Our history

Gold mining played an integral role in the development of Orepuki. Beach mining began in the 1860’s and the number of miners on the beach grew to approximately 120 by 1866. 

The original township of Orepuki was founded near Monkey Island after Henry Hirst made land available. Lack of roading near the mining town was an issue especially with bad weather. 

Alluvial gold was discovered inland and miners moved away from the coast and the township of Garfield was established. This land also belonged to Hirst. 

Orepuki moved its township from Garfield to its current site, known as Hirstfield approx 1885 which allowed the alluvial gold to be mined from beneath Garfield. 

Photo supplied by Te Hikoi Museum. 

 The restored railway water tank in the Orepuki township is a relic of the railway which once played a pivotal role in the area. On 25 May 1885 a branch line railway was opened to Orepuki, providing the community with transport to Invercargill which was considered a social and economic lifeline. 

Photo supplied by Joe Wallace.

 The Magistrate Court (Excerpt from: Orepuki… A Hundred Years of Memories)

Orepuki was declared a Gold Field on 25/9/1866 and was known as the Orepuki and Longwood Goldfield. On September 11th 1866, Henry Rogers of Waiau was appointed Resident Magistrate to Orepuki and Warden of this Gold Field.

The first Court House appears to have been one room of a six roomed house occupied by Henry Rogers, at the first township (the camp) at Monkey Island. When gold was discovered further in and to the north and the inhabitants of the camp shifted away to a spot about four miles in that direction, to form the township of Garfield, the Court House and Warden’s office was (still at the camp) too far away from the township. So the petition was sent to the Government requesting that it be shifted.

Whether the actual building was shifted is in doubt, but a Court House was in existence in Garfield in Sect. 25 Block 11 in 1875, when the first meeting to form a Public Library was “held in the Court House” there. In 1886 the Library Committee asked “to be granted this Section with teh Court Building thereon, in the old township.” Some information says that a small hall was used for Court sittings, prior to 1900. So one can believe that when the township was shifted to the new township of Hirstfield, the Court sittings were held in the hall. When petitioners urged the erection of a new building, Section 8 Block V11 was made available for the new Court House built in 1902. This was closed in 1932 and finally sold to Mr M. Moylan in 1939, it is now owned by Mr Laurie. Mr Rogers was succeeded by Mr Shea Lawlor, then Mr Nugent Woods and finally Mr Henry McCullock. Mr Nugent Wood had often been sent to Orepuki to settle disputes, during Mr Rogers prolonged illness and sometimes used a room at the back of the Police Station for this purpose and by all reports there were plenty of disputes to settle. 

Photo supplied by Te Hikoi via EHive.