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Welcome back to This Day in Scottish History. I'm your host, Colin MacDonald. Today, we set our compass for the far side of the world—March 23rd, 1848—when the ship John Wickliffe dropped anchor at Port Chalmers, carrying the hopes, dreams, and determination of the first organized group of Scottish settlers to New Zealand. They came not merely to settle, but to build a new life grounded in the values of their homeland, and what they founded was no mere colony—it was a new Edinburgh. Dunedin, they would call it, echoing the ancient name of Scotland’s capital.

To understand the full weight of this moment, we need to look back to Scotland in the mid-19th century. It was a time of profound change. The Industrial Revolution had transformed cities like Glasgow into engines of coal, iron, and commerce, while rural areas faced economic hardship, land clearances, and religious upheaval. For many, the future seemed uncertain. But the Free Church of Scotland saw opportunity—an opportunity not just for a new home, but for a new kind of society.

In 1847, the Free Church, which had broken away from the Church of Scotland in the Disruption of 1843, set out to create a settlement across the seas. Their goal was not simply migration, but a planned, Presbyterian society—moral, industrious, and independent—far from the influence of what they saw as a corrupt or declining old world. The result was the Otago Association, and it would charter a ship to sail from Greenock to the southern edge of the known world.

That ship was the John Wickliffe, named after the English religious reformer. She left Scotland on November 27th, 1847, carrying about 97 passengers—families, tradespeople, ministers, and dreamers. The voyage was long and perilous, lasting nearly four months. Conditions were cramped and often harsh. But the resolve of those onboard remained unshaken. They had signed up for a new beginning, and they would see it through.

On March 23rd, 1848, the John Wickliffe finally arrived at Port Chalmers, just a few miles north of what would become Dunedin. The land was wild, the hills steep, the harbor deep and calm. It was a far cry from the stone streets of Edinburgh or the rolling farmland of the Lowlands. But the settlers saw potential. And soon, they were joined by a second ship, the Philip Laing, which arrived a month later carrying more settlers and the Reverend Thomas Burns—nephew of Robert Burns—who would serve as their spiritual leader.

The settlers set to work building homes, roads, and churches, often using the local timber and stone. And what they built was unmistakably Scottish. They named the city Dunedin—a nod to “Dùn Èideann,” the Gaelic name for Edinburgh. They laid out the streets to mirror the Scottish capital, complete with a George Street and a Princes Street. The Octagon, the city’s central plaza, was modeled after Edinburgh’s New Town. Presbyterian values shaped everything from civic planning to education.

Even the landscape seemed to conspire to keep the memory of Scotland alive. Mist rolled over the hills, and the chilly southern wind reminded them of home. Gaelic was spoken in the streets, and Scottish customs—Hogmanay, Burns Night, and ceilidhs—took root in this distant land. Dunedin would become a bastion of Scottish identity in the Southern Hemisphere, a cultural outpost half a world away.

But life in Otago was not easy. The settlers faced harsh winters, rough terrain, and the challenge of coexisting with the indigenous Māori population. The relationship was complex, and not without its tensions, but there were also moments of mutual respect and cultural exchange that would shape the region for generations.

By the 1860s, the Otago Gold Rush would bring a wave of new settlers and economic prosperity to Dunedin, but the Scottish identity remained strong. Institutions like the University of Otago—founded in 1869—were modeled after their Scottish counterparts, and even today, Dunedin retains a distinct Scottish flavor in its architecture, festivals, and dialect.

The journey of the John Wickliffe and the founding of Dunedin is a story not just of migration, but of preservation—of bringing a piece of Scotland to a new land and letting it flourish. It’s a testament to the resilience of culture, the power of faith, and the indomitable spirit of those who dared to start anew.

Thank you for joining me today on This Day in Scottish History. I hope you’ve enjoyed this tale of exploration, identity, and the forging of a new Scotland on the shores of Aotearoa. Don’t forget to visit my blog for more historical insights at bagtownclans.com/thisday. The link’s in the description. I'm Colin MacDonald—Haste Ye Back!

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