A Walk Around Historic Clyde

Clyde, which lies on the left bank of the Clutha River at the head of the Cromwell Gorge, was a settlement of more than 3,000 people at the heart of the 1860s gold rush. It was then known as Dunstan: where the name Clyde came from is still disputed. Historic stone buildings still line the main street, which is largely free of through traffic since the building of the giant Clyde dam.

The walk starts in Sunderland Street at the west end of the township. It covers a relatively compact area and can be completed in about an hour. It encompasses twenty buildings, all of considerable historical interest, including hotels, public buildings, churches and private homes. Many are built of the local stone.

Among the many attractive buildings are the elegant Town Hall and Masonic Lodge of 1868-1869; the double-storied 1903 Dunstan Hotel, which took over the original hotel licence from the next-door Dunstan House; the home and general store dating from the 1860s which is now the Olivers Courtyard and Restaurant; and the two traditionally designed English churches, St Michael’s Anglican Church of 1877 and the St Dunstan’s Catholic Church of 1903. There are also a number of delightful well-preserved historic private homes and cottages.

The brochure is published by the Promote Dunstan Group (http://www.promotedunstan.org.nz) and is available from the Clyde Museum, which is situated in the historic Magistrate’s Court House in Blythe Street.