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Education Programme
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Olveston on-line shop
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Weddings
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Olveston Gift Vouchers
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Bespoke Function Venue
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Edwardian High Tea
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OLVESTON: PORTRAIT OF A HOME
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Daily Tours
Six guided tours
are offered daily -
Leith Ensemble in Concert
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Sam Foley's Greenbelt Invitational and Exhibition
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Behind the Ropes Tour
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Art Tour
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Architectural Tour
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Olveston Garden Tour
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Special Family Deal
Education Programme
EXPLORE, ENQUIRE, ENGAGE!
Olveston offers innovative education programmes that explore the Edwardian era.
Olveston Historic Home allows students to experience hands-on and interactive learning in an authentic context. Programme options are designed to suit all styles and stages of learning.
Olveston is a historically preserved home, which allows endless opportunities for interactive learning and bringing the past to life.
Classroom teachers will be given the opportunity to select an education programme that supports the students' understanding of the key elements within Olveston..
Programmes can also be tailored specifically to meet the needs of your students and curriculum requirements. Work with us to create your own unique learning experience.
Enquire now by emailing reception reception@olveston.co.nz or phone us on 03 477 3320.
Financial assistance is available to schools. Contact Olveston for more details.
Olveston on-line shop
Olveston’s online shop showcases gifts which are uniquely inspired from the Olveston Collection. Enjoy these beautiful accessories, and homewares by visiting https://shop.olveston.co.nz/. All products are also, currently available in the Olveston giftshop and you are welcome to pop in, in person – open 9.00am to 5.00pm daily.
Olveston inspired gifts include Art cards, jewellery, scarves, microfiber lens cleaning cloths, tea towels, soaps and more.
Shop on-line for that special gift or shop in the relaxed, peaceful atmosphere of the Olveston gift shop, open from 9.00am to 5.00pm daily. 42 Royal Tce, Dunedin. Ph: 03 4773320.
Weddings
Olveston Historic Home provides a truly unique wedding venue from the award winning garden through to the grandeur of the Great Hall, Picture yourself descending the Grand Staircase to your waiting beloved.
A variety of options available from the ceremony through to the complete bespoke wedding venue.
Contact the Olveston team today to discuss venue hire details:
T: (03) 477 3320
E: manager@olveston.co.nz
Olveston Gift Vouchers
Give the Olveston experience at any time of the year. Great thank you gift or birthday or anniversary present.
Vouchers available for daily guided tours, specialty tours, Edwardian High Tea or the gift shop.
Idea for friends, family or work colleagues.
Contact Olveston on 03 477 3320 or email on reception@olveston.co.nz
Bespoke Function Venue
Olveston Historic Home is the ideal venue for a private soirée, business meeting, social gathering, or celebration.
A bespoke venue for musical events from concerts on the lawn to recitals in the Drawing Room.
Host intimate dinner parties in the Dining room or Great Hall, perfect for a networking night. The elegant and timeless spaces are the idyllic backdrop for a memorable, and very special occasion.
Contact the Olveston team today to discuss venue hire details:
T: 03 477 3320
E: manager@olveston.co.nz
Edwardian High Tea (1st Sunday of the month) 3-5pm
Join us for our Edwardian High Tea held in the Opulent Olveston Great Hall, followed by a tour of the house. More than bone china and cake stands this is an experience to be savoured.
Edwardian High Teas are held the first Sunday of each month 3-5pm.
For private bookings of groups of 24 or more on request at times to suit.
Adults: $60| Child: $60
Tables are set for 6 so get friends or family together for a fabulous afternoon out. Individual bookings also welcome.
Bookings Essential.
Ph: 03 4773320 or email: reception@olveston.co.nz.
OLVESTON: PORTRAIT OF A HOME
A New Chapter in the Olveston Story
We’re proud to announce the release of Olveston: Portrait of a Home — a beautifully produced new book celebrating one of New Zealand’s most iconic heritage properties.
Commissioned by Olveston, published by Massey University Press, and created by acclaimed photographer Jane Ussher and writer John Walsh, this stunning volume offers a rare glimpse into the architecture, interiors, and personal stories of the Theomin family’s historic Dunedin home.
Available from 12 September
Purchase online or at the Olveston gift shop.
Exclusive Launch Event
The official book launch is on Friday 12 September, 5:30–7:30pm at Olveston Historic Home. Invitation only as numbers are limited.
Inspired by Ussher’s 2022 project Rooms: Portraits of Remarkable New Zealand Interiors, this book is a tribute to Olveston’s rich history and its place as a cultural treasure.
“The images I took of Olveston left a lasting impression,” says Ussher. “Creating a book dedicated solely to the house was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.”
Whether you’re a lover of heritage, architecture, or beautiful books, Olveston: Portrait of a Home is a must-have addition to your collection.
$85.00
Daily Tours
1-hr tours commence daily at 9.30 am, 10.45 am, 12 noon, 1.30pm, 2.45pm and 4 pm
For Dunedin Resident or Concession bookings, please contact us directly on T: 03 477 3320 or E: reception@olveston.co.nz
To fully appreciate the garden, the architecture, and to browse in the gift shop, then approximately 1 hr 15 min is recommended.
Adults: $25.50 | Child: $14.50 |Infant: free
Tours are conducted in English.
Cantonese, Dutch, French, German, Japanese and Mandarin speaking guides are available for groups (10 or more).
Olveston is open 364 days a year (including all NZ public holidays, except Christmas Day).
Book via our website or phone 03 4773320 or email reception@olveston.co.nz
Upcoming
6 x Daily
Book Now
Leith Ensemble in Concert
Monday, 17 November 2025, in the Olveston Drawing Room
Doors Open: 5:45 pm | Show Starts: 6:00 pm
Duration: 90 minutes (with short intermission)
Tickets: $50.00 per person | Limited to 40 seats
Join the Leith Ensemble for an unforgettable evening of rich musical storytelling, from the elegance of fin-de-siècle France to the vibrant soundscape of modern Aotearoa.
Performers: Heleen du Plessis (cello), Tessa Romano (mezzo-soprano), Tessa Petersen (violin) & Sanaz Rezai (piano)
Programme Highlights: Lili Boulanger – Clairières dans le ciel, Gabriel Fauré – Violin Sonata No. 1 in A major, Maurice Ravel – La Valse, Anthony Ritchie – He Moemoea & Song (with text by James K. Baxter) & Anton Arensky – Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor
Expect luminous harmony, expressive lyricism, and dynamic contrasts as this exceptional ensemble brings each piece to life.
Book now – limited seating available! Secure yours today.
$50.00 per person
Sam Foley's Greenbelt Invitational and Exhibition
This coming spring, over the months of September and October, Olveston will be hosting a specially curated exhibition.
20 years on from his first Dunedin solo exhibition, contemporary landscape artist Sam Foley has asked over 20 of his favourite local and NZ artists to respond to Dunedin’s Town Belt, the same subject that inspired that inaugural show.
With an opening night party on Friday, the 5th of September in Olveston's spectacular Great Hall, there could not be a more appropriate venue to explore what will be a diverse and thought-provoking creative investigation of our civic conservation heritage.
Numbers are strictly limited for the opening event, with tickets going on sale in the coming weeks.
If you are interested in attending opening night, please contact Sam Foley via the online form.
NB: Please include the number of people attending in your message and the words "Greenbelt Invitational" in the subject line.
The exhibition will be free to view over the 2-month period, during normal business hours.
Free
Behind the Ropes Tour (1st Tuesday of month) 3-5pm
Treasures abound at Olveston, with many tucked away inside the cupboards and cabinets. Olveston invites you to discover and learn about items that are rarely viewed. Explore further into areas not seen by the general public and peruse the basement areas over a cup of tea.
Behind the Ropes tours are held every 1st Tuesday of the month 3-5pm.
Private groups by arrangement at a time to suit.
Per Person: $46
Bookings essential.
Ph: 03 477 3320 or Email: reception@olveston.co.nz to make a booking.
Art Tour (2nd Tuesday of month) 3-5pm
Acquired by the Family between the late 1800s and the early 1960s, the Art Collection contains many prized works by local and international artists.
Learn about the 240 artworks on display, and the Theomin’s passion for collecting during this 2 hour guided tour of the house.
Per Person: $46
Art Tours are held on the 2nd Tuesday of each month, 3-5pm.
Private groups by arrangement at a time to suit. Minimum 8 pax.
Bookings essential.
Ph: 03 477 3320 or Email: reception@olveston.co.nz to make a booking.
Architectural Tour (3rd Tuesday of month) 3-5pm
Olveston, an Architectural Gem designed by London Architect Sir Ernest George. The tour takes you from the conceptual plans through to completion. Distinguished Historian Nikolaus Pevsner said "Olveston was one of the finest houses in the Southern Hemisphere."
Architectural tours are held 3rd Tuesday of the month from 3.00pm to 5.00pm.
Private groups can book at other times to suit.
Per Person: $46
Bookings essential.
Ph: 03 477 3320 or Email: reception@olveston.co.nz
Olveston Garden Tour (4th Tuesday of month) 3-4pm
A garden of National Significance. Kauri to Cactus and everything in between. Learn how the Olveston garden has been shaped by 200 years of gardening history.
Tours on the 4th Tuesday of each month. 3-4pm.
Private group tours by arrangement at a time to suit (between 9am and 4pm), minimum group size 8 people.
Per Person: $25.50
Bookings essential.
Ph: 03 477 3320 or Email: reception@olveston.co.nz
Special Family Deal
Visit Olveston as a family for $80 and enjoy a 1-hr tour*
Learn about the Theomin household; the Theomin family themselves and their staff and re-live life as it was in the early 1900s.
The family tour is available at one of our 6 public tour times, or for larger groups of over 8 people, at a time to suit.
$84.50 (for a family of 5)
*$84.50 (family group of 2 Adults and 3 Children) additional: Adults $25.50 | Children: $14.50.
Call Olveston to discuss a booking: T: 03-477-3320 or email the house: reception@olveston.co.nz
Bring more of your family and make a house-party of your visit!
October 2025
Event Bookings October 2025
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Book Now
Six Daily Guided Tours
9.30am, 10.45am, 12noon.
1.30pm, 2.45pm and 4pm. -
Book now
Behind the Ropes Tour
3pm-5pm, Tuesday 07 Oct 2025
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Book now
Art Tour
3pm-5pm, Tuesday 14 Oct 2025
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Book now
Architectural Tour
3pm-5pm, Tuesday 21 Oct 2025
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Book now
Olveston Garden Tour
3pm-4pm, Tuesday 28 Oct 2025
