Bannockburn, New Zealand

Last updated

Bannockburn
Town
BannockburnHotel.jpg
Bannockburn Hotel
Bannockburn, New Zealand
Bannockburn, New Zealand
Coordinates: 45°05′21.2″S169°09′40″E / 45.089222°S 169.16111°E / -45.089222; 169.16111
Country New Zealand
Region Otago
Territorial authority Central Otago District
WardCromwell Ward
Government
  Local authority Central Otago District Council
  Regional council Otago Regional Council
Area
[1]
  Total16.91 km2 (6.53 sq mi)
Population
 (2018 census) [2]
  Total477
  Density28/km2 (73/sq mi)
Time zone UTC+12 (NZST)
  Summer (DST) UTC+13 (NZDT)
Local iwi Ngāi Tahu

Bannockburn is a small historic gold mining town located outside of Cromwell in Central Otago, New Zealand.

Contents

The area was first made known as a rich alluvial gold field and was mined extensively in the 1860s.

Its uniquely warm, dry climate earned it the name 'The heart of the desert', as climatic conditions and human activity have combined to strip the area of most of the original native vegetation leaving rocks, sands and soils exposed. Today, these climate conditions make Bannockburn the home of many vineyards and stonefruit orchards.

Gold sluicing in Bannockburn Vineyard landscapes sluicings 027.jpg
Gold sluicing in Bannockburn

History

The plans for the settlement began in 1862, as a result of miners being forced upstream from rising water levels in the Clutha and Kawarau Rivers. Though the area was settled around this period, the population was not stationary. As miners followed gold up the creeks, the settlements tended to follow, and by 1868 the original settlement had been strung out along what is now the Bannockburn-Nevis road. [3] As miners swept over the area, from 1862 to 1871 the face of the landscape underwent drastic changes as the alluvial flat was washed away by sluicing operations to the foreboding landscape that exists today. Water during this period was a pivotal resource, not just for mining but to supply the town as well. Evidence of the complex water system that once existed is spread throughout the landscape. Multiple dams, (technically reservoirs) feed a water system that extends from high on the nearby Carrick range down to the abandoned sluicing sites. [4] Tippet's Dam was one of, if not the largest of these reservoirs. The water has since been redirected for horticultural and viticultural use and the sluicings rest dormant on land belonging to the Department of Conservation.

Bannockburn Diggings.jpg
Panorama of the historic Bannockburn gold diggings near Cromwell.

Demographics

Bannockburn is described by Statistics New Zealand as a rural settlement. It covers 16.91 km2 (6.53 sq mi) [1] and is part of the larger Lindis-Nevis Valleys statistical area. [5]

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
2006315    
2013378+2.64%
2018477+4.76%
Source: [2]

Bannockburn had a population of 477 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 99 people (26.2%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 162 people (51.4%) since the 2006 census. There were 183 households. There were 246 males and 234 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.05 males per female, with 57 people (11.9%) aged under 15 years, 63 (13.2%) aged 15 to 29, 240 (50.3%) aged 30 to 64, and 117 (24.5%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 94.3% European/Pākehā, 5.0% Māori, 0.6% Pacific peoples, 3.1% Asian, and 1.9% other ethnicities (totals add to more than 100% since people could identify with multiple ethnicities).

Although some people objected to giving their religion, 59.7% had no religion, 26.4% were Christian and 4.4% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 99 (23.6%) people had a bachelor or higher degree, and 60 (14.3%) people had no formal qualifications. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 234 (55.7%) people were employed full-time, 75 (17.9%) were part-time, and 6 (1.4%) were unemployed. [2]

Wine and tourism

Wine in this region, like the majority of Central Otago, focuses primarily on Pinot noir, suited to the dry climate and soils. The climate of Bannockburn epitomizes that of the Central Otago wine region and claims some of the highest temperatures and lowest rainfall in the area. The area is limited by geographical constraints to relatively small outputs, and most of the vineyards boast a boutique high quality wine with typically small volumes of grapes. Several internationally renowned vineyards exist within a small radius producing wine that is distributed often to an international base. Akarua, Bannock Brae, Felton Road, Mt. Difficulty and Terra Sancta are among a few of the internationally known wineries in this area. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Otago</span> Region of New Zealand

Otago is a region of New Zealand located in the southern half of the South Island administered by the Otago Regional Council. It has an area of approximately 32,000 square kilometres (12,000 sq mi), making it the country's second largest local government region. Its population was 254,600 in June 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queenstown, New Zealand</span> Resort town in New Zealands South Island

Queenstown is a resort town in Otago in the south-west of New Zealand's South Island. It has an urban population of 29,000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexandra, New Zealand</span> Town in Otago, New Zealand

Alexandra is a town in the Central Otago district of the South Island of New Zealand. It is on the banks of the Clutha River, on State Highway 8, 188 kilometres (117 mi) by road from Dunedin and 33 kilometres (21 mi) south of Cromwell. The nearest towns to Alexandra via state highway 8 are Clyde seven kilometers to the northwest and Roxburgh forty kilometers to the south. State highway 85 also connects Alexandra to Omakau, Lauder, Oturehua, Ranfurly and on to Palmerston on the East Otago coast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clutha River</span> River in the South Island of New Zealand

The Clutha River is the second longest river in New Zealand and the longest in the South Island. It flows south-southeast 338 kilometres (210 mi) through Central and South Otago from Lake Wānaka in the Southern Alps to the Pacific Ocean, 75 kilometres (47 mi) south west of Dunedin. It is the highest volume river in New Zealand, and the swiftest, with a catchment of 21,960 square kilometres (8,480 sq mi), discharging a mean flow of 614 cubic metres per second (21,700 cu ft/s). The river is known for its scenery, gold-rush history, and swift turquoise waters. A river conservation group, the Clutha Mata-Au River Parkway Group, is working to establish a regional river parkway, with a trail, along the entire river corridor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cromwell, New Zealand</span> Town in Otago, New Zealand

Cromwell is a town in Central Otago region of the South Island of New Zealand. Cromwell is located on the shores of Lake Dunstan where the Kawarau river joins Lake Dunstan. Cromwell was established during the Otago gold rush and is now more known as one of the sub regions of the Central Otago wine region. In 2018, the town of Cromwell was home to a population of 5610 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naseby, New Zealand</span> Town in the South Island of New Zealand

Naseby is a small town, formerly a borough, in the Maniototo area of Central Otago, New Zealand. It is named after a village in Northamptonshire, England. Previous names of the township were Parker's, Hogburn and Mt Ida. The town catch phrase is "2000 feet above worry level" indicating its altitude. Naseby is 395 km from Christchurch and 143 km from Dunedin.

Central Otago is an area located in the inland part of the Otago region in the South Island of New Zealand. The motto for the area is "A World of Difference".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kawarau River</span> River in the South Island of New Zealand

The Kawarau River is a river in the South Island of New Zealand. It drains Lake Wakatipu in northwestern Otago via the lake's Frankton Arm. The river flows generally eastwards for about 60 kilometres (37 mi) and passes through the steep Kawarau Gorge until it joins Lake Dunstan near Cromwell. Before the construction of the Clyde High Dam, the Kawarau joined the Clutha River / Mata-Au in a spectacular confluence at Cromwell. The Shotover River enters the Kawarau from the north; the Nevis River enters it from the south. With many rapids and strong currents, the river can be dangerous and has claimed many lives. It is popular for bungy jumping and kayaking.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cromwell Gorge</span> River gorge in New Zealand

The Cromwell Gorge is a steep gorge cut by the former Clutha River in the Central Otago region of New Zealand's South Island. It winds 19 km (12 mi) between the Dunstan and Cairnmuir Mountains, linking the townships of Cromwell and Clyde. It is one of three substantial river gorges in Central Otago, the others being the Kawarau Gorge to the west of Cromwell, and the Roxburgh Gorge south of Alexandra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Otago Gold Rush</span> 1860s gold rush in Central Otago, New Zealand

The Otago Gold Rush was a gold rush that occurred during the 1860s in Central Otago, New Zealand. This was the country's biggest gold strike, and led to a rapid influx of foreign miners to the area – many of them veterans of other hunts for the precious metal in California and Victoria, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clyde, New Zealand</span> Town in Otago, New Zealand

Clyde, formerly Dunstan, is a small town in Central Otago, New Zealand with a population of 1,260 in June 2023. It is located on the Clutha River, between Cromwell and Alexandra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Otago wine region</span> Wine region in New Zealand

The Central Otago wine region is a geographical indication in New Zealand's South Island, and the world's southernmost commercial wine growing region. While Central Otago is best known for Pinot Noir, many white wine varieties are also popular.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Zealand wine</span> Wine making in New Zealand

New Zealand wine is produced in several of its distinct winegrowing regions. As an island country in the South Pacific Ocean, New Zealand has a largely maritime climate, although its elongated geography produces considerable regional variation from north to south. Like many other New World wines, New Zealand wine is usually produced and labelled as single varietal wines, or if blended, winemakers list the varietal components on the label. New Zealand is best known for its Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, and more recently its dense, concentrated Pinot Noir from Marlborough, Martinborough and Central Otago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tarras</span> Village in Otago, New Zealand

Tarras is a small farming settlement in Central Otago, in the South Island of New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kawarau Gorge</span>

The Kawarau Gorge is a major river gorge created by the Kawarau River in Central Otago, in the South Island of New Zealand. The towns of Queenstown and Cromwell are linked by State Highway 6 through the gorge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gibbston</span> Community in Otago, New Zealand

Gibbston is a community in the Wakatipu Basin in the Otago region of the South Island, New Zealand. Through the valley runs the Kawarau River which forms the Kawarau Gorge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bendigo, New Zealand</span>

Bendigo is a settlement and historic area in Central Otago, in the southern South Island of New Zealand. It is located some 20 kilometres to the north of Cromwell, to the east of the head of Lake Dunstan, on the banks of the Bendigo Creek, a small tributary of the Clutha River.

Earnscleugh is a small settlement and rural community, based alongside the Earnscleugh River in the Central Otago District, in the Otago region of New Zealand's South Island.

Pisa Moorings is a small town in the Central Otago District of Otago region of New Zealand's South Island. It is located between Lake Dunstan on its east and State Highway 6 on its west. Cromwell is 9 km southwest and Wānaka is 45 km north by road.

The Bendigo Goldfields region of Central Otago is an historic area comprising several former mining settlements in the southern South Island of New Zealand. It was part of the Otago Gold Rush that occurred during the 1860s, leading to an influx of miners from rushes in California and Victoria, Australia. These miners brought with them a rich diversity of cultures from England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Sweden, China, Australia, Canada, and the United States. The area was named after the goldfield by the same name in Victoria.

References

  1. 1 2 "ArcGIS Web Application". statsnz.maps.arcgis.com. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 "Statistical area 1 dataset for 2018 Census". Statistics New Zealand. March 2020. 7027792, 7027793 and 7027797.
  3. Parcell, JC. (1951). Heart of the desert. Christchurch, NZL: Whitcoulls Limited.
  4. Stephenson, J, Bauchop, H, & Petchey, P. (2004). Bannockburn heritage landscape study. Science for Conservation, 244, 34–37
  5. 2018 Census place summary: Lindis-Nevis Valleys
  6. Cull, D. (2001). Vineyards on the edge: the story of Central Otago wine. Dunedin, NZL: Longacre Press.