Oamaru (; mi, Te Oha-a-Maru) is the largest town in
North Otago
North Otago in New Zealand covers the area of Otago between Shag Point and the Waitaki River, and extends inland to the west as far as the village of Omarama (which has experienced rapid growth as a developing centre for astronomy and for glid ...
, in the
South Island
The South Island, also officially named , is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand in surface area, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman ...
of New Zealand, it is the main town in the
Waitaki District
Waitaki District is a territorial authority district that is located in the Canterbury and Otago regions of the South Island of New Zealand. It straddles the traditional border between the two regions, the Waitaki River, and its seat is Oamaru. ...
. It is south of
Timaru
Timaru (; mi, Te Tihi-o-Maru) is a port city in the southern Canterbury Region of New Zealand, located southwest of Christchurch and about northeast of Dunedin on the eastern Pacific coast of the South Island. The Timaru urban area is home to ...
and north of
Dunedin
Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...
on the
Pacific
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
coast;
State Highway 1
The following highways are numbered 1.
For roads numbered A1, see list of A1 roads.
For roads numbered B1, see list of B1 roads.
For roads numbered M1, see List of M1 roads.
For roads numbered N1, see list of N1 roads.
For roads numbere ...
and the railway
Main South Line
The Main South Line, sometimes referred to as part of the South Island Main Trunk Railway, is a railway line that runs north and south from Lyttelton in New Zealand through Christchurch and along the east coast of the South Island to Inverca ...
connect it to both cities. With a population of ,
Oamaru is the
28th largest urban area in New Zealand, and the third largest in Otago behind
Dunedin
Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...
and
Queenstown. The town is the seat of Waitaki District, which includes the surrounding towns of
Kurow
Kurow is a small town in the Waitaki District, New Zealand. It is located on the south bank of the Waitaki River, northwest of Oamaru.
Description
The name is an Anglicised form of the Māori name of the nearby mountain, Te Kohurau.
In the ...
,
Weston
Weston may refer to:
Places Australia
* Weston, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb of Canberra
* Weston, New South Wales
* Weston Creek, a residential district of Canberra
* Weston Park, Canberra, a park
Canada
* Weston, Nova Scotia
* W ...
,
Palmerston Palmerston may refer to:
People
* Christie Palmerston (c. 1851–1897), Australian explorer
* Several prominent people have borne the title of Viscount Palmerston
** Henry Temple, 1st Viscount Palmerston (c. 1673–1757), Irish nobleman and ...
, and
Hampden. which combined have a total population of 23,200.
Friendly Bay is a popular recreational area located at the edge of Oamaru Harbour, south to Oamaru's main centre. Just to the north of Oamaru is the substantial Alliance
Abattoir
A slaughterhouse, also called abattoir (), is a facility where animals are slaughtered to provide food. Slaughterhouses supply meat, which then becomes the responsibility of a packaging facility.
Slaughterhouses that produce meat that is no ...
at
Pukeuri
Pukeuri is a settlement to the north of Oamaru in the North Otago region of New Zealand's South Island. It is located near the coast in the Waitaki District that straddles the border of Otago and Canterbury.
The settlement's major employer i ...
, at a major junction with
State Highway 83, the main route into the
Waitaki Valley
The Waitaki River is a large braided river that drains the Mackenzie Basin and runs some south-east to enter the Pacific Ocean between Timaru and Oamaru on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It starts at the confluence of the ...
. This provides a road link to Kurow,
Omarama
Omarama is a small town (population 291 at 2018 census) at the junction of State Highways 8 and 83, near the southern end of the Mackenzie Basin, in the South Island of New Zealand. Omarama is in the Waitaki District, in the southern Canterbu ...
,
Otematata
Otematata is a town in the Waitaki District of Otago in New Zealand's South Island. It is defined as a "populated area less than a town" and the 2001 New Zealand census gave the "usually resident population count" as 243. By the 2018 census it ...
and via the
Lindis Pass
Lindis Pass (elevation 971 m) is located in the South Island of New Zealand. A carpark at the top of the pass provides access to a viewpoint and two short trails to other viewing spots.
Lindis Pass lies between the towns of Cromwell (78km, 55 mi ...
to Queenstown and Wanaka. Oamaru serves as the eastern gateway to the
Mackenzie Basin
The Mackenzie Basin (), popularly and traditionally known as the Mackenzie Country, is an elliptical intermontane basin located in the Mackenzie and Waitaki Districts, near the centre of the South Island of New Zealand. It is the largest suc ...
, via the Waitaki Valley.
Oamaru has been built between the rolling hills of limestone and short stretch of flat land to the sea. This limestone rock is used for the construction of local "
Oamaru stone
Oamaru stone, sometimes called whitestone, is a hard, compact limestone, quarried at Weston, near Oamaru in Otago, New Zealand.
Oamaru stone was used on many of the grand public buildings in the towns and cities of the southern South Island, es ...
”, sometimes called "Whitestone" buildings.
Oamaru enjoys a protected location in the shelter of
Cape Wanbrow
Cape Wanbrow is a rocky headland overlooking Oamaru Harbour, New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Islan ...
. The town was laid out in 1858 by Otago's provincial surveyor
John Turnbull Thomson
John Turnbull Thomson (10 August 1821 – 16 October 1884) was a British civil engineer and artist who played an instrumental role in the development of the early infrastructure of nineteenth-century Singapore and New Zealand. He lived the last 2 ...
, who named the early streets after British rivers, particularly rivers in the northwest and southeast of the country.
The name ''Oamaru'' derives from the
Māori
Māori or Maori can refer to:
Relating to the Māori people
* Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group
* Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand
* Māori culture
* Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...
and can be translated as "the place of Maru" (cf. Timaru). The identity of Maru remains open to conjecture.
History
Māori settlement
There are some important archaeological sites around Oamaru. Those at the
Waitaki River
The Waitaki River is a large braided river that drains the Mackenzie Basin and runs some south-east to enter the Pacific Ocean between Timaru and Oamaru on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It starts at the confluence of the ...
mouth and at
Awamoa both date from the Archaic (Moa-hunter) phase of
Māori culture
Māori culture () is the customs, cultural practices, and beliefs of the indigenous Māori people of New Zealand. It originated from, and is still part of, Polynesians, Eastern Polynesian culture. Māori culture forms a distinctive part of Cul ...
, when New Zealand's human population clustered along the south-east coast from about AD 1100. The Waitaki River mouth had at least 1,200 ovens. Awamoa saw the first archaeological excavation in New Zealand when W.B.D. Mantell dug there at Christmas 1847 and in 1852. Smaller Archaic sites exist at Cape Wanbrow and at Beach Road in central Oamaru. The distinctive Archaic art of the Waitaki Valley rock shelters dates from this period — some of it presumably made by the occupants of these sites. The area also features Classic and Protohistoric sites, from after about AD 1500, at Tamahaerewhenua, Tekorotuaheka, Te Punamaru, Papakaio, and
Kakanui
The small town of Kakanui lies on the coast of Otago, in New Zealand, fourteen kilometres to the south of Oamaru. The Kakanui River and its estuary divide the township in two. The part of the settlement south of the river, also known as Kakanui ...
.
Māori tradition tells of the ancient people Kahui Tipua building a canoe, ''Arai Te Uru'', which sailed from southern New Zealand to the ancestral
Polynesia
Polynesia () "many" and νῆσος () "island"), to, Polinisia; mi, Porinihia; haw, Polenekia; fj, Polinisia; sm, Polenisia; rar, Porinetia; ty, Pōrīnetia; tvl, Polenisia; tkl, Polenihia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania, made up of ...
n homeland,
Hawaiki
In Polynesian mythology, (also rendered as in Cook Islands Māori, in Samoan, in Tahitian, in Hawaiian) is the original home of the Polynesians, before dispersal across Polynesia. It also features as the underworld in many Māori stories.
...
, to obtain
kumara Kumara may refer to:
Places
* Kumara (Mali), a province
* Kumara, New Zealand, a town
* Kumara (New Zealand electorate), a Parliamentary electorate
Other uses
* Kumara Illangasinghe, an Anglican bishop in Sri Lanka
* Kumara (surname)
* The Four ...
. On its return it became waterlogged off the Waitaki River mouth, lost food baskets at
Moeraki
Moeraki is a small fishing village on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It was once the location of a whaling station. In the 1870s, local interests believed it could become the main port for the north Otago area and a railwa ...
beach and ended up wrecked at Matakaea (Shag Point) where it turned into Danger Reef. After the wreck a crew member, Pahihiwitahi, seeking water, discovered the Waitaki River, but on returning south and failing to reach the wreck before dawn he was turned into a hill in the Shag Valley. Modern academics have suggested this tale is an allegorical explanation of the fact that kumara will not grow south of
Banks Peninsula
Banks Peninsula is a peninsula of volcanic origin on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It has an area of approximately and encompasses two large harbours and many smaller bays and coves. The South Island's largest cit ...
.
European Contact
On 20 February 1770
James Cook
James Cook (7 November 1728 Old Style date: 27 October – 14 February 1779) was a British explorer, navigator, cartographer, and captain in the British Royal Navy, famous for his three voyages between 1768 and 1779 in the Pacific Ocean an ...
in the ''
Endeavour'' reached a position very close to the Waitaki mouth and "about 3 Miles
kmfrom the shore" according to his journal. He said the land "here is very low and flat and continues so up to the skirts of the Hills which are at least 4 or 5 Miles
–8 kmin land. The whole face of the Country appears barren, nor did we see any signs of inhabitants." He stayed on this part of the coast four days. Sydney Parkinson, the expedition's artist, described what seems to be Cape Wanbrow, in Oamaru. On 20 February he wrote "...we were near the land, which formed an agreeable view to the naked eye. The hills were of a moderate height, having flats that extended from them a long way, bordered by a perpendicular rocky cliff next to the sea."
Māori did live in the area, and
sealers Sealer may refer either to a person or ship engaged in seal hunting, or to a sealant; associated terms include:
Seal hunting
* Sealer Hill, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica
* Sealers' Oven, bread oven of mud and stone built by sealers around 180 ...
visited the coast in 1814. The
Creed manuscript, discovered in 2003, records:
Some of the ocal Ocal or OCAL may refer to:
* Öcal, Turkish surname
* Öçal, Turkish surname
* Open Clip Art Library
Openclipart, also called Open Clip Art Library, is an online media repository of free-content vector clip art. The project hosts over 160,000 ...
people ad been
Advertising is the practice and techniques employed to bring attention to a product or service. Advertising aims to put a product or service in the spotlight in hopes of drawing it attention from consumers. It is typically used to promote a ...
absent on a feasting expedition to meet a great party from Taumutu, Akaroa, Orawenua rowhenua They were returning. The ealers'boat passed on to the Bluff 8 miles 3 kmnorth of Moeraki where they landed & arranged their boat – & lay down to sleep in their boat. At night Pukuheke, father of Te More, went to the boat, found them asleep & came back to the other Natives south of the Bluff. They went with 100 enkilling 5 Europeans & eat them. Two of the seven escaped through the darkness of the night & fled as far as Goodwood, Bobby's Head, after being 2 days and nights on the way.
Pukuheke's party killed and ate these as well. The Pākehā, a party from the ''Matilda'' (Captain Fowler), under the first mate Robert Brown with two other Europeans and five lascars or Indian seamen, made eight in all, not seven as the manuscript says. They had been sent in an open boat from Stewart Island in search of a party of absconding lascars. Brown must have had some reason for searching for them on the North Otago coast.
After
Te Rauparaha
Te Rauparaha (c.1768 – 27 November 1849) was a Māori rangatira (chief) and war leader of the Ngāti Toa tribe who took a leading part in the Musket Wars, receiving the nickname "the Napoleon of the South". He was influential in the original ...
's sack of the large
pa (fortified settlement)
Pa, pa, PA, P.A. or pA may refer to:
Businesses and organisations Government and military
* Palestinian National Authority, also called Palestinian Authority, interim governing body of the Gaza Strip and part of the West Bank
* Pakistan Army
* ...
at
Kaiapoi
Kaiapoi is a town in the Waimakariri District of the Canterbury region, in the South Island of New Zealand. The town is located approximately 17 kilometres north of central Christchurch, close to the mouth of the Waimakariri River. It is con ...
near modern
Christchurch
Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...
in 1831, refugees came south and gained permission to settle at Kakaunui (Kakanui), and the territory between Pukeuri and Waianakarua, including the site of urban Oamaru, became their domain.
19th century onwards
Whalers sometimes visited this part of the coast in the 1830s. The ''Jason'', for example, probably of
New London
New London may refer to:
Places United States
*New London, Alabama
*New London, Connecticut
*New London, Indiana
*New London, Iowa
* New London, Maryland
*New London, Minnesota
*New London, Missouri
*New London, New Hampshire, a New England town
* ...
in the United States, Captain Chester, was reported at "Otago Bluff" south of Kakanui, with of oil, on 1 December 1839.
Edward Shortland Edward Shortland (1812–1893) was a New Zealand doctor, administrator, scholar and linguist.
Life
Shortland was born at Courtlands near Lympstone in Devon, England, the third son of Thomas George Shortland and brother of Willoughby and Peter ...
visited the area in 1844, coming overland from
Waikouaiti
Waikouaiti is a small town in East Otago, New Zealand, within the city limits of Dunedin. The town is close to the coast and the mouth of the Waikouaiti River.
Today, Waikouaiti is a retail trade and servicing centre for the surrounding district ...
. On 9 January he recorded "Our path to-day was sometimes along the edge of a low cliff, sometimes along the beach, till we approached Oamaru point, where it turned inland, and crossed a low range of hills, from which we looked over an extensive plain … Towards the afternoon, we ascended a range of hills called Pukeuri, separating this plain from another more extensive. The sky was so remarkably clear that, from the highest point of the pathway, Moeraki was distinctly in view..." He made a map and placed Oamaru on it. He was one of several Europeans who passed through the area on foot in the 1840s. James Saunders became the first European resident of the district some time before 1850 when he settled to trade among the Māori of the Waitaki River mouth.
![Oamaru Post Office](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Oamaru_Post_Office.jpg)
More European settlers arrived in the Oamaru area in the 1850s. Hugh Robison built and lived in a sod hut by the Oamaru Creek in 1853 while establishing his
sheep run
A sheep station is a large property ( station, the equivalent of a ranch) in Australia or New Zealand, whose main activity is the raising of sheep for their wool and/or meat. In Australia, sheep stations are usually in the south-east or so ...
. J.T. Thomson surveyed the place as a town in 1859, and the
Otago Provincial government declared "hundreds" there on 30 November 1860. The town grew as a service-centre for the agricultural/pastoral hinterland between the
Kakanui Mountains
The Kakanui Range is a range of high hills located inland from Oamaru in the South Island of New Zealand. The range forms a boundary between the valley of the Waitaki River to the north and the high plateau known as the Maniototo and the upper w ...
and the
Waitaki River
The Waitaki River is a large braided river that drains the Mackenzie Basin and runs some south-east to enter the Pacific Ocean between Timaru and Oamaru on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It starts at the confluence of the ...
, and rapidly became a major port. A boost was given by public works, including harbour development, and an export trade in wool and grain from the 1860s, following the loss of a number of vessels off the coast, construction of a breakwater design by engineer John McGregor started in 1871. The building of this breakwater was influential in the development of
new forms of crane.
For many years there was a commercial and fishing harbour under
Cape Wanbrow
Cape Wanbrow is a rocky headland overlooking Oamaru Harbour, New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Islan ...
at Friendly Bay. With the development of pastoralism and the associated frozen-meat industry having its historical origins in New Zealand just south of the town at Totara, Oamaru flourished. Institutions such as the Athenaeum, Chief Post Office and
Waitaki Boys' and
Waitaki Girls' High School
"Satisfaction from hard work"
, established = 1887; years ago
, principal = Elizabeth Koni
, address = Trent Street, Oamaru, New Zealand
, coordinates =
, type = State, Girls, Secondary years 9-13
, roll = ()
, decile ...
s sprang up. The locally plentiful limestone (
Oamaru stone
Oamaru stone, sometimes called whitestone, is a hard, compact limestone, quarried at Weston, near Oamaru in Otago, New Zealand.
Oamaru stone was used on many of the grand public buildings in the towns and cities of the southern South Island, es ...
) lent itself to carving and good designers, such as John Lemon (1828–1890) Thomas Forrester (1838–1907) and his son J.M. Forrester (1865–1965), and craftsmen utilised it. By the time of the
depression of the 1880s Oamaru was home to an impressive array of buildings and the "best built and most mortgaged town in Australasia".
A major factor in the near bankruptcy of Oamaru was construction of the "Borough water race", an
aqueduct completed after 3 years' work in 1880. This major engineering feat replaced the previous poor water supply (obtained from the local creeks) with abundant pure water (and energy for industrial machinery driven by
water motors) from the Waitaki river and conducted water in an open channel for almost 50 km through hilly farmland from Kurow to the Oamaru reservoir at Ardgowan until decommissioned and abandoned in 1983.
The district went "dry" in 1906, and stayed that way until 1960 – the last South Island district to resume alcohol sales.
Development slowed apart from a few years in the 1920s, and in the 1950s, but the population continued to grow until the 1970s. With the closure of the port the local economy began to stall, New Zealand then went through radical economic restructuring in the mid 1980s – known as "
Rogernomics
In February 1985, journalists at the ''New Zealand Listener'' coined the term Rogernomics, a portmanteau of "Roger" and "economics" (by analogy with "Reaganomics"), to describe the neoliberal economic policies followed by Roger Douglas. Douglas ...
", North Otago was then hit by two droughts from 1988 to 1989 and again from 1997 to 1999. Oamaru found itself hard hit. In response it started to re-invent itself, becoming one of the first New Zealand towns to realise its built heritage was an asset.
A public art museum, the
Forrester Gallery (whose first curator in 1882 was Thomas Forrester), opened in 1983 in
R.A. Lawson
Robert Arthur Lawson (1 January 1833 – 3 December 1902) was one of New Zealand's pre-eminent 19th century architects. It has been said he did more than any other designer to shape the face of the Victorian era architecture of the city o ...
's neo-classical
Bank of New South Wales
The Bank of New South Wales (BNSW), also known commonly as The Wales, was the first bank in Australia, being established in Sydney in 1817 and situated on Broadway, New South Wales, Broadway. During the 19th century, the bank opened branches ...
building. Restoration of other buildings also took place. The Oamaru Whitestone Civic Trust was formed in 1987 with a vision of redeveloping the original commercial and business district of Oamaru's Harbour and Tyne Streets, and work began on restoring the historic precinct beside the port, perhaps the most atmospheric urban area in New Zealand.
By the early 21st century, "heritage" had become a conspicuous industry and , the number of buildings owned by the Oamaru Whitestone Civic Trust had grown from the original eight to 17. Oamaru contains over 70 buildings registered as Category 1 or 2 Historic Places in
Heritage New Zealand
Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga (initially the National Historic Places Trust and then, from 1963 to 2014, the New Zealand Historic Places Trust) ( mi, Pouhere Taonga) is a Crown entity with a membership of around 20,000 people that advocate ...
register.
Climate
The
Köppen-Geiger climate classification system classifies the climate of Oamaru as
oceanic
Oceanic may refer to:
*Of or relating to the ocean
*Of or relating to Oceania
**Oceanic climate
**Oceanic languages
**Oceanic person or people, also called "Pacific Islander(s)"
Places
* Oceanic, British Columbia, a settlement on Smith Island, ...
(Cfb).
Demographics
Oamaru is described by Statistics New Zealand as a medium urban area, which covers
and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km
2.
Oamaru had a population of 13,107 at the
2018 New Zealand census
Eighteen or 18 may refer to:
* 18 (number), the natural number following 17 and preceding 19
* one of the years 18 BC, AD 18, 1918, 2018
Film, television and entertainment
* ''18'' (film), a 1993 Taiwanese experimental film based on the sho ...
, an increase of 801 people (6.5%) since the
2013 census, and an increase of 1,077 people (9.0%) since the
2006 census
6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. It is a composite number and the smallest perfect number.
In mathematics
Six is the smallest positive integer which is neither a square number nor a prime number; it is the second small ...
. There were 5,463 households. There were 6,267 males and 6,840 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.92 males per female, with 2,328 people (17.8%) aged under 15 years, 2,016 (15.4%) aged 15 to 29, 5,439 (41.5%) aged 30 to 64, and 3,324 (25.4%) aged 65 or older.
Ethnicities were 86.9% European/Pākehā, 8.1% Māori, 6.0% Pacific peoples, 4.7% Asian, and 1.6% other ethnicities (totals add to more than 100% since people could identify with multiple ethnicities).
The proportion of people born overseas was 15.7%, compared with 27.1% nationally.
Although some people objected to giving their religion, 45.4% had no religion, 43.6% were Christian, 0.6% were Hindu, 0.4% were Muslim, 0.4% were Buddhist and 1.8% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 1,242 (11.5%) people had a bachelor or higher degree, and 3,021 (28.0%) people had no formal qualifications. 1,017 people (9.4%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 4,668 (43.3%) people were employed full-time, 1,545 (14.3%) were part-time, and 312 (2.9%) were unemployed.
Suburbs
* Oamaru North
* Ardgowan
* Fernbrook
* Casa Nova
* Eveline
* Hospital Hill
*Oamaru Central
* Meadowbank
* Holmes Hill
* South Hill
*Waiareka Junction
* Awamoa
*Wanbrow
Government
The
mayor of Waitaki District is Gary Kircher.
Oamaru is part of the parliamentary electorate of
Waitaki, and since 2008 has been represented by
Jacqui Dean
Jacqueline Isobel Dean (née Hay, born 13 May 1957) is a New Zealand politician and the current Member of Parliament for the Waitaki electorate, where she represents the National Party.
Early career
Dean was born in Palmerston North. She has ...
of the
New Zealand National Party
The New Zealand National Party ( mi, Rōpū Nāhinara o Aotearoa), shortened to National () or the Nats, is a centre-right political party in New Zealand. It is one of two major parties that dominate contemporary New Zealand politics, alongside ...
.
Recreation and leisure
The beautiful
Oamaru Opera House
The Oamaru Opera House and former Town Hall in Oamaru is a historic building and current performance venue on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. The building is classified as a "Category I" ("places of 'special or outstanding his ...
officially opened on 7 October 1907, on Thames Street is home of much of Oamaru performance and live entertainment. Having been restored in 2009. The refurbishment won the Public Architecture category of the 2010 Southern Architecture Awards and the 2011 NZIA Heritage award for Heritage Conservation. Oamaru Opera House is one of the most significant heritage places in Oamaru, important to the town and nationally to New Zealand.
The Waitaki District Library has branches situated in Oamaru, Palmerston, Kurow, Hampden, Omarama, and Otematata (forming the Waitaki District Libraries syndicate).
The Oamaru Public Library began its life with the Oamaru Athenaeum and Mechanics Institute in 1878, by 1973 however, library services had outgrown the building. A new library building was proposed, situated next-door to the 'old' Athenaeum library and, on 19 September 1975, the new library was officially opened by the Mayor, Mr R.D. Allen.
Oamaru Repertory Theatre is located on Itchen Street and is the home of Oamaru's live theatre productions.
Sports
Oamaru has a comprehensive range of community sporting facilities for rugby, tennis, swimming, netball, cricket, golf, hockey, and bowls. Centennial Park is Oamaru's major sporting venue, and is the home of
North Otago Rugby Football Union
The North Otago Rugby Football Union (NORFU) is a New Zealand rugby union province based in Oamaru and compete in the Heartland Championship. They are one of the strongest teams in The Heartland Championship, winning the Meads Cup section of the ...
and
North Otago Cricket
The North Otago cricket team represents the North Otago region of New Zealand, with its headquarters in Oamaru. It competes in the Hawke Cup, which it won most recently in early 2021. Its parent body, the North Otago Cricket Association, was founde ...
. The council also owns and operates the Oamaru Aquatic Centre.
Famous people associated with Oamaru
Many of the early works of
Janet Frame
Janet Paterson Frame (28 August 1924 – 29 January 2004) was a New Zealand author. She was internationally renowned for her work, which included novels, short stories, poetry, juvenile fiction, and an autobiography, and received numerous awar ...
, who grew up in the town, reflect Oamaru conditions and Oamaruvians. Other literary associations include those with
Owen Marshall
Owen Marshall Jones (born 17 August 1941, Te Kuiti, New Zealand), who writes under the pen name Owen Marshall, is a New Zealand short story writer and novelist. The third son of a Methodist minister younger brother of Allan Jones, and older br ...
,
Greg McGee
Greg McGee is a New Zealand writer and playwright, who also writes crime fiction under the pseudonym Alix Bosco.
Biography
McGee was born in 1950 in the South Island town of Oamaru. In his early 20s McGee played rugby as a Junior All Black and b ...
and
Fiona Farrell Poole
Fiona Farrell (born 1947) is a New Zealand poet, fiction and non-fiction writer and playwright.
Early years and education
Fiona Farrell was born and raised in Oamaru, in the South Island, South Island of New Zealand. She attended Waitaki G ...
.
Other prominent persons born and educated in Oamaru include
Des Wilson
Des Wilson (born 5 March 1941) is a New Zealand-born British campaigner, political activist, businessman, sports administrator, author and poker player. He was one of the founders of the British homelessness charity Shelter and was for a while an ...
, founder of the UK homelessness charity,
Shelter
Shelter is a small building giving temporary protection from bad weather or danger.
Shelter may also refer to:
Places
* Port Shelter, Hong Kong
* Shelter Bay (disambiguation), various locations
* Shelter Cove (disambiguation), various locatio ...
; Australian
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
Chris Watson
John Christian Watson (born Johan Cristian Tanck; 9 April 186718 November 1941) was an Australian politician who served as the third prime minister of Australia, in office from 27 April to 18 August 1904. He served as the inaugural federal lead ...
; New Zealand politicians
Arnold Nordmeyer
Sir Arnold Henry Nordmeyer (born Heinrich Arnold Nordmeyer, 7 February 1901 – 2 February 1989) was a New Zealand politician. He served as Minister of Finance (1957–1960) and later as Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition ...
and
William Steward;
Cardinal
Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to:
Animals
* Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds
**''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae
**''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...
Thomas Stafford Williams
Thomas Stafford Williams (born 20 March 1930) is a cardinal in the Catholic Church, and before his retirement in 2005 was the fifth Archbishop of Wellington.
Early life and education
Williams was born in Wellington, New Zealand and educated at ...
; Sir
Malcolm Grant
Sir Malcolm John Grant, , (born 29 November 1947) is a barrister, academic lawyer, and former law professor. Born and educated in New Zealand, he was the ninth President and Provost of University College London – the head as well as principa ...
, former president and Provost of
University College London
, mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward
, established =
, type = Public research university
, endowment = £143 million (2020)
, budget = ...
and subsequently Chairman of
NHS England
NHS England, officially the NHS Commissioning Board, is an executive non-departmental public body of the Department of Health and Social Care. It oversees the budget, planning, delivery and day-to-day operation of the commissioning side of the ...
and Chancellor of the
University of York
, mottoeng = On the threshold of wisdom
, established =
, type = Public research university
, endowment = £8.0 million
, budget = £403.6 million
, chancellor = Heather Melville
, vice_chancellor = Charlie Jeffery
, students ...
; and notably former
All Blacks
The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks ( mi, Ōpango), represents New Zealand in men's international rugby union, which is considered the country's national sport. The team won the Rugby World Cup in 1987 ...
rugby union
Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
captain
Richie McCaw
Richard Hugh McCaw (born 31 December 1980) is a retired New Zealand professional rugby union player. He captained the national team, the All Blacks, in 110 out of his 148 test matches, and won two Rugby World Cups. He has won the World Rugby ...
.
Fred Allen
John Florence Sullivan (May 31, 1894 – March 17, 1956), known professionally as Fred Allen, was an American comedian. His absurdist, topically pointed radio program ''The Fred Allen Show'' (1932–1949) made him one of the most popular and for ...
, an All Black of the 1940s who went on to coach the All Blacks to 14 wins from his 14 tests in the 1960s, was born in Oamaru, though not educated there. Another notable sports person is
Gary Robertson, who won gold at the 1972 Olympic Games, Munich, Germany in the NZ Rowing 8. Robertson is the only Olympic gold medalist from Waitaki. He was born in Waimate but grew up in Oamaru and was educated at Waitaki Boys High School.
The world first learned of the death of
Robert Scott and the members of his team on their return from the ill-fated
expedition to the South Pole by way of a cable sent from Oamaru, on 10 February 1913.
From the 1920s to the 1940s
Frank Milner
Frank Milner (7 November 1875 – 2 December 1944) was a notable New Zealand school principal and educationalist. He was born in Nelson, New Zealand on 7 November 1875.
Milner was educated at Nelson College from 1889 to 1892,''Nelson Colle ...
(1875–1944) turned
Waitaki Boys' High School
Waitaki Boys' High School is a secondary school for boys located in the northern part of the town of Oamaru, Otago, New Zealand, with day and boarding facilities, and was founded in 1883. , it has a school roll of approximately 400 students.
The ...
into one of the most admired schools in the country through his old-fashioned values, inspiring
leadership
Leadership, both as a research area and as a practical skill, encompasses the ability of an individual, group or organization to "lead", influence or guide other individuals, teams, or entire organizations. The word "leadership" often gets view ...
and broad outlook.
Notable students include
Charles Brasch
Charles Orwell Brasch (27 July 1909 – 20 May 1973) was a New Zealand poet, literary editor and arts patron. He was the founding editor of the literary journal ''Landfall'', and through his 20 years of editing the journal, had a significant im ...
(1909–1973) at Waitaki (1923–1926), a poet and patron of artists;
Douglas Lilburn
Douglas Gordon Lilburn (2 November 19156 June 2001) was a New Zealand composer.
Early life
Lilburn was born in Whanganui and spent his early years on the family sheep farm in the upper Turakina River valley at Drysdale. He attended Waitaki Bo ...
(1915–2001), "the elder statesman of New Zealand music";
James Bertram (1910–1993), writer and academic;
Denis Blundell
Sir Edward Denis Blundell, (29 May 1907 – 24 September 1984) was a New Zealand lawyer, cricketer and diplomat who served as the 12th Governor-General of New Zealand from 1972 to 1977.
Early life and family
Denis Blundell was born in W ...
, a future
Governor-General of New Zealand
The governor-general of New Zealand ( mi, te kāwana tianara o Aotearoa) is the viceregal representative of the monarch of New Zealand, currently King Charles III. As the King is concurrently the monarch of 14 other Commonwealth realms and li ...
; and
Ian Milner
Ian Frank George Milner (6 June 1911 – 31 May 1991) was a New Zealand Rhodes Scholar at New College, Oxford who had attended Waitaki Boys' High School. He was then a political scientist, a civil servant with the Australian Department of External ...
(1911–1991), the Rector's son, a Czech and English scholar falsely accused of spying for Communism. His father, known as "The Man", died suddenly on 2 December 1944 while speaking at the opening of a stone gateway to Milner Park, Oamaru.
E.A. Gifford (1819–1894), an artist and
Royal Academician
The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its pur ...
, lived in Oamaru from 1877 to 1885 and from 1892 until his death. A genre, portrait and landscape painter he established a national reputation. The art world remembers him for works like his ''Auckland from the Wharf'' of 1887, probably the best-known image of 19th-century Auckland.
Emily Gillies, a 19th-century Oamaru artist, was the daughter of C.H. Street, maternal niece of
Edward Lear
Edward Lear (12 May 1812 – 29 January 1888) was an English artist, illustrator, musician, author and poet, who is known mostly for his literary nonsense in poetry and prose and especially his limerick (poetry), limericks, a form he popularised. ...
(1812–1888), the famous English watercolourist and writer of humorous verse. Lear's sister had virtually brought her brother up. When he died childless before her she inherited his residuary collection. The internationally-significant group of works came to North Otago, where it remained intact until the early 1970s.
The artist
Colin McCahon
Colin John McCahon (; 1August 191927May 1987) was a prominent New Zealand artist whose work over 45 years consisted of various styles, including landscape, figuration, abstraction, and the overlay of painted text. Along with Toss Woollaston and ...
(1919–1987) lived in Oamaru from 1930 to 1931, attending the Middle School. The place and the North Otago landscape made an impression on him. He revisited the area several times as an adult on painting trips. Cartoonist
John Kent, who authored the ''
Varoomshka
''Varoomshka'' was a British satirical and erotic comic strip by New Zealand cartoonist John Kent that ran in ''The Guardian'' from 1969 to 1979. The title character, a buxom and generally scantily-clad young woman, was an everywoman used by Kent ...
''
comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings, often cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions. Traditionally, throughout the 20th and into the 21st ...
for ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' newspaper in England, hailed from Oamaru.
A strong community of living artists , and many dealer galleries have premises in the historic precinct. One of the town's principal living artists,
Donna Demente, produces portraits and masks. At least partly through her work Oamaru hosts an annual mask festival each July, the "Midwinter Masquerade". Another annual celebration, a Victorian Heritage fête, takes place in November.
Other noted former Oamaruvians include broadcaster
Jim Mora and hockey player
Scott Anderson.
David Sewell
David Graham Sewell (born 20 October 1977) is a former New Zealand cricketer. He played one Test match for New Zealand against Zimbabwe in 1997.
Sewell was born in Christchurch. He was a right-handed batsman and a left-arm fast-medium bowler. ...
played one test match for the New Zealand cricket team.
Video game designer
Dean Hall grew up in Oamaru and attended Waitaki Boys' High School.
His interest in mountaineering was fostered while on a geography field trip while studying there, ultimately culminating in him summiting
Mount Everest
Mount Everest (; Tibetan: ''Chomolungma'' ; ) is Earth's highest mountain above sea level, located in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas. The China–Nepal border runs across its summit point. Its elevation (snow heig ...
in May 2013.
Points of interest
![Oamaru neoclassical building](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fe/Oamaru_neoclassical_building.jpg)
Many public buildings use as their construction material the local limestone (quarried especially near Weston) and known as
Oamaru stone
Oamaru stone, sometimes called whitestone, is a hard, compact limestone, quarried at Weston, near Oamaru in Otago, New Zealand.
Oamaru stone was used on many of the grand public buildings in the towns and cities of the southern South Island, es ...
The Victorian precinctin southern part of Oamaru's main commercial district ranks as one of New Zealand's most impressive streetscapes due to the many prominent 19th century buildings constructed from this material. Several key historic buildings in the area centered around Harbour Street and the lower Thames Street, Itchen Street, and Tyne Street have been preserved by the Oamaru Whitestone Civic Trust as part of a historic precinct. The great
palladian
Palladian architecture is a European architectural style derived from the work of the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio (1508–1580). What is today recognised as Palladian architecture evolved from his concepts of symmetry, perspective and ...
St Patrick's Basilica is also a fine example in white Oamaru stone.
The
Victorian theme has been embraced by local shops and galleries in this part of Oamaru in terms of shop fittings and décor. Further enhancing the "olden days" feel of the precinct are several arts and crafts shops, a transportation museum, an antique furniture shop, and traditional businesses such as book shops, antique clothing shops, and a book binder. Many of the buildings in this area close to the harbour used to serve as commercial warehouses and stores and now provide large spaces for galleries such as the Forrester Gallery, the Grainstore Gallery,
The Libratory
The Libratory is New Zealand's first dedicated steampunk art gallery, created by Oamaru
Oamaru (; mi, Te Oha-a-Maru) is the largest town in North Otago, in the South Island of New Zealand, it is the main town in the Waitaki District. It is ...
, and
Steampunk HQ. Even the playgrounds in the harbour area continue the Victorian/industrial steam theme with a giant Penny Farthing structure supporting the swings, and several
Steampunk
Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction that incorporates retrofuturistic technology and aesthetics inspired by 19th-century industrial steam-powered machinery. Steampunk works are often set in an alternative history of the Victorian era or ...
-styled playground features.
![View of the Public Gardens at Oamaru, circa 1925](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a8/View_of_the_Public_Gardens_at_Oamaru%2C_circa_1925._ATLIB_292320.png)
In August 2016 Oamaru made it into the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest gathering of steampunks in the world, a term that was coined in the 1980s and is based on imagining inventions the Victorians might have created for the modern world.
The main retail, services and commercial areas line between Thames Street; State Highway 1 running south follows Severn Street running north, whereas the historic grand commercial buildings dominate the area around lower Thames, Tees, and Tyne Street.
A colony of
little blue penguins lives in a disused quarry on the harbour not far from the historic precinct. The penguins established themselves in the early 1990s, once the rock quarry had been closed in the 1970s, and in 1992 a group of volunteers started to help make the area suitable as a breeding habitat for the penguins and provide guided tours. Apart from the success of the penguin colony, their efforts were rewarded with the colony receiving the Otago Regional Council's Environmental Award in 1995.
Over the course of the early 2000s, a visitors' centre and two grandstands were completed, and today the Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony is Oamaru's largest tourist attraction, receiving over 75,000 visitors annually. It is owned by the Waitaki District Council and carefully managed by the Waitaki Development Board, including monitoring and comparing of behaviour and numbers with a similar penguin colony nearby which is not open to visitors.
A steam train operated by the
Oamaru Steam and Rail Restoration Society
The Oamaru Steam and Rail Restoration Society was formed in 1985 to preserve PWD 535. Since establishment the Society has acquired and preserved Hudswell Clarke built 0-4-0ST B10 of 1924 from the Pukeuri Alliance Freezing Works, a Robert Stephenso ...
runs between a small railway station in the historic precinct and a terminus at the harbour close to the little blue penguin colony on Sundays and during school holidays.
Further south just outside town, a colony of
yellow-eyed penguin
The yellow-eyed penguin (''Megadyptes antipodes''), known also as hoiho or tarakaka, is a species of penguin endemic to New Zealand.
Previously thought closely related to the little penguin (''Eudyptula minor''), molecular research has shown it ...
s at Bushy Beach also attracts
ecotourists. Penguins sometimes live under buildings close to the beach, including the town's music club, ''The Penguin Club''.
The North Otago Tree Planting Association, inaugurated by local Oamaru G.P. Dr. Eric Strawson Stubbs and North Otago farmer Mr. Syd Hurst in 1937, was a forerunner of the New Zealand Farm Forestry Association.
The historic Totara Estate located 8 km south Oamaru.
Heritage New Zealand
Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga (initially the National Historic Places Trust and then, from 1963 to 2014, the New Zealand Historic Places Trust) ( mi, Pouhere Taonga) is a Crown entity with a membership of around 20,000 people that advocate ...
restored and opened these buildings to the public on 15 February 1982, exactly 100 years after the
''Dunedin'''s historic sailing – creating the New Zealand frozen meat industry. By 1902 frozen meat made up 20% of all New Zealand exports.
Tourism Waitaki is the official tourism body for the whole of Waitaki District.
Media
The ''
Oamaru Mail
The ''Oamaru Mail'' is a weekly community newspaper published each Friday in Oamaru, New Zealand, by the Dunedin–based media company Allied Press Ltd that serves the North Otago area. The motto of the paper is "Your community, Your News".
...
'' is a weekly newspaper published every Friday, by Allied Press Ltd. It has a team of reporters, who also write for the ''
Otago Daily Times
The ''Otago Daily Times'' (ODT) is a newspaper published by Allied Press Ltd in Dunedin, New Zealand. The ''ODT'' is one of the country's four main daily newspapers, serving the southern South Island with a circulation of around 26,000 and a c ...
'', based in Oamaru. It has served the people of the Waitaki region since 1876. ''
The Oamaru Telegram'' is published every Tuesday and is produced, printed, published, and based in Oamaru.
The town is within the coverage area of
Radio Dunedin
Radio Dunedin is a radio station, broadcasting from Dunedin, New Zealand on 95.4 FM, 1305 AM, in the central city on 106.7 FM, and online.
The station was launched in late 1922, becoming the first radio station in New Zealand, and according to t ...
and within the circulation area of the ''
Otago Daily Times
The ''Otago Daily Times'' (ODT) is a newspaper published by Allied Press Ltd in Dunedin, New Zealand. The ''ODT'' is one of the country's four main daily newspapers, serving the southern South Island with a circulation of around 26,000 and a c ...
'', based in Dunedin. Oamaru has its own
community television
Community television is a form of mass media in which a television station is owned, operated or programmed by a community group to provide television programs of local interest known as local programming.
Community television stations are most c ...
station, "45 South Television", which transmits from Cape Wanbrow on UHF Digital channel 34, and an independent classic rock radio station ''Real Classic Rock'', which has studios based in Thames Street, and transmits from Cape Wanbrow. Oamaru also has a radio station called Oamaru FM 91.2 that also broadcasts from Cape Wanbrow.
Transport
Oamaru is on
State Highway 1
The following highways are numbered 1.
For roads numbered A1, see list of A1 roads.
For roads numbered B1, see list of B1 roads.
For roads numbered M1, see List of M1 roads.
For roads numbered N1, see list of N1 roads.
For roads numbere ...
(SH1), the main road route down the eastern coast of the South Island. There are regular coach and minibus services to
Christchurch
Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...
,
Dunedin
Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...
, and the
Mackenzie Country
The Mackenzie Basin (), popularly and traditionally known as the Mackenzie Country, is an elliptical intermontane river basin, basin located in the Mackenzie District, Mackenzie and Waitaki Districts, near the centre of the South Island of Ne ...
, leaving from Eden Street outside the Lagonda Tearooms, which provides booking facilities and other travel services.
Oamaru is the end point of the
Alps to Ocean Cycle Trail from
Aoraki / Mount Cook
Aoraki / Mount Cook is the highest mountain in New Zealand. Its height, as of 2014, is listed as . It sits in the Southern Alps, the mountain range that runs the length of the South Island. A popular tourist destination, it is also a favourite ...
, a cycle trail constructed following approval in 2010 by the
New Zealand Cycle Trail
The New Zealand Cycle Trail project (Māori: ''Nga Haerenga'', "The Journeys") is a New Zealand government initiative, co-funded together with local councils and charitable trusts, which is to build and operate a network of cycle routes throug ...
project. The trail terminates at Friendly Bay, adjacent to Oamaru's Victorian Historic Precinct.
Oamaru Airport
Oamaru Airport is an airport located 20 km north of Oamaru alongside State Highway 1, at Hilderthorpe in the North Otago region and the Waitaki District of New Zealand.
History
On 10 December 1960 South Pacific Airlines of New Zealand ...
is north of the town at Pururi. After
Air New Zealand Link
Air New Zealand Link was a brand name under which Air New Zealand's subsidiary regional airlines operated flights. They primarily connected regional centres with New Zealand's three main international airports, Auckland Airport, Wellington Inter ...
ceased operations in 2010, scheduled flights between Oamaru and Christchurch resumed in 2014 with
Mainland Air
Mainland Air is a general aviation, flight training and air charter company operating out of Dunedin International Airport in New Zealand.
History
Mainland Air was established in 1991 by Queenstown businessman Christopher Kelliher. From 1995 t ...
. However they were terminated after a few months.
The main south line of the
South Island Main Trunk Railway
The Main North Line between Picton and Christchurch and the Main South Line between Lyttelton and Invercargill, running down the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand, are sometimes together referred to collectively as the South Isla ...
leads through Oamaru. A short side track connects Oamaru's historic precinct and a disused quarry at the harbour, with a tourist steam train running on Sundays. The 1900 railway station has been listed
NZHPT Category II since 1983. It is a
standard class B station, of weatherboard and corrugated iron.
Education
There are three secondary schools in Oamaru, each catering for students in years 9 to 13.
Waitaki Boys' High School
Waitaki Boys' High School is a secondary school for boys located in the northern part of the town of Oamaru, Otago, New Zealand, with day and boarding facilities, and was founded in 1883. , it has a school roll of approximately 400 students.
The ...
is a secondary school for boys located in the northern part of Oamaru, with day and boarding facilities. It was founded in 1883,
and has a roll of students.
Waitaki Girls' High School
"Satisfaction from hard work"
, established = 1887; years ago
, principal = Elizabeth Koni
, address = Trent Street, Oamaru, New Zealand
, coordinates =
, type = State, Girls, Secondary years 9-13
, roll = ()
, decile ...
is a state high school for girls. It was founded in 1887,
and has a roll of . It also has a boarding hostel which houses approximately 50 girls, including international students and tutors.
St Kevin's College, Oamaru
('To Do and To Teach')
, established = 6 February 1927; years ago
, type = Integrated co-educational secondary
, affiliations = Roman Catholic, Christian Brothers, Dominican Sisters
, founder ...
(founded 1927) is a coeducational state-integrated Catholic day and boarding high school with a roll of . The school was founded in 1927.
St Joseph's School was established by the Dominican Sisters and the Christian Brothers. It is the only Catholic primary school in North Otago. It has a roll of and it caters for students up to year 8. There are no longer any Sisters or Brothers on the staff and the school is run and managed by lay people.
Oamaru Intermediate provides education for years 7 and 8. It has a roll of .
The other state primary schools in Oamaru, which cater for students up to year 6, are Fenwick School, with a roll of , Pembroke School, with a roll of , and Te Pākihi O Maru (previously called Oamaru North School), with a roll of ,
Surrounding areas include Weston School, Ardgowan School, Totara School and Five Forks School.
Rolls are as of
Cultural references
Janet Frame
Janet Paterson Frame (28 August 1924 – 29 January 2004) was a New Zealand author. She was internationally renowned for her work, which included novels, short stories, poetry, juvenile fiction, and an autobiography, and received numerous awar ...
fictionalised the Oamaru of her childhood as "Waimaru". Some of
Fiona Farrell
Fiona Farrell (born 1947) is a New Zealand poet, fiction and non-fiction writer and playwright.
Early years and education
Fiona Farrell was born and raised in Oamaru, in the South Island of New Zealand. She attended Waitaki Girls' High Sc ...
's literary works also feature Oamaru.
Peter F. Hamilton
Peter F. Hamilton (born 1960) is a British author. He is known for writing science fiction space opera.
Biography
Peter F. Hamilton was born in Rutland in 1960. He did not attend university. He said in an interview, "I did science at school ...
's novel ''
The Dreaming Void
The ''Void Trilogy'' is a space opera series by British author Peter F. Hamilton. The series is set in the same universe as The '' Commonwealth Saga'', 1,200 years after the end of '' Judas Unchained''.
Peter F. Hamilton sold the American rights ...
'' (London: Macmillan, 2007; ) refers to "the backwater External World of Oamaru" (page 22). The same author's science-fiction novel
''Great North Road'' mentions a remote camp called Oamaru, set up in the unexplored remote continent of Brogal on the
Sirius
Sirius is the list of brightest stars, brightest star in the night sky. Its name is derived from the Ancient Greek language, Greek word , or , meaning 'glowing' or 'scorching'. The star is designated α Canis Majoris, Latinisation ...
-system planet St Libra in the year 2143.
Parts of Tyne and Harbour Street, in Oamaru's Victorian precinct were used for the set of the Netflix films ''
The Royal Treatment'' and ''
The Power of the Dog.''
Twin towns
*
Devizes
Devizes is a market town and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. It developed around Devizes Castle, an 11th-century Norman architecture, Norman castle, and received a charter in 1141. The castle was besieged during the Anarchy, a 12th-century ...
, England
See also
*
Waitaki District
Waitaki District is a territorial authority district that is located in the Canterbury and Otago regions of the South Island of New Zealand. It straddles the traditional border between the two regions, the Waitaki River, and its seat is Oamaru. ...
*
Waitaki District Council
Waitaki District Council ( mi, Te Kaunihera ā-Rohe o Waitaki) is the territorial authority for the Waitaki District of New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two ...
*
Thomas Forrester
Thomas Forrester is a fictional character from ''The Bold and the Beautiful'', an American soap opera on the CBS network. Created and introduced by Bradley Bell, the role has been portrayed by multiple child actors. In 2004, the role was rapid ...
*
Oamaru Stone
Oamaru stone, sometimes called whitestone, is a hard, compact limestone, quarried at Weston, near Oamaru in Otago, New Zealand.
Oamaru stone was used on many of the grand public buildings in the towns and cities of the southern South Island, es ...
References
Further reading
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
Oamaru Whitestone Civic TrustWaitaki District Council''Oamaru Harbour'' from NZ History online, with Media GalleryTourism WaitakiInformation on Oamaru historical buildingsDr. Eric Stubbs''The Borough Race'' from IPENZ Engineering Heritage
{{Authority control
Populated places in Otago
Port cities in New Zealand