Of all New Zealand's cities, Dunedin has the largest concentration of grand Victorian and Edwardian buildings. The university's clock tower is a particularly handsome architectural landmark.
Founded in 1869, the University of Otago is New Zealand's oldest tertiary education establishment. Its Registry Building, often referred to as the Clocktower Building, is a Dunedin landmark. The building was modelled on the main building of the Glasgow University in Scotland and is constructed from contrasting dark basalt and light Oamaru stone. Several adjacent buildings mirror the style of the original building. They create a heart for the university around a quadrangle dominated by large magnolia trees. These other buildings include the Archway Building, formerly home to the University of Otago School of Mines; the Geology Building; Marama Hall, the Music Department's offices and concert hall; and Allen Hall, home to the Department of Theatre Studies. The mid to late Victorian period of Dunedin's growth coincided with an exciting era in the history of architecture, with revivals of Gothic, Italianate, Palladian and Georgian forms. Readily available building materials - such as Leith Valley andesite, Port Chalmers bluestone and North Otago whitestone - complemented these forms handsomely and helped the area's settlers to create the "Edinburgh of the South".