The Luggate Community Association will soon begin restoring the wagon, which has spent many years sitting in the grounds of the Wanaka Department of Conservation offices.
The purpose of the project is to establish a permanent tribute to long-standing business Upper Clutha Transport, formerly Reid's Transport, which has a depot in Luggate.
"The community association were looking for a project to recognise the contribution Upper Clutha Transport had made to the area ... they were the first transport company to operate in the area," association chairman Geoff Taylor said.
"It's long overdue that something was done to recognise their contribution."
Once restoration of the wagon is complete, it will be given a more prominent home on Queenstown Lakes District Council reserve land opposite the Luggate Domain, in the centre of the village, complete with a plaque acknowledging Upper Clutha Transport.
Mr Taylor said a "team of handymen" would rebuild the framework and put a new deck in the wagon, which he estimated was "at least 100 years old".
Plenty of the original structure would be retained, though.
"I don't think we'll renew the sides, because they've got that historic look about them.
"Long term, we would like to get a couple of horses - permanent ones of course - and put them in front of it."
The wagon was given to Doc about 25 years ago by Wanaka man Bill Macdonald. It had come with the Eely Point property bought by Mr Macdonald's family in 1957. Shortly after moving to the property himself in 1986, Mr Macdonald grew tired of shifting the wagon each time he mowed the lawns, so he offered it to Doc.
Mr Taylor said it was believed the wagon was once used to cart wool from Upper Clutha stations to the railhead at Cromwell, but he did not know anything more about its history. He said it was "terrific" it was being restored to its former glory and put on public display.
The Luggate Community Association had approached Doc with its proposal for the wagon, which was now awaiting its makeover on Mr Taylor's property.
"We were lucky to get hold of it because there's not many of these old things left," Mr Taylor said.
