Invercargill, New Zealand's southernmost town, lies in an open plain on the banks of the New River estuary. It was laid out from 1856 onwards by the town planner John T Thomson on a geometric plan, with broad streets and open spaces. The town takes its name from William Cargill, one of the Scottish founding fathers of Dunedin; the prefix inver
refers to its position at the mouth of a river. Many of the streets are named after Scottish rivers.
Originally the New River estuary served as a natural harbor, but its functions as a harbor were later taken over by Bluff, at the southern tip of the South Island. The lush Southland pastures were for many years the town's main source of income. Later a number of large slaughterhouses and meat-freezing plants were established, and a further boost was given to Invercargill's economy by the construction of an aluminum smelter at Bluff.
Lennel House, a mansion set in a beautiful garden, was built in 1880 by John T Thomson; it is still in private ownership.
The town's principal churches, all built in brick, are close together: St John's (1887; Anglican), the neo-Byzantine First Church (1915; Presbyterian) and St Mary's (1894-1905 by FW Petre; RC). St Mary's has a beautiful interior in white Oamaru limestone.
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