Also on the docket was a trip to Olveston house, a beautiful old mansion that was completed in 1906 for a local Jewish family. Neither of the two children of the family had any children of their own, so the house was donated by the last surviving member of the family, Dorothy Theomin, in 1966. There were a handful of modern improvements made since the home was built, but not many. The family traveled extensively, and brought back many treasures over the years. It's a stunning home, but it feels as if it was a happy one. I highly recommend a visit. Sadly, you can't take pictures inside, but you can take pictures of the gardens.
There were a couple more Dunedin landmarks to get to, including the First Church of Otago. The first First Church was built in 1848, and then several structures later, the current church was built in 1873. It's the fourth tallest building on the South Island. And kinda purdy.
There's a small museum in the back, mostly dealing with the history of the church and its congregation over the years, including this wedding dress from 1882.
There was a gold rush in Central Otago in the 1860s, bringing many new settlers to the area, including quite a few people from China. During the city's sesquicentennial celebrations in 1998, the city decided that they wanted to honor these settlers with a permanent garden. The garden opened to the public in 2008. It's gorgeous and incredibly peaceful place.
I had a quite a lovely summer in Dunedin, and I was sad to leave when the time came. It's a wonderful place!
