History and Governance
– Caversham was founded by William Henry Valpy during the Central Otago Gold Rush of the 1860s.
– The suburb was heavily industrialized by the end of the 19th century.
– Caversham was a separate borough until 1904 when it was amalgamated with Dunedin city.
– The Caversham Road Board administered Caversham before it became a borough in 1877.
– The Dunedin City Council currently administers Caversham.
Geography and Landmarks
– Caversham is located at the western edge of Dunedin’s central plain.
– It is situated at the mouth of the steep Caversham Valley.
– Major road and rail routes south run through the suburb.
– Notable landmarks in Caversham include Lisburn House, the Hillside Railway Workshops, and Carisbrook (formerly a sports venue).
Residential, Commercial, and Economic Areas
– Caversham is predominantly a residential area with some industrial premises in the eastern part of the suburb.
– The retail district is centered on South Road and Hillside Road.
– Caversham has areas of light industrial businesses.
– The main retail area is on South Road.
– Caversham was heavily industrialized in its early years, with industries such as brickworks, gasworks, and breweries.
Sports and Recreation
– Carisbrook, one of Dunedin’s main sports venues, was located in Caversham until 2011.
– The Southern Rugby Football Club and Caversham Football Club are based in Caversham.
– Caversham has a rich sporting history and is home to various sports clubs.
– Lookout Point offers panoramic views and is the starting point of the Dunedin Southern Motorway.
Demographics and Education
– The 2018 Caversham statistical area had an estimated population of 2,120.
– The suburb had a population of 2,265 at the 2018 New Zealand census.
– Caversham has a diverse population, with a high proportion of European/Pākehā and Māori residents.
– The suburb has a primary school, special needs school, and nearby kindergartens and child-care centers.
– The nearest secondary schools are Queens High School and Kings High School. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caversham,_New_Zealand
Caversham | |
|---|---|
 South Road, Caversham, looking west towards the start of the Caversham Valley | |
 | |
| Coordinates: 45°54′S 170°29′E / 45.900°S 170.483°E | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| City | Dunedin |
| Established | 1850s |
| Area | |
| • Land | 71 ha (175 acres) |
| Population (June 2023) | |
| • Total | 2,160 |
| Balaclava | Maryhill | Mornington |
| Lookout Point |   Caversham  | Kensington |
| Calton Hill | Forbury, Kew | South Dunedin |
Caversham /ˈkævərʃəm/ is one of the older suburbs of the city of Dunedin, in New Zealand's South Island. It is sited at the western edge of the city's central plain at the mouth of the steep Caversham Valley, which rises to the saddle of Lookout Point. Major road and rail routes south lie nearby; the South Island Main Trunk railway runs through the suburb, and a bypass skirts its main retail area, connecting Dunedin's one-way street system with the Dunedin Southern Motorway. The suburb is linked by several bus routes to its neighbouring suburbs and central Dunedin.
The suburb was founded by wealthy pioneer William Henry Valpy, and its name reflects his family connections with the town of Reading, in the English county of Berkshire. Caversham grew rapidly during the Central Otago Gold Rush of the 1860s because of its location on routes south to the Otago hinterland. By the end of the 19th century, Caversham was heavily industrialised, and its population included many skilled or semi-skilled tradespeople. This, combined with the community's strong Protestant roots, led to the area's generally left-leaning political stance. Caversham's early history has been the subject of the Caversham Project, a major historical and archaeological study by the University of Otago. Caversham was a separate borough until 1904, when it was amalgamated with Dunedin city. At a national level, it is part of the Taieri electorate.
Caversham is now predominantly residential, with some industrial premises in the east (notably the Hillside Railway Workshops) and a retail district centred on South Road and Hillside Road. Residents are generally of low socio-economic status. Caversham's notable buildings include the heritage listed Lisburn House and several prominent church buildings. Another landmark is the suburb's war memorial, which is the main gate of Caversham School, the suburb's primary school. Caversham also contains a special-needs school. The nearest secondary schools operate in St Clair, 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) to the south.
Caversham has strong sporting connections, and is the location of Carisbrook, until 2011 one of Dunedin's main sports venues. The suburb is home to the Southern Rugby Football Club, and gives its name to Caversham Football Club. Several notable sportspeople have associations with Caversham, among them Test cricketer Clarrie Grimmett and father and son rugby union administrators "Old Vic" and "Young Vic" Cavanagh. Other notable people with Caversham connections include politician Thomas Kay Sidey, architect Edmund Anscombe, and surveyor John Turnbull Thomson.
