Otago Witness
Encyclopedia
The Otago Witness was a prominent newspaper in the early years of the European settlement of New Zealand
, produced in Dunedin
, the provincial capital of Otago
. Inaugurated in 1851, three years after the founding of the city, the Witness was originally a four-page fortnightly paper, becoming a weekly publication within its first year. It was named the Otago Witness to indicate the city's connection with Edinburgh
, where the Edinburgh Witness was a popular paper.
The Witness early issues gained some notoriety for its polemical editorials, which were often skewed in favour of the political views and policies of Dunedin founding father Captain William Cargill
, but soon became a more balanced journal and was widely distributed throughout the South Island
, especially after the boom in Otago's wealth and population which followed the 1861 Central Otago goldrush. During this time a special goldfields edition of the paper was regularly published. At about this time, the paper gained further popularity through its introduction of illustrations, which were still a novelty for newspapers.
The popularity of the Witness declined during the early twentieth century due to competition from other forms of broadcast, notably radio and the newspaper's daily rivals, the Otago Daily Times
and Evening Star
. The paper eventually stopped publication in 1932.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, produced in Dunedin
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
, the provincial capital of Otago
Otago
Otago is a region of New Zealand in the south of the South Island. The region covers an area of approximately making it the country's second largest region. The population of Otago is...
. Inaugurated in 1851, three years after the founding of the city, the Witness was originally a four-page fortnightly paper, becoming a weekly publication within its first year. It was named the Otago Witness to indicate the city's connection with Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, where the Edinburgh Witness was a popular paper.
The Witness early issues gained some notoriety for its polemical editorials, which were often skewed in favour of the political views and policies of Dunedin founding father Captain William Cargill
William Cargill
William Walter Cargill was the founder of the Otago settlement in New Zealand, after serving as an officer in the British Army. He was a Member of Parliament and Otago's first Superintendent.-Early life:...
, but soon became a more balanced journal and was widely distributed throughout the South Island
South Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
, especially after the boom in Otago's wealth and population which followed the 1861 Central Otago goldrush. During this time a special goldfields edition of the paper was regularly published. At about this time, the paper gained further popularity through its introduction of illustrations, which were still a novelty for newspapers.
The popularity of the Witness declined during the early twentieth century due to competition from other forms of broadcast, notably radio and the newspaper's daily rivals, the Otago Daily Times
Otago Daily Times
The Otago Daily Times is a newspaper published by Allied Press Ltd in Dunedin, New Zealand.-History:Originally styled The Otago Daily Times, the ODT was first published on November 15, 1861. It is New Zealand's oldest surviving daily newspaper - Christchurch's The Press, six months older, was a...
and Evening Star
Evening Star (Dunedin)
The Evening Star was a daily evening newspaper published in Dunedin, New Zealand from June 1863. Second-longest lasting of Dunedin's newspapers, it was the only rival to the Otago Daily Times to survive beyond the first few years of the twentieth century.The Star - as the paper was originally...
. The paper eventually stopped publication in 1932.