Gold rush tomb gets official stamp

A five-year project to restore a historic gold rush tomb to its former glory has reached a formal conclusion.

Adrienne Shaw, a descendant of a couple who lived at the Lawrence Chinese Camp, raised about $45,000 to begin restoring Sam Chew Lain’s 122-year-old tomb in 2021, as it was a "unique symbol" of the integration of the area’s Chinese and European communities.

In January, Heritage NZ announced the tomb would receive category 1 listing, and a plaque to denote that status was formally mounted last week.

Ms Shaw said she was delighted to finalise the project.

"This is the cherry on top for this project. We secured funding support for the Heritage NZ plaque from a Clyde business, and now people can find out more about the tomb online."

The tomb was the only Gothic edifice worldwide housing a Chinese and European husband and wife side-by-side, she said.

Heritage NZ’s listing for the site said the tomb was a "rare symbol of the integration of the Chinese and European communities living in Otago at the time" and "has outstanding historic, aesthetic, architectural, cultural, and social value as well as significant community support".

richard.davison@alliedmedia.co.nz