This is a list of some of the notable demolitions in Dunedin since then end of World War II. It is not, and does not attempt to be, a comprehensive record. Its purpose is to record some key changes in the cityscape, whether regrettable or not. Compiling the list has been a slow process over many years and it is still a work in progress. Corrections to dates or suggestions for additions are welcome, as are photographs of historic demolitions.
David Murray
1948. Burns memorial, Octagon.
1949. Littlebourne (house).
1949. Union Street School.
1949. Kensington School.
1954. Tolcarne (house).
1954. Red Lion Brewery, George Street.
1955. Caledonian grandstand (fire damaged).
1955, 1961. Briscoe’s (T&G) building, Princes and Jetty streets.
1957. George Street School (stone building).
1957. Brown Ewing building (former), Princes and Manse streets.
1958. Princess (St James) Theatre, High Street.
1958. A.C. Begg house, Ross and Michie streets.
1959. Braemar House, Moray Place.
1959. Seacliff Mental Hospital, main block.
1960. Albert Buildings (Brown Ewing), Princes Street.
1960. Carlton Hotel, High Street.
1961. Caversham School.
1961? Dunedin North Police Station, Great King Street.
1961. Tabernacle (later Little Theatre, Orphans’ Club), Great King Street.
1963. Otago Education Board building, Moray Place.
1963. Port Chalmers Railway Station.
1964. Former fire station, Harrop Street.
1966. Moray Place Baths.
1966? St Helen’s Hostel, Regent Road.
1967? Butler Bros, Water and Vogel streets.
1968. Ross & Glendining building, High Street.
1968. Benevolent Institution, Caversham.
1968. Commercial Bank building, Princes and Dowling streets.
1968. Chingford (house), off North Road.
1968. North East Valley School, North Road.
1969. Stock Exchange, Princes Street.
1969. Standard Insurance building, High Street.
1969. Sargood, Son & Ewen building, High and Dowling streets.
1969. Rockwood, Forbury Road and Valpy Street.
1969. AMP building, Princes and Dowling streets.
1969-1972. Garden Terrace and Palmyra houses.
1970. Thomson’s Building, Police and Crawford streets.
1970. Broadway Arcade.
1970. West Taieri Presbyterian Church.
1970. Government Life Insurance building, Princes and Rattray streets.
1971. Roslyn Methodist Church, Taieri Road
1971. Synagogue (II), Moray Place.
1971. Driver house, Drivers Road, Maori Hill.
1972. Hotel Dunedin, Princes Street.
1972. Inland Revenue building (formerly Anderson & Morrison), Moray Place.
1972. North East Valley Town Hall.
1972. Mosgiel Flour Mill
1972. Knox Church halls, Great King and Frederick streets.
1973. YMCA, Moray Place.
1973. Norwich Union, Queens Gardens.
1973. Telegraph Office, Rattray Street (Exchange).
1973. Custom House, High Street (Exchange).
1973. St Paul’s School Rooms, Stuart Street.
1973. Car shed, Transport Place (partial).
1974. CML and adjacent buildings, Princes and High streets.
1974. Campbell House, Otago Boys’ High School.
1974. McGavin’s Brewery, Duke Street.
1975? Samson’s Building, Dowling Street.
1976. Sprosen’s Building, Octagon and George Street.
1976. Bank of New South Wales, Princes Street.
1976. Belle Vue, Belleknowes.
1976. Terrace houses, Smith Street.
1976? New Club Hotel (formerly Universal Hotel, Metropolitan Hotel), Maclaggan Street.
1976. Leith and Union brewery buildings, Duke and Moat streets.
1976. Parkview (Willows) Terrace, Princes Street.
1976? South British Insurance building, Liverpool Street.
1977. Hallelujah Hall, Albany Street.
1977. Knox Church manse, George Street.
1977. Caversham Post Office.
1977. Mackintosh Caley Phoenix / AB Consolidated factory, Maclaggan Street.
1978. Green Island Presbyterian Church, Main South Road.
1978. ‘Tudor’ house, Leven Street.
1979. Douglas Hotel, George Street and Octagon.
1979-1980. Irvine & Stevenson’s St George Co. factory, Filleul and London streets.
1980. Little Sisters of the Poor Home, Andersons Bay.
1980. St Leonards Railway Station.
1981. Plunket Pavilion, Dunedin Hospital.
1981. Onslow House, Queens Drive.
1982. Abernethy’s Building, George Street and Moray Place.
1983. High Street School.
1983. Criterion Hotel (Coffee Palace), Moray Place.
1983. Edinburgh House, Bond Street.
1984. Mornington Methodist Church, Galloway Street.
1984. Caversham Gas Works.
1985. Laurier/Metro Cinema, Port Chalmers.
1985. Redroofs.
1986. City Hotel, Princes Street and Moray Place.
1986. Ivy House, York Place.
1986. Otago Daily Times and adjacent buildings, Queens Gardens.
1987. Hotel Central (partial), Princes Street.
1987. Monowai (house), 129 London Street.
1989. Lyceum / City Hall / Alhambra / King’s Theatre, Dowling Street.
1989. Vertical retort house, gasworks, Hillside Road.
1989. Shacklock building, Princes Street.
1990. Fire Station (former), Cumberland Street.
1990. Clyde Chambers, Dowling Street.
1990. House, 66 Clyde Street.
1990. McLeod Brothers soapworks.
1990-1991. J. & W. Faulkner and adjacent buildings, St Andrew Street.
1991. Gas Governor House.
1991. Plaza Theatre building, George Street.
1991. Comercial Travellers’ Club building, Dowling Street.
1992. The Willows (house), Kew.
1992? Former Waverley Hotel, Moray Place.
1994. Moreau College buildings.
1994. Century Theatre and adjacent building, Princes Street.
1995. Caledonian Tavern.
1995. St Mary’s Church, Mosgiel.
1995. Commercial building, 20 Bath Street
1996. Commercial building, 239-241 George Street.
1996-1997. Arthur Barnett buildings (except facade), George Street.
1998. St Stephen’s Presbyterian Church, Great King and Howe streets.
1998-1999. Central Library, University of Otago (some retention).
1999. Reid Farmers building, Cumberland Street.
1999. St David Street cottages. University of Otago.
2000. Governor building, Caversham Gas Works
2000. Toff’s Used Clothing (former), Great King Street.
2000. King’s High School, central block.
2000. Kirkland Hall, Green Island.
2002. House, 9 Wallace Street.
2002. John M. Fraser buildings, Crawford and Bond streets.
2003? W. Scoular building (former), Crawford Street.
2004. Young Bros (former) and adjoining buildings, Jervois Street.
2005? Former St Kilda Post Office (Mitchell House), Prince Albert Road.
2006. Thyme Out Restaurant, George Street.
2006. Farmers building (except for facade and south wall), George Street.
2009. Butterworth Bros building (former), High Street.
2009. Bank of Australasia building (former), High Street
2009. Forbury Park members’ stand (former), Victoria Road
2009. Waikouaiti Presbyterian Church.
2009. Donald Reid wool store (former), Parry Street.
2010. Beach Hotel, Prince Albert Road.
2010. Shaw Savill & Albion wool and grain store (former), Parry Street.
2010. House, 556 Highgate.
2010? Former Orange Hall, Leith Street.
2011. Wilson Malt Extract Co. (former), Ward Street.
2011. Marlow and Patrick buildings, Tennyson Street.
2011. Garrison Hall, Port Chalmers.
2011. Dainty Dairy, Stuart Street.
2011-2014. Barron’s building (Dragon Cafe), Rattray Street.
2012. Brocklebank Building, King Edward Street.
2012. Speight’s sales office building, Rattray Street.
2012. Houses (approx 25), Caversham Valley Road.
2013. St Patrick’s presbytery, Macandrew Road.
2013. Montecillo, Eglinton Road.
2013. Girl Guides’ Hall (former Oddfellows’ Hall), Gordon Road, Mosgiel.
2013. W.J. Haynes Ltd building, Ward Street.
2013. Carisbrook.
2014. W. Gregg & Co. buildings, Riego Street.
2014. Royal Tavern (former Green Island Hotel), Main South Road.
2014. Corstorphine School.
2015. Mathews House (former Cramond family home), Dundas Street.
2015. ‘Octagon’ from former 1889-1890 Exhibition, Kuri Bush.
2016. Barningham Building, off Great King Street. University of Otago.
2016. Vacuum Oil Co. stores, Fryatt and Halsey streets.
2016. Lindon house, King Edward Street.
2016. Maranatha (former Allan house), Gordon Road, Mosgiel
2016. Wickliffe Press buildings, Clyde and Union streets. University of Otago.
2017. St Bernadette’s Catholic Church, Forbury Road.
2017. Rahiri (former Walker house), Park Street.
2017. Wesley Methodist Church, Hillside Road.
2017. Moller Memorial Arch, Ravensbourne Road.
2018. House built by John Lunn, Dundas Street.
2018. House, 49 Duncan Street.
2018. Richard Hudson Kindergarten, Rutherford Street, Caversham.
2018. Southern Tavern (except facade).
2018. Former St Clair Presbyterian Church.
2019. Fryatt Street sheds (Harbour Basin).
2019. House, 646 George Street.
2019. Waterside Workers’ Building, Port Chalmers.
2019. Mornington Baptist Church.
2020. St James Presbyterian Church, South Dunedin.
2020. Wisnesky house, 29 Playfair Street, Caversham.
2020. Former Glenroy Primitive Methodist Church, North East Valley.
2020. Former Coulls Somerville Wilkie factory, Cumberland Street.
2020. Former Mosgiel Presbyterian Church manse, Dey Street.
2020-2021. Cadbury factory, Cumberland and Castle streets.
2020-2021. Former NZBC studios, Albany Street. University of Otago.
2021. Scribes Books building, Great King and St David streets.
2021. Former Mosgiel Baptist Church, Gordon Road.
2022. Mackerras house, Rosemount, Warrender Street.
2022-2023. Hillside Railway Workshops, Hillside Road.
2022. Union Court, Union Street. University of Otago.
2023. McIntosh House, Cumberland Street. University of Otago.
2023. 158-170 Rattray Street.
2023. White house 44 Union Street. University of Otago.
2023. Forth house. 479 Great King Street. University of Otago.
Built in Dunedin 
I know of two that are not listed: Mackintosh Caley in Maclaggan St, St George jam factory.
Thanks Selwyn – I’ve just put those in at your suggestion. The old Mackintosh Caley Phoenix factory was demolished in 1977 and Irvine & Stevenson’s St George Co. factory over the summer of 1979-1980.
1976 Sprossen’s building should be Sprosen’s.
Thanks Derek (and apologies). Corrected.
When was Central Battery St Kilda demolished?
I have a newspaper reference to demolition in April 1959.
I served there from 1972 till 1976 so not sure what was demolished in 1959.
Sorry it’s a bit outside my area of knowledge, but I can dig out the source next week and see what it says. Something was destroyed in ’59 with explosives.
It was announced the Army were selling the site in 1999 according to the Otago Daily Times (20.10.99).
Thanks for that. That actually sounds about right. Now to find a photo of while it was still standing 😊
Thanks to Ngairena Hibbs for the photo of the Maranatha demolition, which took place on 11 July 2016
So how does something like Maranatha get demolished in 2016??!
The listings on Schedule 25.1 of the District Plan give meaningful protection for specific sites, but the precinct overlays are almost all in the central city and many significant buildings do not have the protection they merit. I think there are fewer than twenty listings for the entire Taieri Plain, including only six in Mosgiel.
I see there are 773 places listed locally, perhaps that’s not enough? or it that listing doesn’t mean a lot – I see the St James / Rialto is cat 1, but the interior is dismantled, unlikely to return.
The Forbury School hall in Oxford Street is soon to be demolished.
Thanks Monique. I think it was built in 1905.
Hi David, not exactly willful demolition, but the sad loss of the old industrial buildings (soap factory?) at Burnside recently. Might you do a feature on these?
Hi John, I would find that interesting to look into, but I don’t see myself getting to it in the near future. I have a few in the pipeline were I’ve done most of the research but haven’t got as far as the writing up.
An Ancestor of mine – Alexander McCallum had a shop in Maclaggan street and subsequently died there in 1862. He was in partnership with an Andrew MURRAY who was married to Jessie Wilson. Any connection to your family, David? The firm was called ‘McCallum and Murray’ and both men have been listed as drapers.
I doesn’t look like there’s a connection, unless distant. My Murray ancestors came out from Sutherland in 1864, on the British Empire. They settled at Dunback.
Hi Ann, my ancestors were Andrew Murray and Jessie Wilson from Dunedin. They married in 1865. They very well could have been in business with your ancestor, Alexander McCallum. Do you have any further information on their business? Andrew and Jessie’s daughter, Ivy Jessie Murray was my grandmother’s grandmother. I have had difficulty finding any information on that side of the family.
The terraced houses 22 to 28 Glasgow St were demolished in the early 1960s. Anybody have a photograph of them before they got demolished. I used to live in no 22. Great memories.
Are there any demolition photos of the YMCA and Dunedin Synagogue in Moray Place. Thanks.
I haven’t found any, sorry. I was interested to read there was a YMCA open day concurrent with the start of demolition work in November 1971. “Members of the public will be invited to wield a hammer and smash a 4in-thick slab of concrete on the chest of a local weightlifter, Mr B. O’Driscoll” (ODT 26 Nov 1971 p.9).