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Story: Timekeeping

Public clocks

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Public clocks

After the 1890s many New Zealand communities put up clocks, as timekeeping became a more significant part of their lives. For instance, the passenger rail network ran on daily timetables. It was natural that Dunedin’s railway station, built in 1906, should feature a clock at the centre of its imposing tower.

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How to cite this page

Jock Phillips, Timekeeping – Time and society, 1870s–1930s, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/6696/public-clocks (accessed 10 June 2026).

Story by Jock Phillips, published 2 March 2009.