Arrow town
The Arrow Basin was formed when the great glaciers carved out the Wakatipu Basin.
Local Maori passed through the area on seasonal trips to hunt native birds and extract pounamu (green stone). Waitaha, the first tribe, were later joined by Kati Mamoe who were driven south after fighting with Kai Tahu. By the 1700s the three tribes were locked together by marriages and peace alliances.
William Rees and Nicholas von Tunzelmann were the first Europeans to establish farms in the area. Rees’ cadet, Alfred Duncan, provides us with one of the first descriptions of the Arrow River ‘flowing like silver threads through the blackened [matagouri] scrub-clothed plains.’
It was not the silver look of the river but the gold it contained that saw Arrow town evolve. Jack Tewa, a shearer for Rees, was the first to discover gold around May 1861, followed by either William (Bill) Fox or the team of Thomas Low and John MacGregor late in 1862. It is unclear who was next. Being a forceful character, Fox took credit for the discovery and for a while the town was called Fox’s.
Although there were attempts to keep the discovery secret, there were 1,500 miners camped down on the Arrow River by the end of 1862. 12,000 ounces (340 kg) of gold were carried out on the first gold escort in January 1863.
For a small town, Arrow town has a big history. Situated at the foot of the mountains of western Otago, this former goldfield settlement was previously known as Fox’s Diggings, Arrow River and Arrow town. Original buildings such as the Bank of New Zealand and the General Store have been preserved. So have several miners’ cottages, now dwarfed by an avenue of oaks planted in the main street between 1867 and 1877. This diminutive thoroughfare is one of the most photographed in New Zealand, partly due to its character but also because of its historical legacy.
British and Irish miners, along with a smattering of Americans, French, Italians, Germans and Scandinavians, arrived in the region after gold was discovered in 1862. Nine years later, Arrow town’s population had risen to 138 settlers and 70 Chinese sojourners, mainly from the Pearl River Delta. The industrious, mostly illiterate or semi-literate sojourners reworked land that had been abandoned. Their purpose was two-fold: to earn money to send or take home and to return to their families in this life or as bones.
In 1840 my great great grandfather, Thomas John Lister, was born in Yorkshire, England. And grew up in Arrow town.Jane Godfrey was his wife, they got married in 1868
He had eleven children, their names were...
1. George Lister, 2. Thomas Lister, 3. Clara Lister, 4. Leonard Lister, 5. Leah Lister, 6. Ethel Lister, 7. James Lister, 8.Ernest Lister, 9. Arthur Lister, 10. Lewis Lister 11. John Lister.
Thomas Lister passed away in The fourth of December 1900 at Arrow town,NZ. He passed away in his gold mine because his the whole thing collapsed on top of him and no one ever knew why It collapsed.
Here is a photo of him at his house.
here is the newspaper article that is about him passing away.
Arrow town is the much visited, historic, four-season, holiday destination, located only 20 minutes drive from Queens town, South Island, New Zealand.
Arrowtown is a former gold-mining town built on a rich history literally waiting for you to explore.
Continue reading to learn more about Arrow town, or to start planning your Arrow town activities, there are heaps to choose from!
Arrow town is a quaint historic gold-mining town only 20 minutes drive from spectacular Queens town. Arrow town is at the heart of the Southern Lakes ski areas, and is known for its hot summers and striking autumn foliage. Arrow town has a number of superb cafes & restaurants. On the main street of Arrow town, Buckingham Street you will find shops selling New Zealans's finest clothing, souvenirs, arts and crafts, gift ware, and wines. A wide range of accommodation is available in Arrow town or nearby Queens town.
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Visit the Chinese Village
Choose a golf course - Millbrook Resort has a international class 18 hole championship golf course.
Hike to the Old Mace town - Walking track maps can be picked up from Lake Districts Museum.
Explore the pools of the Arrow River
Follow the Historic Walk around town
Check out the Bungy Bridge
Try one of the old pubs
Catch a trout at Lake Hayes
Relive the Gold Rush at the Museum
Horse trek the old trails
Ride the Double Decker Bus
Relax at Waterfall Park
Sample the great vineyards - Amisfield at Lakes Hayes and Gibbs-ton Valley Winery are close by.
Try parapenting
Hire a gold pan, you never know!
Raft the Kawarau and Shot over River
Nice day for a horse and carriage ride
See Skippers, the Canyon of Gold
What a great place for a bike ride
Four wheel drive trips
History
Arrow town was established as the town of Foxes in 1862. It was the discovery of gold in the Arrow River which led miners by their thousand into the district and resulted in the formation of settlements adjacent to the gold diggings.
William Fox, John O'Callaghan and a small band of miners had discovered gold in the Arrow River some weeks prior to the fact becoming known and by being secretive they managed to have the diggings to themselves. In this time they recovered some 230 lbs of gold! Ultimately the population of Arrowtown rose to over 7,000 people, and the now ghost towns of Mace town and Bullendale counted for several hundred more. The Arrow River became famed as one of the world's richest sources of alluvial gold, and many miners made their fortunes in the diggings.
Many of the early miners were fairly nomadic and lived in canvas tents, not having the time, money or inclination to build permanent lodgings. However, the merchants and hoteliers were always quick to recognise a good thing, and some of the stone buildings in Buckingham Street date back to 1862 or 1863, which was only months after the beginning of the rush.
Trees were of course planted in the area, with many coming from Europe, the Americas and Australia. The wide variety of trees in the district is now one of its great attractions and the seasonal changes, particularly in the Autumn, add greatly to the landscape. The main Avenue of Sycamores and Oaks was planted in 1867 and to this day is a feature of Arrow town.
Since the gloss went out of the gold rush in the early part of this century, Arrow town has continued on as a small satellite town to Queens town and as a base for agriculture in this part of the basin.
More recently, with the increase in visitors from New Zealand and all over the world, the town has become an attraction as an example of a living historic town. Strict preservation orders protect the originality of the town's historic buildings, and the excellent Lakes District Museum has many displays pertaining to the pioneering past of the district.
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