Signal Hill (Maori: Te Pahuri o te Rangipohika) is a prominent landform in the city of
Dunedin,
New Zealand. It is located close to, and due north of, the head of the
Otago Harbour and reaches an elevation of 393 m (1289 ft). The suburbs
Ravensbourne,
St. Leonards, and
Opoho
Ōpoho is a suburb of the New Zealand city of Dunedin. It sits on the western flank of Signal Hill, New Zealand, to the northeast of the city centre, overlooking North East Valley and the Dunedin Botanic Gardens.
The New Zealand Ministry for ...
lie on its southern, eastern, and northwestern flanks, respectively. To the northwest is
North East Valley
North East Valley (sometimes spelt Northeast Valley, and often abbreviated to NEV) is a suburb of the New Zealand city of Dunedin.
Geography
North East Valley sits in the valley of the Lindsay Creek, a tributary of the Water of Leith and on t ...
, the
thalweg of
Lindsay Creek, a tributary of the
Water of Leith. The southernmost spur of Signal Hill, Logan Point, has been extensively quarried for road gravel.
State Highway 88 skirts the foot of the hill close to the edge of the Otago Harbour.
A secondary summit of the hill (height 329 m) is capped by a monument to the New Zealand Centennial of 1940, a large structure including two large bronze figures representing "History" and "The Thread of Life" designed by F. W. Sturrock and F. W. Staub. Although commissioned for the centenary of the signing of the
Treaty of Waitangi, the monument was not constructed until the 1950s, owing to the enforced strictures of
World War II. A large stone from
Edinburgh in
Scotland is also incorporated in the monument, symbolising the ties between Dunedin and its
sister city.
The monument is surrounded by a scenic reserve 180 hectares in extent. This park was inaugurated as a much smaller park in 1926, and has gradually been extended to its current size. The reserve, located only five kilometres from central Dunedin, is a popular site for both locals and visitors, and affords an excellent panoramic view over the city.
In October 2006, a series of bush fires caused extensive damage to the plantations of forest which cover the western slopes of the hill.
References
{{Commons category, Signal Hill (Dunedin)
*Bishop, G. & Hamel, A. (1993). ''From Sea to Silver Peaks''. Dunedin: John McIndoe.
*Herd, J. & Griffiths, G. J. (1980). ''Discovering Dunedin''. Dunedin: John McIndoe.
Hills of Otago
Geography of Dunedin
Protected areas of Otago
Tourist attractions in Dunedin
Urban forests in New Zealand