Macetown facts for kids
Macetown is a historic gold mining town in the Otago region of New Zealand's South Island. Today, no one lives there, but it's a popular spot for tourists. To reach Macetown, you travel on a rough road that goes up the steep Arrow River gorge. You can walk, ride a mountain bike or horse, or use a four-wheel-drive vehicle. The road crosses the Arrow River or its smaller streams 22 times! Regular cars can't use this road. You'll find the start of the road in the Arrowtown car park.
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A Town Built on Gold
In 1862, a sailor named William Fox found gold in the Arrow River. By the end of that year, over 1,500 miners had set up camp along the river. A small town made of canvas tents quickly grew where 12 Mile Creek met the Arrow River. Three brothers, John, Charles, and Harry Mace, were among the many people who rushed to the area. The town was later named after them.
Macetown's Busy Years
In 1863, about 300 people lived in Macetown. When the town was at its busiest, it had a school, a church, and two hotels. This shows how quickly it grew with the gold rush!
By 1865, most of the easily found gold (called alluvial gold) was gone. Many miners then left for new gold fields on the West Coast. But in the 1870s, people started mining for gold in quartz rock, which brought more people back. The town's population reached its highest point of 206 people in 1896.
The Town's Decline
After the year 1900, Macetown began to shrink. It has been empty for a long time now. Not many of the original buildings are left. However, Needham's House (which was the old schoolmaster's home) and the bakehouse have been carefully fixed up by the Department of Conservation. They look just like they used to!
People of Macetown
Many interesting people lived in Macetown during its gold mining days. They helped make the town a lively place.
Notable Residents
- Joseph Needham was a gold miner. He also worked as the schoolmaster in Macetown from 1879 to 1889. He married a widow named Mrs. Heads, who had two children, Mary and John Thomas. Joseph and Mrs. Needham had two more children, Nellie and Locksley. Mary Heads later married Mr. Thomas McSoriley. They owned a large hotel in Queenstown for many years. One of their sons, Pat, became a famous captain of the TSS Earnslaw steamship on Lake Wakatipu.
- William Tily Smith ran a store in Macetown for over 50 years. He also delivered the mail to Arrowtown twice a week. He was the person who built the town's bakehouse.
- Oliver Palmer was part of a group of miners known as the 'Twelve Apostles'. This group would meet at the Montezuma Hut. They gave each other special nicknames like 'The King', 'The Doctor', or 'The Saint'.
Moving On
Many people from Macetown moved to Arrowtown in the early 1900s. They often found work in Queenstown. The Anderson family, who ran the Alpine hotel in Macetown, moved there. The Tallentire family also moved. Their youngest son, Thomas Tallentire, later became the editor of the Queenstown Daily Mail newspaper in the 1930s.
William Jenkins was known for riding his horse very fast through the streets of Macetown. By 1921, he was the only person left living in the town. He decided to declare himself the "Mayor" of Macetown! His mother used to run the Alpine Hotel.
The Chinese Community
Macetown also had a small Chinese community. They lived near the end of the main street in an area called "Chinatown." The Chinese miners would celebrate Chinese New Year every year. They had a big feast and put on a display of fireworks. Everyone in town loved to watch the celebrations!
