Arrowtown is the best preserved and most attractive of the early Otgao goldmining settlements. The main street in particular thanks to careful conservation and restoration still retains much of the character of the early days.Historic Arrowtown
Arrowtown is the best preserved and most attractive of the early Otgao goldmining settlements. The main street in particular thanks to careful conservation and restoration still retains much of the character of the early days.
Arrowtown owes its existence to the discovery of gold in the Arrow river in 1862 by a former sailor William Fox. A shanty town of some 1500 miners grew up almost instantly on the banks of the river, only to be destroyed by a flash flood in the following winter. The main street was then rebuilt on its present site above the river flats and Arrowtown was born.
The 1870s were a period of prosperity, when many of the surviving stone buildings were built and the splendid avenue of trees was planted. By 1900 the main gold rush was over and in the 20th century Arrowtown gradually settled down to the peaceful township and tourist attraction that it is today.
Among highlights of the trail are the splendid Lakes District Museum in the former Bank of New Zealand building (1875), the almost unchanged Masonic Hall (1878), the Borough Chambers in the former Oddfellows Lodge (1877), the Old Gaol (1875), the Cemetery with its early graves, the Catholic, Presbyterian and Anglican churches (all built in 1873 and 1874) and a large number of simple stone cottages each with its own history.
As with many of the goldrush locations, the Chinese came in to work the tailings after the European miners had left and they left their mark. Ah Lum’s store in the main street, built in 1883, has been restored, as have some of the cottages in the Chinese settlement at the end of the street.
The trail was produced by the Arrowtown Heritage Fund.