Key facts
- Fact 01
In February 1863 the Otago Witness described the Shotover River as the richest river in the world, Heritage New Zealand records.
- Fact 02
Thomas Arthur and Harry Redfern made the first Shotover gold discoveries, at what is now Arthurs Point near Queenstown, in November 1862.
- Fact 03
Thomas Arthur and three others obtained 200oz of gold in eight days at Arthurs Point, Heritage New Zealand records.
- Fact 04
About two thousand prospectors arrived within a year, and the Shotover rush was the largest in Otago.
- Fact 05
The Wakatipu gold rush peaked in 1863; by 1865 alluvial miners had moved on to the West Coast goldfields.
The Shotover River, which runs past Arthurs Point near Queenstown, earned its nickname early. Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga, in its New Zealand Heritage List entry for Wong Gongs Terrace Historic Area, records that in February 1863 the Shotover was described in the Otago Witness as the richest river in the world. That was a newspaper's description, not a measured ranking; Heritage New Zealand itself calls the Shotover one of the richest goldfields in New Zealand.
The rush began in November 1862. Heritage New Zealand records that Thomas Arthur and Harry Redfern, shearers working for runholder William Gilbert Rees, made the first gold discoveries at what is now Arthurs Point. Arthur and three others obtained 200oz of gold in eight days by washing the sand there, and after two months had recovered £4,000 worth. About two thousand prospectors arrived on Rees's property over the next year, and the rush was the largest in Otago.
Miners pushed up an almost continuous gorge for forty miles upstream. Maori Point, about thirty miles above Queenstown, was named after its discoverers Dan Ellison and Hakaria Haeroa and yielded rich returns, and the chief of the areas opened up on the Shotover was Skippers. The rush peaked in 1863 and ended in severe weather and flooding that sent 10 to 20 ft waves downstream. By 1865 alluvial miners had drifted to the West Coast goldfields, though quartz mining and dredging carried on. Chinese miners reached the Wakatipu in 1868, and by 1871 they outnumbered European miners in the area.
Traces remain. At Arthurs Point the Oxenbridge Tunnel, dug from 1906 by Bert and Edmund Oxenbridge to get at gold beneath the Shotover rapids, came to be used mostly for tourism, particularly rafting. Up the valley, Wong Gong's Terrace looks out over extensive sluicings. The river's Māori name is Kimiākau, an important mahinga kai and traditional travel route for Ngāi Tahu.
Today Shotover Jet runs the river's canyons from Arthurs Point, and our jet boat guide covers them. Our hidden gems guide has more of Queenstown's history.
Questions visitors are asking
Why is the Shotover called the richest river in the world?
Because of what was found there. Heritage New Zealand records that Thomas Arthur and three others obtained 200oz of gold in eight days at Arthurs Point, and that about two thousand prospectors followed within a year, in the largest rush in Otago. In February 1863 the Otago Witness described the Shotover as the richest river in the world.
Who found gold in the Shotover River?
Thomas Arthur and Harry Redfern, shearers employed by runholder William Gilbert Rees, made the first gold discoveries on the Shotover in November 1862, at what is now Arthurs Point near Queenstown, Heritage New Zealand records. Arthur and three others then obtained 200oz of gold in eight days by washing the sand there.
How big was the Shotover gold rush?
The Shotover rush was the largest that occurred in Otago, Heritage New Zealand says. About two thousand prospectors arrived on William Gilbert Rees's run near Queenstown during the year after the first finds in November 1862. The rush peaked in 1863, and by 1865 alluvial miners had drifted to the West Coast goldfields.
How did the Shotover gold rush end?
Heritage New Zealand says the Wakatipu rush peaked in 1863 and ended with severe weather and serious flooding, when the Shotover burst through gravel blockages and sent 10 to 20 ft waves downstream. By 1865 alluvial miners near Queenstown had drifted to the West Coast goldfields, though quartz mining and dredging continued for longer.
Can you still see gold rush history on the Shotover?
Some of it. Heritage New Zealand says the Oxenbridge Tunnel at Arthurs Point, dug from 1906 to reach gold beneath the Shotover rapids, is now used mostly for rafting, and rafts run through it. Up the valley, Wong Gong's Terrace looks out over extensive sluicings; we could not confirm public access there, so check before you go.