The Octagon & St Paul's Cathedral
The Octagon
Dunedin's city centre, where the octagonal square is surrounded by a Robert Burns statue, the town hall and a Gothic Revival cathedral.
The Octagon is the heart of Dunedin's city plan, laid out on the model of Edinburgh. It holds a statue of the Scottish poet Robert Burns, whose nephew was one of the city's founding ministers. On the west side stands St Paul's Anglican Cathedral, completed in 1919, with white Oamaru stone walls. Inside, you'll find tall stone vaults and one of the largest organs in New Zealand. Entry is free. Next to it are the Victorian-style Town Hall and the Dunedin Public Art Gallery. Restaurants and bars crowd the square, making it lively at night. Plaques with lines of poetry from the Writers' Walk are set into the pavement.
Opening hours
Square open all day; church approx. 10:00–16:00
Nearby sights
- Dunedin Public Art Gallery
- First Church of Otago
- Speight's Brewery
- Toitū Otago Settlers Museum
- Dunedin Chinese Garden (Lan Yuan)
- Dunedin Railway Station
- Olveston Historic Home
- Tūhura Otago Museum