Canvastown facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Canvastown
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 Canvastown
Location in New Zealand Marlborough
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| Country | New Zealand |
| Region | Marlborough |
Canvastown is a small place in the Marlborough area of New Zealand. It's located right where the Wakamarina River meets the Pelorus River. State Highway 6, a main road, goes through Canvastown. The town of Rai Valley is about 17 kilometers away to the northwest, and Havelock is about 10 kilometers to the east.
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Canvastown's Gold Rush History
Canvastown began in 1864. This was after people found gold in the nearby Wakamarina Valley. Many people, up to 6,000 miners, came hoping to get rich. Before this, there was a Māori village called a Pā here.
Life in the Gold Rush Town
Suddenly, streets of tents appeared where the Pā once stood. These tents were homes, restaurants, and even taverns. About 3,000 people lived in this busy gold mining town. In 1864 alone, miners found about 25,000 ounces of gold. That's a lot of gold!
The Gold Runs Out
However, the easy-to-find gold on the surface didn't last long. Within two years, most miners left. They moved to new gold discoveries on the West Coast of New Zealand. Even after the miners left, large machines called dredges kept working the river. These dredges continued to search for gold in the river until the early 1900s.
Canvastown School
Canvastown School is a school for students from year 1 to year 8. It's a coeducational school, meaning both boys and girls attend. The school first opened in 1877. In 2002, the school celebrated its 125th birthday! Today, about 29 students go to Canvastown School.
Te Hora Marae
Te Hora Marae is a special meeting place located in Canvastown. It is the marae (meeting ground) for the Ngāti Kuia people. The marae includes Te Hora wharenui (meeting house). A wharenui is a very important building where people gather for meetings and ceremonies.
In October 2020, the New Zealand government helped the marae. They gave $32,318 from a fund to help improve the marae. This project also created four jobs for people in the area.
Famous People from Canvastown
- Vanessa Weenink (born 1978) is a politician. She grew up in Canvastown. A politician is someone who works in government and helps make decisions for the country.
