New Zealand and South Seas International Exhibitions

New Zealand's first foray into the 'Great Exhibition' format was The New Zealand Exhibition held in Dunedin in 1865. Many countries used such exhibitions to promote themselves on the world stage, and Dunedin's 1865 exhibition was billed as a world's fair, inspired by the London Exhibitions of 1851 and 1862. After a successful Bazaar and Mining Exhibition in Dunedin in 1862, the City's Anglican leaders suggested the exhibition might be a good investment for gold rush wealth to secure the Dunedin's future. The exhibition promotors were able to secure grants of £4,000 each from central and provincial governments and were thus resourced to build an exhibition building in King Street, and to invite exhibitors from Austria, Australia's colonies, Belgium, Canada, Fiji, France, Germany, the Netherlands. There were around 1,600 exhibits in total from about 700 exhibitors. Great Britain was also invited to exhibit, but sadly the boat carrying the British exhibits failed to arrive in time. New Zealand exhibits included a gilded obelisk representing the country's gold mining wealth, maps and geology displays by James Hector, and a display of native bird taxidermy by ornithologist Walter Buller. Woods, flax and wool were also displayed, along with paintings and Māori artefacts. The exhibition saw 31,250 visitors throughout its run from 12th January to 6th May 1865.

Dunedin followed up with a local industrial exhibition on a much smaller scale in 1881, to promote industry in the region.

In 1889, Dunedin hosted the first New Zealand and South Seas Exhibition on Anderson’s Bay Road. Again, this was an international exhibition, and included exhibits from Australia, Europe, Japan and some of the Pacific Islands. Alongside its trade promotion, there was also a focus on entertainment  with the inclusion of a concert hall, and art gallery and an amusement zone. The exhibition ran from 26th November 1889 until 19th April 1890, and attracted around 625,000 visitors. After the exhibition closed, some of the buildings were added to the Otago Museum as a new home for the Dunedin Art Gallery, and many of the artworks that had been on display at the exhibition were subsequently purchased to display at the Gallery's new home. Other exhibits from the exhibition were also added to the Otago Museum collection. The main exhibition building in Anderson's Bay Road was converted into a hospital, which lasted until 1933.

Dunedin's second New Zealand and South Seas International Exhibition in 1925 was a much larger affair, designed to promote trade and to attract people and business to settle in Otago. This time, the exhibition was based on reclaimed land at Logan Park, created by draining Lake Logan. The expansive exhibition footprint, extending over some 16 acres (6.5 hectares) comprised seven pavilions, including one dedicated to New Zealand manufacturing and one to motor cars. Others included an art gallery, amusement area, restaurant, tearooms, and a fernery with waterfall and streams. The pavilions surrounded a domed Festival hall, with walkways and reflective pools and a quarter mile scenic railway. As a mark of modern progress, the exhibition proved a showcase for electrical power, with its buildings lit up and shining out across the City at night. Exhibitors came from Australia, Canada, Fiji and the United Kingdom. During the almost six months that the exhibition ran, more than 3 million people visited the show (more than double the population of the country), making it the most popular in New Zealand history.