The day was sunny and fine for the Victorian heritage celebrations promenade along Thames St in the morning, followed by a Victorian garden party - complete with silver tea pots and an elegant afternoon tea - in the Oamaru Public Gardens.
Gavin McLean's book Kiwitown's port: the story of Oamaru Harbour, was launched at the Oamaru Public Library last night.
Dr McLean also presented the Forrester and Lemon memorial lecture yesterday. Born and educated in Oamaru, he is a senior historian at the Ministry of Culture and Heritage in Wellington.
A stagecoach will feature in today's grand street parade at 11.30am, which is appropriate given the theme of the festivities is a celebration of wheels.
The coach, built in 2002 by Peter Robson, of Lochiel, is a replica 1820 Concord eight-seater coach and is drawn by a team of five Morgan horses.
The horses will be housed in the stables in Harbour St and will operate around the precinct, harbour and lower Thames St today and tomorrow.
Up to 40 corporate and community groups, including the North Otago Vintage Machinery Club, were invited to participate in the parade.
The parade will follow a loop beginning at the goods yard, on the corner of Tyne and Wans-beck Sts, into Itchen St and around the corner to lower Thames St.
