Otago Anniversary Day in 2025

About Otago Anniversary Day

The actual date of Otago Anniversary Day is March 23rd, but the public holiday is celebrated on the closest Monday.

On March 23rd 1848 the 'John Wickliffe', the first of two sailing ships chartered by the Lay Association of the Free Church of Scotland to bring settlers to Otago landed at Koputai (Port Chalmers).

As there is no easily determined single day of local observance for Otago then the parties should rely on either their employment agreement or their own custom and practice. Where there is no clear custom and practice then the parties should seek to find an agreement on how they will observe Anniversary Day.

If parties require help to reach agreement on this matter in their workplace, they can seek assistance from the Ministry's Employment Mediation Service. If they are unhappy with how this matter has been handled in their workplace, or they are unable to reach a settlement via mediation, they can then seek assistance from the Employment Relations Authority.

Provincial Holidays in New Zealand

The Holidays Act 1981 specifies each locality observing a Provincial Anniversary Day to celebrate the founding days or landing days of the first colonists of the various colonial provinces.

However, the exact dates are not legislated for.

The regions covered are set by provincial district (as they stood when abolished in 1876), plus Southland, the Chatham Islands, South Canterbury and Northland.

The actual observance days can vary even within each province and is due to local custom, convenience or the proximity of seasonal events or other holidays.

This may differ from the official observance day and may be several weeks from the official day.