Milestone for Athenaeum

By ODT - Linda Robertson | Posted: Friday May 09, 2025

Milestone for Athenaeum | Otago Daily Times Online News

Chairman Tony Eyre welcomes guests to a 155th anniversary celebration of the Dunedin Athenaeum Library & Mechanics’ Institute. The milestone was marked yesterday with a talk about the history of the building by Hocken archivist Tom Riley and readings from award-winning Dunedin authors Laurence Fearnley and Fiona Farrell, ONZM.

The only purpose-built athenaeum in New Zealand that is still being used for its original purpose, the building was designed by architect David Ross and opened its doors at 23 The Octagon on May 8, 1870.

The institute itself was founded in 1851 in the Exchange with the aim of providing education and literary opportunities for settlers.