Promote Dunstan is creating an impression of the town's main street as it was in the mid to late 1860s, to mark the 150th anniversary of the discovery of gold in the area.
Planning and research has taken several months and, after a fortnight of construction and painting work, the 60 panels which make up both sides of the street, measuring 45m, will be displayed in the Clyde Primary School grounds.
The panels, painted on calico attached to a wooden framework, would be open to public view from October 18 to 24, Promote Dunstan president Rory Butler said.
The original idea came from former promotion group member Selar Henderson.
"He once said it would be neat if we could put up canvas facades in front of the businesses, of how the main street shops looked in the early days. I tucked that idea away and developed it a bit for this occasion."
Clyde resident Graeme Miller, who was a signwriter, had brought the buildings to life with his artwork on the giant canvases, Mr Butler said.
"Each one is an artwork in its own right. He's done such a professional job on them," he said.
Mr Miller, who is volunteering his services, is recreating the building frontages based on early photographs.
"I'm a signwriter by trade and like helping out with this group. Promote Dunstan do a lot of work for the area so I don't mind pottering away here," he said.
He liked the "arty" side of sign writing and had completed several murals for Invercargill Licensing Trust hotels when he lived in that city. Another of his artworks, depicting a train, adorns the exterior of a Clyde restaurant.
So far he has spent about a week decorating the panels which make up the old town, using black and white paint.
"They are big canvases, but it's all coming together."
Ten hotels were among the buildings which lined the town's main street in the early days of the gold rush.
The Alexandra Men's Shed group made the frames and 170m of calico has been used to cover the panels.
Mr Butler said he had "arranged for the weather to be fine every day of the display".
The panels will be stored away after October 24 but will make a reappearance on "special occasions", he said. The group is looking for somewhere to store them.
