Former Post Office Exchange Building Dunedin

Former Post Office Exchange Building Dunedin The Exchange, on Princes Street 400 metres south of The Octagon, was the original financial heart of the city, but the CBD has drifted north to its current location on George Street. Princes Street still contains many of the city's older and more stately business properties, particularly in the few blocks from The Exchange south. This area is also the lowest part of the street, as it descends from the remains of Bell Hill. This area, now several hundred metres inland from the edge of the Otago Harbour, was the site of the original landing place of settlers from the two ships which brought the Otago Association's settlers to Dunedin. Massive reclamation of the area led to the creation of a wide strip of land, since occupied by commercial premises, warehousing, and the main rail line. The original nature of the site is reflected in the names of Jetty Street and Water Street, both of which cross Princes Street close to the Exchange. This part of Princes Street was at one point the location of a bridge across a small stream, the Toitu Stream, now diverted underground.[A spring which fed the stream is still used as the source of water for Speight's Brewery, which is located 200 metres to the northwest on Rattray Street. The Cargill Monument is a prominent feature of John Wickliffe Plaza. Behind it (to the right) is the historic former Bank of New Zealand Building.