"Mist frequently clings to the mountains that overlook the former gold mining settlement of Arrowtown of a morning. But as soon as the sun is up, warming the shopfront verandas along Buckingham Street, it could almost be mistaken for a town in the American Wild West, and the name Arrowtown certainly helps fuel that inclination."
"The town’s mining past can be examined through exhibits at the Lakes District Museum, while the remains of a tumbledown settlement once populated by Chinese immigrant workers offers a keen insight into what life would have been like for the miners during the gold rush."
"Hiking trails make the most of the nearby mountains while snowy slopes open during the winter to skiers over on Coronet Peak, 11 miles (17km) to the west."
The first jail in Arrowtown was simply a log. You were chained up to it. The later stone jail still exists and is in Cardigan Street. It is New Zealand’s 4th oldest jail.
There are two theories as to why the town is named Arrowtown. One is that the river behind the town flows swiftly like an arrow.
Arrowtown had four churches representing the early immigrant populations. Catholic, Presbyterian, Anglican and Methodist. All still operate today except for the Methodist Church.
The first Arrowtown School was in Buckingham Street and opened in 1863. It was on the site now occupied by the Oak development.
Arrowtown was originally known as Fox’s. named after William Fox an early gold discoverer. Then it was known as The Arrow and later Arrowtown.
The discoverer of gold in the Arrow river was a shepherd named Jack Tewa or Maori Jack. He also won the Royal Humane medal for saving a man from drowning in Lake Wakatipu.
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