Welcome to Clutha Valley Tuapeka Heritage Trust

Early History

As early as 1842, William Palmer, the whaler from Tuatuku, with a boat’s crew of Maoris, ventured up the river as far as Tuapeka Mouth. And Willsher told Tuckett that he had been up there before 1844.  These may have been the first pakeha visitors.  The next were the runholders – Pinkerton in 1856 on the west side, and Wight on the east side in 1854.

But is was the discovery of gold that brought the population, and in 1862 we find Robert Grigor surveying  a village settlement  at the  mouth.  This was to be known as Dalhousie, after the administrator in India.  This name had only a short survival, for when the post office was opened in 1871, the old name was used. Tuapeka Mouth has always been the official post office address.

The Tuapeka made this its inland port of call in 1863;
In the same year two hotels were built, and A McBeath opened a store. Taylor brothers had an orchard above the Surveyed sections. To meet the demand for timber, McColl’s Mill was established in 1869.

Check out other pages featuring aspects of local history.

FROM THE BOOK
PIONEERING IN SOUTH OTAGO
BY Hon Fred Waite
Published 1948