Dunedin is located on the southeast coast of New Zealand’s South Island. Covering approximately 3,300 square kilometres and with a population of about 133,000, it is the South Island’s second-largest city.

Scottish settlers began arriving in Dunedin in 1848. The discovery of gold nearby in 1861 brought an influx of prospectors, including many Chinese miners, whose population reached 5,000 at its peak. Chinese miners helped both to develop existing goldfields and to discover new deposits. The city prospered, becoming a foundation of New Zealand’s commercial wealth and, for a time, its largest city.

Dunedin’s economy is now centred on education, research, agriculture and pastoral farming, and port logistics. Livestock farming is well developed in the surrounding area, with wool, meat and dairy products among the main exports. Port Otago is an important international trading port in the South Island, with well-developed container handling, warehousing and cold-chain logistics facilities.

The city has extensive educational resources, including the University of Otago and Otago Polytechnic. Established in 1869, the University of Otago is New Zealand’s first university, with its main campus in Dunedin. The close relationship between the university and the city’s development has earned Dunedin a reputation as a university city.

Dunedin has a rich historical and cultural heritage, with many Scottish-style historic buildings, museums, cultural facilities and nature reserves. Its strong Scottish traditions and distinctive urban character have earned it a reputation as “the most Scottish city outside Scotland”.

Dunedin established a sister-city relationship with Shanghai in 1994. Lan Yuan Dunedin Chinese Garden, jointly developed by Dunedin and Shanghai, opened in 2008. Designed in the classical garden style of China’s Jiangnan region, it has become an important venue for showcasing traditional Chinese culture, celebrating Chinese festivals and promoting people-to-people exchanges between China and New Zealand. Dunedin became a sister city of Qingyuan, Guangdong Province, in 2017.

The current mayor is Sophie Barker.