Twenty Fourth Entry

Today's entry will focus mostly on the Botanic Garden and the diamond-in-the-rough neo Greco-Roman architecture that is so prevalent in the downtown of Dunedin. Below You can see its location on the map;

A little closer look reveals a city oriented around a rather large harbour where we saw at least one military ship--a frigate?--amongst the several commercial vessels in the port.

According to the port of Otago website, "Port Chalmers is the birthplace of New Zealand's modern export trade.  It was there, in February 1882, that New Zealand's first cargo of frozen meat left for Great Britain on the refrigerated ship Dunedin.  When it arrived in London 98 days later, with the meat still in excellent condition, it heralded the beginning of New Zealand's export status.  To this day, Port Otago Ltd and Port Chalmers remain at the forefront of New Zealand's export trade."

 Although it was an old city, it had a lot to offer to the eye. The bronze sculptures strewn around the downtown area retell the rich history of the people who founded and later had a hand in making this seaport thrive over the many years. It remains as one of the most interesting places to visit in order to get a glimpse into the early ambitions of the settlers of this country.

A little more modern bronze sculpture also populates the decidedly serious historic

theme of the  downtown core, giving it a much lighter and more whimsical mood.

Old meets semi-new in this picture of Dunedin's eclectic treasure trove of architectural gems, as we see a 1960's Frank Lloyd Wright style building to the right, abutted directly to an example of what you might find in the very early 1800's in Europe right next door. (Help me out here, you architectural buffs; what style is the yellow hotel?)

Some more fascinating, and sometimes bizarre architectural detail below;

Something to do with Poseidon, possibly?

According to Wikipedia, Phoenix House, seen below, was designed and constructed in 1885, by famous Dunedin architect, Francis Petre, who, ironically enough, spent his whole life building in stone (Petre) in the Gothic Revival style.

"The cityscape glitters with gems of Victorian and Edwardian architecture – the legacy of the city's gold-rush affluence. Many, including First Church, Otago Boys' High School and Larnach Castle were designed by one of New Zealand's most eminent architects R A Lawson."

The picture below shows the fascination the aforementioned Edwardian architecture had with occult figures. Notice the rather macabre caricature of Pan, the ancient Grecian god, here revered by architects working during a period in which the Freemason movement was strong worldwide (Take note that Pan is located in the all-important key-stone of the arch, the name given to many of the movement's lodges. Coincidence?)

"Shackled by the Iron Age
Lost the Woodland heritage
Heavy goes the heart of man
Parted from the light-foot Pan;
Wearily he wears the chain
Till the Goat-god comes again."
--Dion Fortune

"Many romantic poems were written in the 18th and 19th centuries, [such as this one], recalling classical glory and a nostalgia for the Gods of Nature in the so-called Age of Reason." It is interesting to note that the turn of the 20th century was a time heavily steeped in pantheism--the belief that God/god existed inside the things of nature rather than being the Creator of nature.

More amazingly intricate stonework below.

Portico, downtown Dunedin, NZ

Same building as above, only at a distance