HISTORY : QUEENSTOWN

Queenstown, although originally thought to have been the site of a Maori settlement, was originally established in the 1850’s by the first Europeans to the district.

In July 1859, Donald Hay reached the foot of Lake Wakatipu at Kingston Bay and in 1860, W.G Rees and N von Tunzelmann arrived at Queenstown Bay via the Crown range. It was at this point that Rees named the town as he saw it – “fit for a Queen”.

Rees brought in flocks of sheep and began farming on the eastern shore of the lake, with von Tunzelmann taking up an area of land on the western shore.

Gold was first discovered on the banks of the Shotover River on 15 November 1862 by sheep shearers at Rees’ station, causing a rush of
miners to the area. The settlement quickly developed and by the beginning of 1863, several streets and permanent buildings had been established. The Eichardts Private Hotel, still standing today, is one of the most notable buildings of this era.

Therafter, between 1878 and 1880, railway links from Gore and Lumsden to Dunedin and Invercargill were constructed and a busy trade had developed.

Locally built steamers and other craft were used as the primary means of communication on the lake. The TSS Earnslaw, which is to date still in service offering daily trips to Walter Peak Station, was prefabricated in Dunedin and after being brought overland in sections, rebuilt in Kingston in 1912. This completed the link between Queenstown and Invercargill.

The first highway around the lake between Queenstown and Glenorchy was completed in 1962, marking a centenary of the founding of the town.

Despite the consequent depletion of gold resource in the area, Queenstown continued to thrive and develop and today is renowned for being a bustling tourist hotspot.

HISTORY : ARROWTOWN

The quaint historic village of Arrowtown, just 20 minutes drive from Queenstown via Lake Hayes, was founded in 1862 when miners flocked to the area following a rich gold strike by William Fox.

Within weeks, approximately 200lb of gold had been taken out of the Arrow Gorge. The town first became known as Fox’s, but was soon renamed Arrowtown after the nearby Arrow River.

The town became a small service area for the sheep and cattle farming community in the nearby Wakatipu Basin. Wheat and other cereals were also grown in the vicinity and a flourmill worked in the town for a number of years. In the past few decades, deer farming has been introduced and there has been a significant increase in the number of rural lifestyle blocks in the region.

With the exhaustion of gold, the settlement quickly declined but now remains a well preserved historic town, popular with tourists. The red and golden hues of Autumn provide a spectacular setting for the annual Arrowtown Autumn Festival, when the very best in regional arts and culture bring the town to life. The Lakes District Museum is much visited and many boutique shops and restaurants give the town a truly unique character.