History of Alexandra, Clyde & Cromwell Gorge Settlements

This documentary traces the history of the Alexandra, Clyde & Cromwell Gorge settlements in Central Otago, New Zealand from their origins of the 1862 gold rush, researched in detail by local historian, the late Ron Murray.

[@Blackscorpion1963]

Ron Murray was a visionary and extremely well researched historian with an excellent wit. His narration in these videos are highly detailed and portrayed with simply clarity and wonderment. Thank you to uploader Scott Bennett greatly appreciated sir.

[@JackieMacNZ]

Thanks so much for putting together this interesting and well researched video. Great old photos!

[@billmcintyre61]

great views and comments, my great grandfather was involved in the gold dredgeing around Alexandra.
Mcintyre was the surname.
Money they made was invested in waterfront property's around the Otago harbor ....

[@billmcintyre61]

Loved the documentary on an area i grew up on .. .
Live in Blenheim now, but still feel Central Otago my home ❤🎉

[@kilmog44]

Excellent...great doco......really enjoyed this.......

[@kingy002]

Thanks for sharing this little bit of history in the area. A hard life for the horses, as it would be up and down all day long.

[@kaitlynlsari681]

Interesting. I've seen a few of these photos from Clyde and muttontown area before but this was really interesting history of our area. Thanks

[@montyskeetch4082]

The lack of trees in the oldest photos is fascinating, almost like an actual desert.

[@kiwihib]

Thanks good to see a couple of my old works place in Clyde and Cromwell and the Dunstan Hotel that I stayed in, when it was owned by Fleur.

[@carlospoor8014]

Thank You for these videos , I'm from Soyuth america and fid it very informative

[@Cssssssst]

Growing up in Dunedin I always loved central Otago and its Wild West looking landscape. Best place in the world and I’m always looking for more info of the central Wild West days

[@bzs83x]

Thanks Scott, very informative and enjoyable.

[@rodrigomattos-cryptoguy9611]

Hi, im a coach driver, and your videos are helping a lot to tell the travellers what happened around here around 1800`s at gold rush. tks for your time doing this videos, i hope to go at the Arrowtown and Cromwell museum to get more information, to be honest i didint know about the stories about Alex, Clyde and Cromwell, tks a lot

[@scottbennett1614]

Thanks for the nice comment. Really good book to read on the history is the "Heart of the Desert" by J C Parcell.

[@Freetalkfm]

Great to see some places my family grew up arround . My great grand father worked on the lines he stopped in Waitahuna and married my great grandmother where they stayed . My mother was brought up there aswell .

[@rossr100]

Fascinating stuff, I live in Alex' and wonder if that's the Vol Fire siren I can hear in the background of the commentary? heh.
Very interesting collection of pix and great comments in the voice over. Thanks

[@scottybsactiveinterests]

Glad you liked it. It was actually the Cromwell Volunteer Fire Station siren. I wasn't able to edit it out of Ron's narrative.

[@robertmiller2173]

Thanks so much

[@DarrenMcManawaynz]

Thank you!!

[@hamishmoodie4612]

Thankyou

[@TheInvoice123]

How did they keep the beer cold

[@garycody1929]

The river is The Clutha ??

[@scottbennett1614]

Correct, Clutha River also known in the early days as the Molyneux River or now the Maori name of Mata-Au.

[@tonijarvis5074]

My People of Parihaka in Slavery digging the irrigation races in Central Otago so Pakeha could have water to farm the arid land. This is the Truth behind Central Otago Farming

[@petshopox]

Whatever te Karen.

[@jerrylynch5611]

Wow, I didn't know that... They were treated terribly thats for sure

[@OneBlueFroggy]

Looks like it was all mined out on a huge scale before people got there ! And why didn't the build those grand old ornate buildings there instead of those ugly little box houses ? Love the old photos, really shows what people were capable of building back in those years ! 👍 🇨🇦✌️

[@geoffreycampbell504]

if you do some research . you may find that virtually all materials for building were brought in from the coast /or timber was floated down river from head of lake Hawea or Wanaka!

[@elaibuchanan6319]

because the grand old ornate building were already here when the settlers arrived

[@DW_Kiwi]

This the real New Zealand. Not some Maori telling us that anything Maori is NZ culture!!

[@kingy002]

Bitter and comedic all in one.

[@deanstevenson6527]

🥝✔️

[@darrenwareing5715]

Where is the native bush?

[@rossr100]

Ask the people who were there before the settlers.

[@WillCarrollHamilton]

Have you been to otago. You are aware it arid?