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.
- helena.dereus@odt.co.nz
A name, residential address, and (preferably residential) telephone number is required from readers who comment on ODT Online. These details will not be visible to site visitors.