Southern Heritage Trust

The Southern Heritage Trust is the only registered charitable trust devoted to Otago’s social, cultural, architectural and industrial heritage. They provide advocacy for threatened heritage structures as well as run successful, mostly Dunedin-based, events, tours and talks for like-minded people who appreciate the area's wonderful heritage.

Otago, and in particular Dunedin, has more heritage structures still standing than any other region in New Zealand. The Trust has a strong membership and programme of heritage events, both for public and exclusively for heritage trust members. They co-run the Dunedin Heritage Festival every two years, and collaborate works with agencies and individuals on all things heritage. 

The Southern Heritage Trust was set up in December 2002 and incorporated as a Charitable Trust in May 2003. It came about partly as a result of the abolition of the Otago committee of the then Historic Places Trust (now Heritage New Zealand). In collaboration with others the Trust has contributed to a range of heritage issues and projects mainly in Dunedin also further afield. They have strong links with Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga, formally the Historic Places Trust, and Otago Branch Committee membership opted to align with them when Branches were disestablished.

​They also have a facility in the historic and protected Sexton’s Cottage at Dunedin’s Northern Cemetery. This is by arrangement with the Dunedin City Council, and in return the Trust developed an information centre, themed trails and an interactive website on burials in the cemetery by Otago Polytechnic students.