Williams Cottage stands out as a modest, single-story timber dwelling against the backdrop of modern commercial Queenstown. Built in eighteen sixty-four, it is widely recognized as the oldest surviving wooden house in the town. John Ralph…
Gold Rush Heritage Trail
Walk through Queenstown's historic town center to see how an 1860s sheep-farming camp blossomed into a bustling gold-mining capital, ending at the old stone courthouse.
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1. Williams Cottage
2. 17 Marine Parade
Seventeen Marine Parade is distinguished by its lakeside location on the Queenstown foreshore, where the building houses a restaurant known for its velvet-upholstered armchairs and quirky meat-cleaver door handles. This spot is recognized…
3. Eichardt's Private Hotel
Eichardt's Private Hotel sits directly on the waterfront of Lake Wakatipu, defined by its textured stone exterior and classic proportions that distinguish it from the surrounding buildings. This site was originally the location of a…
4. Statue of William Rees
The bronze statue of William Gilbert Rees stands upon a stone boulder along Marine Parade, overlooking the waters of Lake Wakatipu. Rees, who lived from eighteen twenty-seven to eighteen ninety-eight, was an explorer and surveyor who…
5. St Peter's Anglican Church
St Peter's Anglican Church is defined by its greywacke stone walls and its position near the center of Queenstown. While the congregation dates back to the gold-rush era of eighteen sixty-three, the current structure was completed in…
6. 1876
The building at forty-five Ballarat Street is constructed from local schist, a stone often found with traces of gold—the very industry that built Queenstown. Completed in eighteen seventy-six, this structure served as the town’s stone…