Richard's Historic Walks

18/03/2024

Thanks to Destination Queenstown for inclusion in their new article on guided walks in the area.

Get the most out of your trip to Queenstown. These must-do Queenstown activities are made even better in the company of a local guide.

04/12/2023

December in Queenstown History

In December 1863 George Valentine Burke took over the dining hall in Hugh Bracken's Queen's Arms Hotel (later Eichardt's). Wild fowl and suckling pig were the highlights of Christmas dinner. Burke didn't stay in Queenstown long and later operated dining rooms in the Albion Hotel, Forbes, New South Wales, the Empire Hotel, Hokitika and the Exchange Hotel, Gympie, Queensland. By1870 he was in Grahamstown (now Thames).

The photos show the Queen's Arms in 1873, with the original wooden section in the middle, and Eichardt's Hotel as it is today.

12/12/2022

December in Queenstown History

December 1866 saw tenders called for the er****on of the Brunswick Flour Mill on the Kawarau Falls. It was built by Queenstown's first mayor, J.W. ("Daddy") Robertson and his business partner, Bendix Hallenstein, who later founded the well-known menswear chain. The name came from the birthplaces of the owners - Robertson's was New Brunswick in Canada and Hallenstein's Brunswick in Germany (called Braunschweig in it's native language).

The mill was opened on 31 July 1867 by Mrs. Robertson (nee Mary McBride) by smashing a bottle of champagne on the water wheel.

In 1882 a powerful turbine wheel, made by Stout, Mills & Temple of Dayton, Ohio, was erected at a cost of £800.

In its later years the manager, James Robertson (no relation), bought the mill. It struggled with profitability and was dismantled and sold in 1903.

(Mill photo colourised by Sean Drader https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)

07/12/2022

I'm introducing some changes to the tours from today. They will now be starting at 10:45 am, Wednesday to Saturday, still lasting for 90 minutes. With cost pressures I've unfortunately had to raise the price to $35.

It's great to see Queenstown buzzing again, and with Richard's Historic Walks you can learn interesting details about the history of the town.

14/02/2022

February in Queenstown History.

In late January 1860 a party of four left the Commercial Hotel in Dunedin to investigate the potential to establish runs in the vicinity of Lakes Wanaka and Wakatipu, some of which had already been applied for. The group, William Gilbert Rees, Nicholas von Tunzelmann , William Anderson Low and "A" (possibly John Arliss), were joined by Charles Hopkinson in East Otago.

They made their way up the Waitaki River and over the Lindis Pass to Wilkin's station at what is now Albert Town. Disappointed by the lack of new sheep territory in this vicinity, three of the party left for Dunedin, leaving Rees and von Tunzelmann to press on.

The two proceeded up the Cardrona Valley, and, on 12 or 13 February, from a point near what is now the Crown Range Road summit, they were able to view the Wakatipu Basin, with its great farming potential. They camped the night on the banks of the Arrow River.

The next day they walked to the outlet of the Lake Wakatipu at Kawarau Falls. The Falls (pictured below) were much more impressive before the river was widened, when the dam was built in 1926. Rees wrote that " the rush of such a body of water over broken masses of black rock into the stream below was one of the most beautiful sites we had seen in this colony".

The pair spent another three weeks exploring the area before returning to Dunedin to begin planning the settlement of their respective runs.

13/11/2021

November in Queenstown History

At Powell's Family Hotel (now Eureka House) on 7 November 1873, a meeting of members of the Lake District Jockey Club, chaired by Dr. James Douglas, awarded John Campbell the contract to build their new grandstand at Frankton, designed by F.W. Burwell, for £315 ($45,200 in today's money). The following week at their AGM they agreed to pay him an additional £163 ($23,400) to build an attached pavilion. By the end of the month stonemasons were hard at work building it.

The grandstand was built of stone with covered seats giving an excellent view of the races, held on 15 and 16 January 1874. Captain Jackson Barry of the Prince of Wales Hotel (later the Mountaineer) paid £95 for the rights to operate the stand and provide food and drink. The Lake Wakatip Mail reported that "Below, the bar afforded apparently unlimited room, but it was generally two or three deep, and five to six hands were kept incessantly busy each day from 2 to 6 p.m. Claret punch and shandy-gaff (half beer, half ginger beer) seemed to be the popular beverages, and the consequence was that there were very few persons "tight" as it is now elegantly phrased, and these were evidently old topers who, on principle, never refused to join in "a shout"". The quality of the lunch apparently gave full satisfaction.

The final meeting at the racecourse was held in March 1921. The stand became somewhat derelict, but in 1947 "Popeye" Lucas incorporated much of it into his new Southern Scenic Air Services building, which remains standing.

13/09/2021

September in Queenstown History

September 1867 saw the first trees planted in the Park (now the Queenstown Gardens). The first two, both oaks, were planted by the mayor, J.W. Robertson and William McConochie, co-owner of the Lake View Nursery Gardens.
The next fortnight saw what the Lake Wakatip Mail described as "a kind of arbormania" as locals rushed to plant their contribution of trees and shrubs. Oaks seemed to be the most popular, followed by weeping willows. Blue gums apparently weren't planted in the numbers expected. Williams and Archer added some rare species of native plants which they had brought down from the Head of the Lake.
Although presently in a construction site, the original two oaks are still flourishing 154 years on. In the photo the Mayoral Oak is closest to the Gardens entrance, with McConochie's oak just behind it.

09/08/2021

August In Queenstown History

9 August 1862 saw one of the most famous incidents in the history of the local area. On a bitterly cold day Jack Tewa ("Maori Jack") was taking James Mitchell and William Rogers (who had Glenquoich Station at Athol) from Rees's station at what is now Queenstown to the foot of the Lake. About two miles north of Halfway Bay (pictured) the boat capsized. After two hours Rogers slipped beneath the waters and drowned. Maori Jack managed to roll the boat over and get Mitchell, who was now in a very bad way into it. He rowed to shore then after rolling Mitchell in wet blankets he made his way during the night to Nicholas von Tunzelmann's station at Fernhill, near Mount Nicholas.
Von Tunzelmann and Maori Jack rowed to Rees' station, then Rees and others set off to help Mitchell. Luckily for Mitchell an escaped sheepdog came and lay on him during the night, keeping him alive. Mitchell fell into a dead faint when the rescue party arrived but eventually recovered.
For his bravery Rees successfully recommended Maori Jack for the medal of the Humane Society of Britain.
Tragically, Rogers' fiancee, Esther Dickinson, was travelling out from England to get married at the time, only finding out the sad news when she reached Sydney.

01/01/2021

New Year's Day 1863 is said to be when Queenstown was "christened". The ceremony was performed at Black's blacksmiths shop by Archibald Cameron, who ran the All Nations Hotel on the corner of Rees and Beach Streets. He was later proprietor of the lake steamer Alexandra.

After a sad and difficult year for many across the world in 2020, let's hope the new year will see much better things.

13/05/2020

With the move to Level 2, I'm pleased to announce that walking tours have restarted, at 11:00 am and 2:00 pm, Tuesday to Saturday. With the need for social distancing there is a limit at the moment of one party per tour. I look forward to seeing you.

24/03/2020

Unfortunately with the Covid-19 situation, Richard's Historic Walks has had to suspend operations. Tours will restart as soon as it is safe to do so. Thanks to all those who came on a tour and, to everyone, look after yourselves.

06/01/2020

03/01/2020

Great article in the Mountain Scene.

19/12/2019

Thanks very much to all those who've liked this page. Very much appreciated.

16/12/2019

The Grand Opening of Richard's Historic Walks this morning. Many thanks to Jim Boult, Queenstown Lakes Mayor and Hamish Walker MP for Clutha-Southland for cutting the ribbon, and to everyone for coming along.

13/12/2019

Richard's Historic Walks kicks off giving public tours on Tuesday 17 December. Really looking forward to telling people about the history of Queentown.

08/12/2019

Richard Soper has always had a passion for history. He will lead you on a 75 minute walk around the historic buildings of Queenstown learning the stories of some of the fascinating people who built this town.
Tours are Tuesday to Saturday at 11am and 2pm, cost $30 (please book in advance).