Larnach Castle is an imposing mansion by the ridge of the Otago Peninsula. It is one of a few houses of such a scale in New Zealand and is often referred to as the only ‘castle’ in the country. It was built between 1873 and 1887 by William Larnach, a successful banker and politician. No expenses were spared in building the house, and materials from all over the world were used, such as marbles from Italy, tiles from England, glass from Venice…etc. After the demise of Larnach, the family sold the castle. In the intervening years, the castle had changed hands many times and of different uses: it has been a holiday retreat for nuns, a lunatic asylum, and a hospital for soldiers...Finally, in 1967, it was purchased by the Barker family who restored the castle to its original grandeur. Today, it is Dunedin's premier landmark.