A weekend to explore rich history of town

• Published date: 04 November 2021
• Publication title: Clutha Leader

In May that year Gabriel Read struck gold in a nearby gully, sparking the great Otago Goldrush, which blew the population out to more than 11,000 within a year — double that of Dunedin at the time. It eventually reached about 24,000 across the greater Tuapeka Goldfields area by 1864, when extraction had started to decline.

The Lawrence gold strike led to deeper development of all Otago, which radiated throughout the big, island colony, making Dunedin the country’s largest city and altering the destiny of Aotearoa.

It’s interesting to stop off in Lawrence on your way east or west and try to imagine the power and influence this sleepy, quirky little village had across the whole nation 160 years ago. Indeed, the music for God Defend New Zealand was penned by John Joseph Woods in Lawrence in 1876.

Travellers through the town this Saturday and Sunday, however, are likely to find their ‘‘stop off’’ takes up the whole day as they join excited locals and far-flung visitors celebrating Lawrence Heritage Weekend.

The always vibrant gallery, antique-boutique, curio and cafe culture will be the backdrop of a festive market of activities and exhibitions, encompassing the whole town and surrounds, incorporating architecture and gardens with history and storytelling.

The first Heritage Day was in 2014, making this the seventh annual event. It was originally inspired by the Tuapeka Vintage Club, whose working historical collections and traditional trade displays of gold panning, horse shoeing and shearing are as real as it gets.

Edifying talks will detail notable buildings and the steps the town has taken in preserving its curious collection of architectural treasures.

A permanent hub of local heritage is the Tuapeka Goldfields Museum, where manager...