Historical Audio Stories of the Upper Clutha included grebe chicks hatching, the 1958 hotel fire, the first ski days, and landing a plane in a turnip paddock — apparently.
These were part of the new collection launched on the Wānaka History website.
The recordings captured the voices, memories and experiences of local people who helped shape the Wānaka and Upper Clutha region over the years.
From stories of farming and family life to accounts of community events, change and development, the stories preserved unique perspectives for future generations.
So far there were more than 75 short clips organised and 20 storyteller pages that included longer versions of the interviews.
This number would continue to grow as the UCHS’s team of historians continued to gather, edit and produce first-hand accounts of historic moments, people and places.
One of the co-ordinators Helen Howarth said "listening to the voices of the people telling the stories really does bring our history to life".
The Oral History Project Team was looking for someone with sound editing or podcasting skills. Anyone interested could email oralhistory@uppercluthahistory.org
The stories are available at www.wanakahistory.org/audio-stories
