exception of the central thoroughfare between George and
Princes Streets — is a pedestrian reserve, grassed and terraced in the upper half, and paved in the lower. A street market occupies much of the paved area once a week. The paved area contains both water
355:
On 8 September 1879, a fire broke out in the Cafe
Chantant in the lower Octagon and spread to other properties within the Ross Building. The cafe had a bad reputation and the proprietor William Waters was under threat of arrest. The building was full at the time of the fire, and escape from the
447:, features plaques inscribed with words from notable Dunedin writers and words about Dunedin by famous visiting writers. This walk extends around much of the upper Octagon. A second, smaller, walk along the central carriageway of The Octagon features plaques dedicated to Dunedin-born or -based
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commissioned consultants with a view to substantially renovating The
Octagon area. The initial proposals included the closure of several sections of road around and within The Octagon, again resulting in public protest, and in the end, the renovations went ahead without any road closures.
55:
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
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during times when it was not playing, due to the large number of visible pipes needed for its performances. When The
Octagon was refurbished in the 1990s, the Star Fountain was removed and was not included in The Octagon's new design, leading to some public outcry.
435:
The improvements also included the paving of a plaza area in the lower
Octagon (an area now regularly used for street performances and markets). The renovation of The Octagon, and particularly the addition of a plaza area, has seen an increase in
320:, which rose immediately to the south of The Octagon. It was only with the making of a cutting through the hill and the later removal of most of it to allow traffic to move easily between the northern and southern parts of the central city along
135:, which passes through central Dunedin as two parallel one-way streets. Upper Stuart Street climbs steeply to the northwest as a major arterial route to the city's inner hill suburbs and beyond towards Three Mile Hill, one of the routes to the
386:, though this monument, erected in 1891, was generally unpopular and was eventually removed during the 1940s. Subterranean public toilets were installed close to the monument in 1910, though these were filled in during the 1970s.
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In the early 1890s several improvements were proposed to The
Octagon, including fencing, and the planting of plane trees along the edge of the central roadway. About this time a monument was also erected to early settler
423:
The "new look" Octagon was in many ways an "old look", with covered walkways and
Edwardian-style streetlights and fittings giving an antique look to the central city. This was designed to complement the many late
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features and a giant chessboard. Both it and the grassed area in the upper octagon are frequently the venues for open-air meetings and entertainment. The terrace is surmounted by an 1887 statue by Sir
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and his family. Waters was later charged with setting fire to the building for insurance purposes. The disaster was the biggest single loss of life in New
Zealand due to fire until the destruction of
75:
First laid out in 1846, the site was largely derelict for many years until the two major early parts of the city's settlement (to the north and south of the Octagon) were linked by the excavation of
245:, was one of the founders of the city. The statue stands on the McMillan Terrace, a vantage point over the Octagon, which was presented to the city by philanthropist Alexander McMillan in 1967.
198:, which is separated from the municipal buildings by the narrow Harrop Lane. Both the Municipal Chambers and Cathedral are listed as Category I buildings by the NZHPT.
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The first major structure of any kind in The Octagon's reserve area was a monument erected in 1864 to the memory of Cargill. This was moved several hundred metres to
79:. From the 1890s on it rose to prominence as the city's central area. The Octagon was substantially renovated during the 1980s, and is now a centre of the city's
218:
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For many years, the site was somewhat derelict, with little done to improve the condition of the reserve. Early central Dunedin was divided by the body of
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flies over central Dunedin during the 1930s. In this picture, looking west, The Octagon is the clear circular area just below the centre of the photo.
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was put in charge of resolving the dispute, which resulted in the Anglicans being forced to withdraw their plans for The Octagon. (The Anglican
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335:, the uncle of one of the city's founding fathers, was unveiled. It still stands at the western edge of The Octagon close to the junction with
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Renovation of The Octagon also saw the installation of two walks featuring large plaques embedded in the paving. The larger of these, the
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in 1872 to allow for the construction of a central roadway connecting Princes Street and George Street. In 1887 a statue of the poet
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Several of Dunedin's significant buildings and institutions face this plaza or closely adjoin it of which three have
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Despite the reserve status, the Anglican Church sought to build in the centre of the Octagon, applying directly to
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building was difficult. In all, a dozen people died in the blaze, including Robert Wilson, editor of the
175:
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274:'s surveying of the city in 1846. His plans for the centre of Dunedin included a large Octagonal area (
471:). They became the city's first Barnes Dance crossing for over 20 years (the last previously being at
64:. Several of Dunedin's significant buildings and institutions adjoin the plaza, which is also a major
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lie in the Octagon's northwestern quadrant, between George Street and Upper Stuart Street, as does
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that The Octagon began to gain any prominence. Even so, it remained unsightly until the 1890s.
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dining in The Octagon, which is now a major hub for Dunedin's restaurant and cafe culture.
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crossings were introduced at the Octagon's southwestern and northeastern junctions (with
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The Octagon is an eight-sided plaza bisected by the city's main street, which is called
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The Octagon, looking towards St. Paul's Cathedral (left) and the Municipal Chambers (
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Central Dunedin. The Octagon is the small octagonal area marked in red (numbered 2)
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293:) community became aware of what was happening. This resulted in a major furore.
289:. It was not until construction was about to begin that the local (predominantly
127:. Lower Stuart Street is the shorter of the two, leading 600 metres southeast to
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https://www.orc.govt.nz/public-transport/dunedin-buses/dunedin-bus-hub%7Cdate=19
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40:) (right). The Robert Burns statue is visible in front of the cathedral.
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736:," Dunedin Amenities Society, 25 July 2014. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
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A plaque in Writers' Walk in The Octagon featuring the words of
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New Year's Eve celebrations are held annually in The Octagon.
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The Central City Bus Hub is now located on Great King Street.
681:", Dunedin City Council website. Retrieved 7 October 2013.
143:. Surrounding the Octagon is a larger octagonal street,
123:
Two other main thoroughfares terminate at the Octagon:
186:(NZHPT) recognition. The Dunedin Municipal Chambers (
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The Heart of a City: The Story of Dunedin's Octagon
116:to the southwest. These form the axis of Dunedin's
703:Octagon building fire, Dunedin - 8 September 1879
162:stands occupy much of the northeastern quadrant.
747:"Literary flagstones well worth looking down on"
389:In 1963, the council was given £5,000 by the
369:The site of the blaze is now occupied by the
201:The Octagon's southwestern quadrant contains
8:
635:"Dunedin Athenaeum and Mechanics' Institute"
209:building on the corner of Princes Street, a
591:"St Paul's Cathedral and Belfry (Anglican)"
786:(Paperback). Dunedin, NZ: Self-published.
219:Dunedin Athenaeum and Mechanics' Institute
808:The Dunedin City Council's Octagon webcam
770:Dunedin City Council Octagon history page
723:, 13 March 2018. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
346:St Paul's Cathedral, Dunedin, August 2006
217:(Dunedin's largest live theatre) and the
715:Ghostly gushing mystifies Regent workers
661:New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero
639:New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero
617:New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero
595:New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero
573:New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero
178:has pride of place in the upper Octagon.
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205:, which sits on the former site of the
432:buildings which surround The Octagon.
270:The Octagon was first laid out during
225:, making the Octagon a lively place.
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305:stands today at its northern edge.)
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184:New Zealand Historic Places Trust
551:"New Year's Eve in the Octagon"
865:Tourist attractions in Dunedin
500:Cathedral Square, Christchurch
125:Upper and Lower Stuart Streets
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870:Squares and plazas in Dunedin
751:Otago Daily Times Online News
196:St. Paul's Anglican Cathedral
782:Ledgerwood, Norman (2008).
415:During the late 1980s, the
312:The 1879 Cafe Chantant fire
176:statue of poet Robert Burns
156:public transport in Dunedin
72:, primarily taxi services.
70:public transport in Dunedin
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203:Dunedin Public Art Gallery
259:De Havilland DH86 Express
118:central business district
495:Civic Square, Wellington
364:Seacliff Mental Hospital
150:The Octagon is a major
129:Dunedin Railway Station
831:45.87417°S 170.50361°E
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657:"Robert Burns Statue"
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366:some 63 years later.
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112:to the northeast and
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60:of the Scottish poet
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855:The Octagon, Dunedin
836:-45.87417; 170.50361
665:Heritage New Zealand
643:Heritage New Zealand
621:Heritage New Zealand
599:Heritage New Zealand
577:Heritage New Zealand
569:"Municipal Chambers"
417:Dunedin City Council
303:St. Paul's Cathedral
190:), Civic Centre and
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734:The Octagonal Heart
557:. 31 December 2011.
860:Streets in Dunedin
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793:978-04-7312-989-7
720:Otago Daily Times
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188:Dunedin Town Hall
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18:1879 Octagon fire
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822:170°30′13″E
287:George Grey
276:Moray Place
266:Early years
231:John Steell
145:Moray Place
141:South Otago
45:The Octagon
849:Categories
819:45°52′27″S
526:References
491:, Auckland
438:al fresco
430:Edwardian
426:Victorian
351:1879 fire
318:Bell Hill
96:Geography
86:al fresco
77:Bell Hill
51:, in the
540:May 2021
483:See also
283:Governor
235:Scottish
166:Features
449:Olympic
249:History
233:of the
131:and to
49:Dunedin
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757:10 May
207:D.I.C.
58:statue
506:Notes
295:Otago
237:poet
788:ISBN
759:2021
467:and
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285:Sir
160:Taxi
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
