Otago (region), New Zealand

Otago is a region in the south of New Zealand's South Island. The region, which includes the island's south-eastern coast and a large inland region, comprises more than 32,000 square kilometres.

The region's largest city, Dunedin, is home to more than 134,000 people and Otago University. In terms of land area, Dunedin is New Zealand's largest city. Once a major centre of commerce and industry, Dunedin is now largely known for its university and health care facilities.

Historically famous for its gold mines, wool trade and forestry, Otago is divided into five chief districts: Queenstown Lakes in the west and north-west, Central Otago in the centre and north, Waitaki in the north-east, Dunedin City in the central east coast and Clutha in the south and south-east. Its interior countryside is known for vineyards, a driver of tourism and local economy.

Originally settled by the Māoris, Otago is home to descendants of the Ngāi Tahu and other tribes. Europeans first arrived to Otago in the eighteenth century. The region, particularly Dunedin, is influenced by the large numbers of Scottish immigrants who arrived in the early years of its European settlement.

Otago was established as a province in 1853 and remained a province until 1876. Modern Otago has two parliamentary electorates, Clutha-Central Otago and Waitaki, outside of Dunedin, which has two electorates of its own.

Historical Perspective

Otago's earliest known occupants are the Māoris, whose descendants continue to live in the region. Māoris are known to have first arrived in Dunedin around the year 1100 CE. According to Māori legend, the Māoris were led to New Zealand's South Island by Kupe, a Polynesian navigator. Māoris are believed to have arrived in Otago to hunt mao, a large bird native to the South Island.

Dutch explorer Abel Tasman was the first European to visit the South Island and the Otago region. An influx of European settlers to Otago came in the years after British captain James Cook first visited the South Island in 1770. Sealers and whalers from Europe arrived beginning in the 1790s. Today, the majority of Otago residents are of European descent.

Classified as a town in the nineteenth century, Otago became one of New Zealand's largest settlements due to its deposits of gold. In 1861, Tasmanian gold prospector Gabriel Read discovered gold in a valley that would later be named Gabriel's Gully. Many prospectors came to Otago to mine gold, and the region's economy flourished as a result. Gabriel's Gully was mined for more than seventy years before the bottom of the gold deposit was reached.

With its economy growing rapidly, the city of Dunedin was established and became the seat of Otago's industry and labour. It would later evolve to become one of New Zealand's centres of education and medicine. Because of its history of Scottish immigration and distinctive architecture, Dunedin is often called the Edinburgh of the South.

Geography and Climate

Covering most of the South Island's land area, Otago is New Zealand's second-largest land region, covering 12 per cent of the country's total land mass. It covers a large inland region with a continental climate and a long coastline along the South Island's south-east, stretching from the Waitaki River to Wallace Beach. Otago also includes an offshore marine reserve. Otago comprises the Otago Peninsula, which includes Otago Harbour, the Catlins, a post-tectonic sedimentary landscape, and North Otago, the region's hill country.

Like much of South Island, Otago's climate is diverse, covering beaches, mountain ranges and low valleys. Its coastal temperatures are cool, while its inland temperatures are more extreme. Inland Otago reaches temperatures of more than 37 degrees Celsius in the summer, while mountain temperatures have reached as low as -25 degrees Celsius. Some areas have extreme rainfall that can lead to flooding, while other areas of Otago have the least rainfall of any region in New Zealand.

In addition to dry tussocks and pastures, Otago's mountains are forested and often snow-covered in the winter months. The Clutha River is the largest in Otago, running north-south through the Clutha district in the south.

Economy

Prior to Read's discovery of gold in 1861, Otago's primary economic activity centred on whaling and agriculture. The region experienced economic decline after an 1840 whale shortage.

Once the wealthiest province of New Zealand due to its gold, Otago benefitted from its gold rush for many years. Dunedin grew in population and was developed over the decades following the gold rush. Its ornate Edwardian architecture was heavily influenced by the Scottish immigrants who came to Otago to mine gold in the nineteenth century.

Modern Otago's industry is driven by the service and agriculture sectors. Major seafood and poultry operations are located Dunedin, while dairies and vineyards are found in the Clutha district. More than five million sheep are raised in Otago. In Dunedin, Otago University is a primary economic driver.

Otago's median household income according to Infometrics in 2024 Census was $107,486. Tourism contributes heavily to the region's economy, with hospitality and food service making up the largest employment sector. Unemployment in Otago is below the national average, at 2.7 per cent.

Demographics

Some 254,600 New Zealanders lived in Otago, as of 2023, according to Infometrics. Otago's population represented 4.9 per cent of New Zealand's total population. In Dunedin, about 25,000 residents were students at Otago University. Dunedin was the largest population centre, followed by Queenstown and Mosgiel.

Among Otago's principal ethnic groups, Europeans comprise 86.9 per cent of the population. About 8.7 per cent of Otago's residents are M-āoris. Most of the Māoris living in Otago have ancestral links to the Ngāi Tahu tribe. The Ngāti Māmoe (or Kāti Māmoe) and Waitaha are also represented among Otago's Māori population. Otago attracts immigrants primarily from the United Kingdom and Ireland. Other major ethnic groups living in Otago include Pacific Islanders, Asians, and Middle Easterners. Nearly 22 per cent of Otago residents were born outside of New Zealand.

Bibliography

"Gabriels Gully Historic Reserve." Department of Conservation, New Zealand Government, www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/otago/places/gabriels-gully-historic-reserve. Accessed 18 June 2024.

McKinnon, Malcolm. "Otago Region." Te Ara--The Encyclopedia of New Zealand, Ministry for Culture and Heritage, New Zealand Government, 18 May 2015, www.teara.govt.nz/en/otago-region. Accessed 18 June 2024.

"New Zealand." Encyclopaedia Britannica, 17 June 2024, www.britannica.com/place/New-Zealand. Accessed 18 June 2024.

"Otago." New Zealand Now, New Zealand Government, www.newzealandnow.govt.nz/regions-nz/otago. Accessed 18 June 2024.

"South Island History." New Zealand Tourism Guide, www.tourism.net.nz/new-zealand/about-new-zealand/regions/--south-island/history.html. Accessed 18 June 2024.

"Welcome to Central Otago." Central Otago: A World of Difference, www.centralotagonz.com. Accessed 18 June 2024.