Mosgiel

Mosgiel
Te Konika o te Matamata
Town
Map
Coordinates: 45°52′30″S 170°20′55″E / 45.87500°S 170.34861°E / -45.87500; 170.34861
CountryNew Zealand
RegionOtago
DistrictDunedin
Community boardMosgiel-Taieri Community Board[1]
Electorates
Government
 • Territorial authorityDunedin City Council
 • Regional councilOtago Regional Council
 • Mayor of DunedinJules Radich
 • Taieri MPIngrid Leary
 • Te Tai Tonga MPTākuta Ferris
Area
 • Total17.28 km2 (6.67 sq mi)
Population
 (June 2024)[3]
 • Total15,150
 • Density880/km2 (2,300/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+12 (NZST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+13 (NZDT)
Post code
9024
Area code03

Mosgiel /ˈmɒzɡl/ (Māori: Te Konika o te Matamata)[4] is an urban satellite of Dunedin in Otago, New Zealand,[5] fifteen kilometres west of the city's centre. Since the re-organisation of New Zealand local government in 1989 it has been inside the Dunedin City Council area.[6] Mosgiel has a population of approximately 15,150 as of June 2024.[7] A nickname for Mosgiel is "The pearl of the plain". Its low-lying nature does pose problems, making it prone to flooding after heavy rains. Mosgiel takes its name from Mossgiel Farm, Ayrshire, the farm of the poet Robert Burns, the uncle of the co-founder in 1848 of the Otago settlement, the Reverend Thomas Burns.[note 1]

Mosgiel stands at the north-eastern extremity of the Taieri Plain. The Silver Stream, a tributary of the Taieri River, runs through its north end. Between Mosgiel and the centre of Dunedin stand the rugged Three Mile Hill and Scroggs Hill, which form part of the crater-wall of a long-extinct volcano, the crater being the Otago Harbour. To the south of the town lies one of the many peaks that formed part of the volcano: Saddle Hill, a prominent landmark, visible from a considerable distance and notable for its distinctive shape, lies south of State Highway One where Kinmont Park, a new housing subdivision is located at the foot of the hill.

The Dunedin Southern Motorway, upgraded in 2003, links Mosgiel with the centre of Dunedin. State Highway 87 to Kyeburn starts at a junction with State Highway 1 at the southeastern edge of Mosgiel, the first part of the highway being the main street of Mosgiel, Gordon Road.

  1. ^ "2016 Mosgiel-Taieri Community Board Boundary" (PDF). dunedin.govt.nz. Dunedin City Council. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Area was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Census 2018 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Taylor, W.A. "Lore and History of the South Island Maori". NZ Electronic Text Collection. Bascands Ltd, Christchurch. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  5. ^ "Place name detail: Mosgiel". New Zealand Gazetteer. New Zealand Geographic Board. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  6. ^ "Mergers enlarge city boundaries". Dunedin City Council. Archived from the original on 7 July 2017. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
  7. ^ "Aotearoa Data Explorer". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 26 October 2024.


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