About Arrowtown
Māori name & meaning: Kā-Muriwai – Referring to the three rivers that run through the area.
Mountain slopes rise around a village of stone cottages, weathered timber buildings and tree-lined streets. Along Buckingham Street, the gold-rush past feels close enough to touch, while cafés, galleries and boutiques bring new life to the historic centre. Beyond the buildings, the Arrow River winds quietly through a valley once crowded with miners searching for gold.
The Story of This Place
Arrowtown was established during the Central Otago gold rush after shearer Jack Tewa, also known as Māori Jack, discovered gold in the Arrow River in 1862. By the end of that year, more than 1,500 miners were camped along the riverbanks, and 340 kilograms of gold was removed from the area in early 1863. Chinese miners later joined the goldfields, establishing a settlement beside Bush Creek that remained occupied until 1928.
Cultural Significance
Before Arrowtown was established, the area was known to tangata whenua (Māori people with ancestral ties to the land) as Kā-Muriwai, a name referencing three local waterways. One of these is the Arrow River/Haehaenui, with Haehaenui meaning “big scratches,” recalling the marks left by weka as they searched for food. Māori shearer Jack Tewa’s discovery of gold in the river in 1862 became the catalyst for the town’s rapid transformation.
The Experience of Visiting
Begin among the preserved buildings of Buckingham Street, where former banks, stores and miners’ cottages now house cafés, boutiques and galleries. Continue towards the Arrow River and the partially restored Chinese Settlement, where simple huts, ruins and Ah Lum’s Store reveal the difficult lives of Chinese gold miners. Interpretation panels share their stories, while the riverbank and surrounding trails offer time to explore the landscape that shaped the town.
Natural Features
Arrowtown sits within a river valley surrounded by mountains, with the Arrow River / Haehaenui flowing beside the historic village. Tree-lined streets and riverside trails bring nature close to the town centre, while the surrounding tracks pass through alpine forest and follow waterways once worked by gold miners. The landscape is particularly known for the colourful foliage that appears throughout the town and along its walking trails.
Good to Know
- Arrowtown retains more than 70 historic buildings and features throughout the town and surrounding landscape.
- The Chinese Settlement remained occupied until 1928.
- Ah Lum’s Store was built around 1883 and is one of the settlement’s best-preserved buildings.
Stories Shared Along the Way
Arrowtown’s gold-rush history can be explored through interpretation panels at the Chinese Settlement, where English and Chinese text shares the stories and living conditions of the miners. In the town centre, the Lakes District Museum brings the wider district’s Māori, European and gold-mining history to life through artefacts, displays and preserved historic spaces.
Little-Known Facts
Arrowtown was initially known as Fox’s, after miner William Fox, who tried to keep his profitable claim on the Arrow River secret. Rumours of his discovery spread and other miners began “Seeking the Fox,” but Fox reportedly abandoned his camp and equipment under cover of darkness to evade those following him. The settlement later became known as The Arrow before the name Arrowtown came into use around 1866.
Arrowtown’s famous avenue of trees is itself part of the town’s history. The trees along Buckingham Street were planted in 1865, only a few years after the gold rush began.
Arrowtown is not simply a preserved heritage attraction. It remains a living, working town, with gold-rush buildings now housing cafés, independent shops, galleries, offices and the Lakes District Museum.
One Thing to Know
Arrowtown’s compact historic centre makes it easy to explore its main streets, riverside and Chinese Settlement on foot.