Discover the treasures and special stories of this amazing region when you visit our landmark gallery, Southern Land, Southern People.

Discover a region of superlatives and extremes ... driest, wettest, coldest, highest, windiest, most remote. Southern Land, Southern People explains the origins of our demanding landscape and environment, how people discovered and explored it, how they utilised its natural resources and how its challenging nature rubbed off on them in the form of 'southern character'. Let the gallery suggest what else to experience while in Southern New Zealand.

Journey through geological time. Enjoy a close encounter with the superb fossil collections from the University of Otago recording our history over 500 million years. Discover New Zealand's largest fossil, the Shag Point plesiosaur - a striking sea-serpent like creature. Meet the largest collection of moa skeletons in New Zealand and find out why these incredible birds became extinct.

Investigate the southern lifestyle with stories of pioneering ingenuity and success - learn how Maori and Europeans explored and settled Southern New Zealand. Admire over 50 New Zealand artworks commissioned to help illustrate our vibrant stories.

If you are coming to Dunedin for the first time make Southern Land, Southern People your starting point.

Downloadable Children's Activity
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