Fruitlands, New Zealand facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fruitlands
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Settlement
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Mitchell's Cottage in Symes Road is registered as a Category I heritage building by Heritage New Zealand
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 Fruitlands
Location in New Zealand
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| Country | New Zealand |
| Region | Otago |
| Territorial authority | Central Otago District |
| Time zone | UTC+12 (NZST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+13 (NZDT) |
| Local iwi | Ngāi Tahu |
Fruitlands is a small place in the Otago region of New Zealand. It used to be called Bald Hill Flat. You can find Fruitlands along State Highway 8. It's about 14 kilometers (9 miles) southwest of Alexandra. It's also 27 kilometers (17 miles) northeast of Roxburgh. This area first became a town because of a gold rush in the early 1860s.
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A Look Back at Fruitlands
Fruitlands was first known as "Bald Hill Flat." This name came about after a gold rush started there in August 1863. Two miners, Andrew Drew and Ben Buchanan, found a good amount of gold. They were getting about an ounce of gold from just a foot below the ground. Over the next few years, people searched all over Bald Hill Flat. They found small amounts of gold almost everywhere, usually not very deep.
From Station to Gold Town
Before the gold rush in 1863, Bald Hill Flat was part of a large farm called Teviot Station. After gold was discovered, the land was separated from Teviot. It was then divided into smaller pieces that people could lease, or rent, for mining.
Why the Name Changed to Fruitlands
In 1915, Bald Hill Flat was renamed Fruitlands. This new name was chosen because people hoped the area would become a place for growing fruit. However, this plan didn't work out very well. Only one crop of fruit was ever sent away to be sold. Even though there was plenty of water for irrigation in the summer, the very cold winter frosts destroyed most of the fruit trees.
What Fruitlands is Like Today
Fruitlands used to be a busy community. It had its own school, a post office, and a Roman-Catholic church. Today, the area looks different. You'll see modern farmhouses mixed with the old stone cottages built by miners. Some of these old cottages are now ruins, but others have been fixed up. Two great examples of restored buildings are John Mitchell's cottage and the Speargrass Inn. The Speargrass Inn used to be the Speargrass Hotel.
