Hundreds of people gathered at Waitahuna over the weekend to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the discovery of gold in the Waitahuna Gully.
The official celebrations began on Saturday afternoon with a parade of local children, horses, a wagon and vintage cars and tractors. Pupils from Waitahuna School and Lawrence resident Anna Clayton-Smith presented several songs based on the gold rush.
Clutha Mayor Bryan Cadogan unveiled a new plaque on the freshly cleaned memorial at the old mine in Waitahuna Gully that afternoon.
He said there was only one chance to preserve heritage and Waitahuna was doing a "great job" preserving its own.
An afternoon tea of pikelets and tea and gold-panning and sluicing demonstrations were held after the plaque was unveiled.
For those who registered for the weekend, a sold-out dinner was held at Waitahuna Hall, with around 160 people attending - believed to be the largest group of people to have dinner at the hall. The celebrations ended with a church service on yesterday morning.
Gold was discovered in the Waitahuna Gully in July 1861 by Teviot Station owner Captain William Baldwin and Gabriel Read.
