Historic Places Trust Otago-Southland regional
archaeologist Matt Schmidt (front) and Mountain Biking
Otago president Hamish Seaton examine the site of recently
rediscovered breeding ponds for brown trout, dating from
the 1860s, in bush behind Logan Park High School. Photo by
Gerard O'Brien.
It may just be two muddy holes in the ground and a pile
of rocks in the middle of the bush but a recently rediscovered
feature behind Logan Park High School has Matt Schmidt very
excited.
So excited, in fact, that the Historic Places Trust
Otago-Southland regional archaeologist is putting aside time
to tramp, trowel in hand, through mud and streams to uncover
what he understands are the earliest successful breeding
ponds for brown trout in New Zealand, dating back to 1868.
And while they may be only holes and stones at the moment, Dr
Schmidt has plans for what were the Opoho Breeding Ponds,
originally used to raise trout brought to Dunedin from
Tasmania.
While there was an awareness among historians of the ponds,
they most recently came to light earlier this year when
Mountain Biking Otago began building a multipurpose track
through the area for cycling, jogging and walking.
President Hamish Seaton said he had no idea what the feature
was, but a local woman contacted the Historic Places Trust to
report the matter.
He was "a little bit worried" when he got a letter from the
Dunedin City Council telling him the group was pushing the
track through a historic site, fearing the group had damaged
it.
That concern abated when Dr Schmidt agreed to provide an
archaeological assessment and to help turn the site into a
heritage feature that would make the track a better facility.
Dr Schmidt has been involved in several heritage trails,
including the Gibbston Trail near Queenstown.
"The beauty of these projects is that recreational users
become part of the heritage experience, which promotes and
helps advocate for heritage," he said.
Dr Schmidt's assessment said the first trout hatchery ponds
at Opoho were built in 1868 to establish a viable freshwater
game fishery in Otago, work followed in detail by the
Otago Daily Times and Otago Witness newspapers.
The hatchery's manager, Mr Clifford, was sent to Tasmania to
the salmon commissioners in 1868 to obtain 800 brown trout
ova, with a further 1000 ova sourced in 1869 and 720 ova in
1870.
They were almost all successfully hatched, and formed the
original stock from which most of the streams in Otago were
stocked.
Further up the gully, two iron riveted boxes, possibly part
of a filter system, were identified roughly in the position
they held on an 1880 map.
Dr Schmidt said the temperature and the clarity of water in
the area was essential to raising the fish.
In 1885, the hatchery was deemed too small and a new hatchery
was built further up the Opoho Stream gully.
At the site yesterday, he showed the Otago Daily Times
roofing slates he thought came from a roof over the pond.
Once the work to uncover the ponds, expected to be completed
in about three weeks, was complete, information panels would
be added to the site to make it an attraction for visitors.
Mr Seaton said it was "great" to have a historic attraction
on the track the club was building.
"People will come up just for the history," he said.
Mr Seaton said the panels, and the track, were expected to be
completed by the end of the year.
david.loughrey@odt.co.nz
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