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Home »New Zealand Travel »Scenic Highlights »History & Culture »Dunedin Railway Station

Dunedin Railway Station - the "Gingerbread House"

Image Source: Tourism New Zealand. Dunedin Railway Station, Dunedin, New Zealand

Dunedin Railway Station
Photographer: Hiroshi Nameda
(hnamechan@hotmail.com)

The Dunedin Railway Station was opened in 1906 in Dunedin City, New Zealand.

The sheer size, grandiose style and rich embellishments of the Dunedin Railway Station, earned architect George A. Troup the nickname of "Gingerbread George".

Troup designed the Dunedin station in the Flemish Renaissance style, similar to that of Otago University and the nearby Law Courts. It is built of Kokonga basalt with Oamaru limestone facings and incorporates a variety of shapes, textures and materials.

Original construction on the building began in 1903, and it was officially opened in 1906.

In the early days, the Dunedin Railway Station was the busiest in New Zealand. Up to 100 trains a day once used the station. The economic decline and minimization of rail transport in New Zealand means that just a few trains use the station today.

In 1999 the building went through a major restoration project, bringing it back to its former glory.

Today, sightseeing trains run from the Dunedin Railway Station through the Taieri Gorge and up the Otago Coast.

Weekly Saturday markets are held in Anzac Square, just outside of the railway station.

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