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Story: Otago region

Emigration poster, 1873

Assisted immigration was a prominent feature of Otago life in the 1870s. The aptly named Otagobrought a boatload of Scottish immigrants from Glasgow to Dunedin in 1873. This poster advertises the sailing, along with detailed information about the regulations and provisions for passengers on board. Another Otago built in the same year was a 300–400-ton barque. Captained by novelist Joseph Conrad in 1888–89, this vessel ended its working life in the Tamar River at Hobart, Tasmania, giving its name to nearby Otago Bay and the suburb of Otago.

Using this item

Toitū Otago Settlers Museum

Reference: 1988/30/1

Permission of Toitū Otago Settlers Museum must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Malcolm McKinnon, Otago region – Gold and development, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/zoomify/22651/emigration-poster-1873 (accessed 24 June 2026).

Story by Malcolm McKinnon, published 18 August 2009, updated 1 May 2015.

Comments

Helen Tyzack
29 October 2014
The Otago ended its life in the Derwent River Tasmania, and the partly sunken remains are still visible in Otago Bay, an eastern shore suburb of the Greater Hobart Area. The Tamar River is located in the north of Tasmania and Hobart is in the south.