What happened in the Otago gold rush?
The Otago Gold Rush (often called the Central Otago Gold Rush) was a gold rush that occurred during the 1860s in Central Otago, New Zealand. Only a few years later, most of the smaller new settlements were deserted, and gold extraction became more long-term, industrialised-mechanical process.
Who was the person who first discovered gold in Otago in May 1861?
Gabriel Read
23 May 1861 Gabriel Read gained fame and fortune when he found gold near the Tuapeka River, a tributary of the Clutha River in Otago. The Otago provincial government had offered a £1000 reward for the discovery of ‘payable quantities’ of gold.
Who found gold in Otago?
In May 1861 Gabriel Read, an experienced Australian prospector, discovered gold in Otago, and during the two succeeding months many men left Dunedin to try their luck on the Tuapeka field.
How much gold was found during the Otago gold rush?
Within months, the Otago gold rush was reignited when Californians Horatio Hartley and Christopher Reilly deposited a whopping 32kg of gold at the receiver’s office in Dunedin, sewn up in scraps of their trousers.
Is there still gold in Otago?
In New Zealand, Otago and West Coast gold is purer (93–98% gold, with 2–7% silver or silver plus mercury), while on the Coromandel Peninsula it occurs as the gold–silver alloy electrum (typically 65% gold and 35% silver in the Martha mine at Waihī) along with separate sulfide minerals.
What country had the biggest gold rush?
Australia
One of the biggest gold rushes in history was started in New South Wales, Australia, in 1851. Hundreds of thousands of “diggers” from other parts of Australia, Great Britain, Poland, Germany, and even California sought their fortunes and redefined Australia’s national identity.
Where can I find gold in Otago?
Gold is rarely found as larger pieces in the quartz. Gold occurs in two distinct geological settings in Otago: within quartz veins in the schist (hard-rock gold), and as detrital gold grains in gravels (alluvial gold).
Did New Zealand have a gold rush?
The New Zealand gold rush began with a discovery of gold in the Coromandel area in 1852. As more gold was discovered, people came to New Zealand from all over the world looking to strike it rich. This influx of settlers hoping to make their fortune had a big impact on New Zealand’s early economy.
Where was the most gold found in New Zealand?
The principal New Zealand goldfields were Coromandel, Nelson/Marlborough, Central Otago and West Coast. The two main types of gold mine were: ‘hard rock’ quartz mines, and. alluvial mining which included panning and cradling, sluicing and dredging.
Can you still find gold in Arrowtown?
Arrowtown and Queenstown’s goldrush background might be well documented, but a lesser known fact is that local rivers still teem with the precious metal, says shopkeeper and gold enthusiast Justin Eden.
Can you find gold in any creek?
Gold is not randomly scattered throughout a creek or river. Due to its high specific gravity, it acts in a very predictable way, and can often be very easy to find if you just search in the right spots. Learning how to properly “read a river” for gold is one of the most important aspects of placer mining.
What was the biggest gold rush of all time?
3. Witwatersrand Gold Rush (1886), Johannesburg, South Africa. South Africa has always been known as a place of abundant minerals, but with the discovery of gold in the Witwatersrand Basin in 1885, the most massive gold rush in world history took place.
What was the significance of the Otago Gold Rush?
The 1861 Otago Gold Rush was largely male dominated, as many miners would leave their families to strike it rich – this later came to highlight the key idea of New Zealand’s feminist movement.
Who was the woman in the Otago Gold Rush?
Another significant woman present on the 19th century Central Otago goldfields was Susan Nugent-Wood, a well-known writer in the 1860s and 1870s. Nugent-Wood, her husband John, and their children moved to Otago in 1861]
What was life like in Otago in the 1860s?
IN THE EARLY 1860s OTAGO was a young pastoral province. Half a million sheep nibbled its tussock country while Dunedin flourished off the back of wool exports. The arrival of a young Australian prospector would change the face of Otago forever.
Where was the largest gold rush in New Zealand?
The Arthur’s Point strike led to the largest rush that occurred in Otago. Historic buildings at Queenstown such as Eichardt’s Hotel, the Lake Lodge of Ophir (now Artbay Gallery), the Queenstown Police Station, and stone Courthouse were all begun as a response to the rapid influx.
