Central Otago: Mitchell's Cottage (3)
Mitchell's Cottage is an historic stone house, built during the gold-mining era, in Central Otago's Fruitlands district.
It is an exceptional example of craftsmanship - one of the best surviving examples of the stonemason's craft in New Zealand - and is listed as a Cat.I Historic place.
It was built by goldminer, Andrew Mitchell, for his brother John and sister-in-law Jessie. Andrew began the project in 1880 and built the cottage with stone masonery techniques he had learned from his father at home in the Shetland Islands. Andrew also built several other buildings in the Fruitlands district (known then as Bald Hill Flat and prior to that as Speargrass Flat).
The cottage was finally completed in 1904 and housed John and Jessie's family of 10 children.
The cottage and its grounds were purchased for an historic reserve in 1980. The cottage has five rooms. Additional rooms are situated at the rear of the cottage. It stands among large schist tors with a fantastic view over Fruitlands Valley.
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Andrew and John Mitchell both left the Shetland Islands as young men. Andrew, the older brother mined gold in Victoria, Australia and arrived in New Zealand in the 1860s, following his cousins, the Whites who were mining at Gabriels Gully.
As gold ran out in Gabriels Gully, miners headed north in search for other gold findings. Andrew Mitchell came across gold near Bald Hill and decided to stay and mine the area. He discovered a quartz reef in the mid-1870s and asked his cousin James White to work the reef with him. In 1884 they sold the mine claim to Robert Symes & Co.
John Mitchell arrived in Fruitlands and, with his brother Andrew, began mining Obelisk Creek at Bald Hill Flat in 1886. They had to construct a water race as there was no water onsite to sluice their claim with.
During the goldmining peak, Bald Hill Flat had a population large enough to support a local store and hotel. However, the goldmining era came to an end in 1907, as gold proved difficult to find. Many miners turned to farming and rabbiting.
After WWI, the Government planted 60,000 fruit trees as part of the soldier’s settlement. This land became known as 'Fruitlands'. However, very few fruit trees survived the harsh climate and the venture was unsuccessful.
But the water races established by the miners are still valuable today, supplying water that is used by local orchardists and farmers.
Central Otago: Mitchell's Cottage (3)
Mitchell's Cottage is an historic stone house, built during the gold-mining era, in Central Otago's Fruitlands district.
It is an exceptional example of craftsmanship - one of the best surviving examples of the stonemason's craft in New Zealand - and is listed as a Cat.I Historic place.
It was built by goldminer, Andrew Mitchell, for his brother John and sister-in-law Jessie. Andrew began the project in 1880 and built the cottage with stone masonery techniques he had learned from his father at home in the Shetland Islands. Andrew also built several other buildings in the Fruitlands district (known then as Bald Hill Flat and prior to that as Speargrass Flat).
The cottage was finally completed in 1904 and housed John and Jessie's family of 10 children.
The cottage and its grounds were purchased for an historic reserve in 1980. The cottage has five rooms. Additional rooms are situated at the rear of the cottage. It stands among large schist tors with a fantastic view over Fruitlands Valley.
=====
Andrew and John Mitchell both left the Shetland Islands as young men. Andrew, the older brother mined gold in Victoria, Australia and arrived in New Zealand in the 1860s, following his cousins, the Whites who were mining at Gabriels Gully.
As gold ran out in Gabriels Gully, miners headed north in search for other gold findings. Andrew Mitchell came across gold near Bald Hill and decided to stay and mine the area. He discovered a quartz reef in the mid-1870s and asked his cousin James White to work the reef with him. In 1884 they sold the mine claim to Robert Symes & Co.
John Mitchell arrived in Fruitlands and, with his brother Andrew, began mining Obelisk Creek at Bald Hill Flat in 1886. They had to construct a water race as there was no water onsite to sluice their claim with.
During the goldmining peak, Bald Hill Flat had a population large enough to support a local store and hotel. However, the goldmining era came to an end in 1907, as gold proved difficult to find. Many miners turned to farming and rabbiting.
After WWI, the Government planted 60,000 fruit trees as part of the soldier’s settlement. This land became known as 'Fruitlands'. However, very few fruit trees survived the harsh climate and the venture was unsuccessful.
But the water races established by the miners are still valuable today, supplying water that is used by local orchardists and farmers.