Herbert, New Zealand

The small town of Herbert, formerly Otepopo, lies in North Otago, New Zealand, 91 kilometres (57 mi) north of Dunedin and 22 kilometres (14 mi) south-west of Oamaru. It lies on the edge of the Herbert Forest.

It is named after Sydney Herbert, the British secretary of war who was responsible for sending Florence Nightingale to the Crimea in 1854.

Herbert consists of a group of houses and three churches clustered around State Highway 1. A service station is also the postal agency. Two main industries operate in Herbert; an agricultural, industrial and forestry helicopter base and a poultry unit. Surrounding the settlement is rolling and fertile pastureland. The poultry farm, Craigs Poultry, was a finalist for the 2007 Otago Ballance Farm Environment Awards. The Main South Line also passes through Herbert, and a station existed here until its closure in 1980; only the crossing loop remains. The short 220-metre Otepopo railway tunnel is also in the vicinity.

On a north-facing site 300 metres (330 yd) from the town was the Otepopo School. This was a primary school for children from 5 to about 13 years old. Thereafter, the children went to Oamaru for further education. Otepopo school was closed in September 2010, due to a rapid decline in the school roll. From 22 pupils in 2009, its roll had dropped to 4 before its closure.

The New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage gives a translation of "place of the decayed wood" for Ōtepopo.