A short distance along Sunderland Street on the right was the Dunstan News Office, the birthplace of the Goldfields Press.
The first paper by the Dunstan News was printed by Messrs Higgins & Co. for the owner, Mr George Brodie. and distributed on December 30, 1862. Quite a sizeable paper, a copy can seen in the McNab collection at the Dunedin Public Library.
A permanent building of iron with wooden façade was built in 1864. The name of the paper was altered to The Dunstan Times. Over the years, owners and editors changed frequently but eventually it was taken over by S.A. Stevens. The Stevens family continued the paper until 1948 when the amalgamation of local papers closed the Clyde office. (Top)
The little stone cottage next on the right was built in the early 1860’s. It was the home of Mr Rae, known locally as Tinker Rae, and was used for displaying his wares when he wasn’t travelling out to settlers.
Some years later a midwife lived in the cottage using the front room for ‘confinements’
3. Dr Morice's Home and Hospital (Tent) Complex
Sharing the large section of Tinker’s Cottage is the stone and part concrete home built by Dr Morice in the early 1860’s. He arrive in Dunstan, now known as Clyde, in 1863 and was so appalled seeing men suffering with frostbite, malnutrition and associated illnesses that he set up a tent hospital complex around his dwelling. Men he found on the mining claims, in tents or out on the streets were taken in for treatment. The top story of the house is a modern addition.
A few paces from Dr Morice’s house, is the early home of James Hazlett. An early arrival on the Dunstan mining scene, he started business in Clyde in 1863 and quickly built up a general store. His packhorses carried goods to all the neighbouring strikes. Goods had to be kept under constant supervision as diggers could come at any time to get their supplies.
James Hazlett proved an excellent resident, working for the betterment of the town. He served as Mayor from 1868 until 1872 and then represented the The Dunstan on the Otago Provincial Council until 1975. A keen church man, hspital bard member, and sports advocate, he was also a great lover of horses, owning a very fine stable housed in stone buildings along the rear of his section, with a coach house across Miners Lane on the river bank. Mr Hazlett instigated the first race meeting in Central Otago at Dunstan on December 31, 1862 and January 1, 1863. It was held on the south bank of Muttontown Gully and attracted race horses from Moutere, Galloway and Earnscleugh Stations. (Top)
Built in 1869, this is possibly the first single storied stone hotel in Clyde. It has a very fine example of masonry but the badly planned interior later led to it being condemned as a public house.
It was owned by an Irishman, James Parks, who was also its host, housekeeper, cook, and barman. Specialising in egg dishes, he served up boiled, baked or scrambled eggs for breakfast, dinner and tea, using eggs from hundreds of his hens running about the river bank. However neither his cooking nor his menu was praised although he was a popular host. The hotel also catered for many boarders. (Top)
Opposite the Hartley Arms is an impressive building of local stone built 1868-69. Very elegant with its Doric pillars supporting the pediment and windows of unusual design, it stands as a tribute to design and workmanship. Designed by Messrs Mason and Clayton of Dunedin as a Masonic Lodge and Temple, it was built by J Over under the eye of Vincent Pyke who was Provincial Grand Master, at a cost of 800 pounds ($1,600). But when the Masons ran out of money the townspeople came to their aid on the condition the hall would be regarded as a Town Hall.
A cavity beneath the foundation stone holds a bottle sealed with the Grand Masters ring and contains scrolls, as well as early copies of the Otago Daily Times, Dunstan Times and some coins.
A handsome silver trowel made by a local silversmith (Barlow) and used to lay the mortar can be seen in the local museum. A grand ball was held in the hall to mark the occasion. The Athenaeum (Library) was added in 1874, and was used as the council chamber until 1878. The Masons took it over in 1954. (Top)
Near the back of the Masonic Lodge is the small stone shop of L. Vercoe, the local builder and undertaker. This combination of occupations was once common. An earlier Clyde builder, Thos. Wilkinson, as well as working on many of the buildings on this walk, also had the contract from the hospital to bury paupers. (Top)
7. Dunstan House (the original Dunstan Hotel)
A very fine double storied building, it was the first of its kind in Central Otago. It was built in 1900 for Mr Harry Hart of Lawrence and Mr Alderdice of Dunedin, by Thos. Wilkinson, a builder of St Bathans. He was assisted by John Holloway, mason of Clyde, Albert Fountain, a professional builder of staircases, and apprentice carpenter Hugh Naylor.
Cobb & Co coaches travelling between Dunedin and Cromwell pulled in daily at The Dunstan. In cold weather with below zero temperatures, ‘mine host’ would offer Scotch to the men and hot tea to the ladies.
The Hotel closed for a time after losing its license in the middle of the twentieth century and become a private house but, after restoration, was reopened as a lodge. (Top)
One of the earliest calico hotels was the Hotel United States which was built by the Buckingham family who moved to Arrow when gold was found there. In 1868 Mr Cox built a handsome wooden hotel on the site and named it the Port Philip. This was destroyed by fire in 1903 but was rebuilt in stone and renamed the Commercial Hotel.
A few days later a fire gutted the interior but, as the town was booming and the stone structure was undamaged, it was rebuilt. When the main street was used as a film set for ‘Illustrious Energy’ in 1987 the single storey stone and mud brick facades were added to the concrete block bar area built in the 1970’s. (Top)
9. Olivers Courtyard and Restaurant
This historic estate started in 1862 as a calico store serving the miners. It was replaced in 1865 by a wood and corrugated iron building. In 1870 the present store (Victoria Store) was completed. It was the home of Mr Benjamin Naylor J.P. who was born at Worksop, Nottinghamshire in 1830. Trained as a Blacksmith, he went to America and then to Australian goldfields before setting up a store at Gabriel’s Gully to supply miners in 1861. He was one of the first to arrive at the Dunstan in 1862 bringing a wagon of supplies. Eventually the land from the store to the corner (Naylor Street) was purchased and stables, coach sheds, a smoke house and a large store for timber and iron was built, along with a gracious home – all built from stone.
The home, complete with conservatory, servants rooms and a large underground food cellar is still in its original condition, although alterations were made in 1929 to the front of the house. The walls surrounding the property were built from stones salvaged from demolished buildings.
Mr Naylor was also interested in farming and became the owner of ‘Chester Mains’ at Matakanui in 1875. He spent fours years as Mayor of the Clyde borough and often entertained the New Zealand Prime Minister, Richard Seddon (King Dick).
In December 1977 the interior was refurbished and the general store was reopened as Olivers Restaurant. During the restoration many old treasures were found including the day books dating back to 1864. (Top)
Around the corner we glimpse the Clutha River, known to the miners who respected and feared it, as the mighty Molyneux. The Maori knew it as the Matau. A beautiful river, it is very powerful and treacherous and has claimed many lives. However Otago can be very thankful for the great wealth it brought to the province.
Crossing the Clutha River was originally achieved by punt at Muttontown, a service run by Robert Finn. The first bridge at Clyde was built by the Clyde Corporation who charged a toll to cross it. In 1878 it was brought by the Vincent County Council, which abolished the toll. That same year massive flooding swept all of the wooden structure away, leaving the cables and stone piers. Rebuilding took three years and the new bridge, which was higher, opened in July 1881. It remained until 1934 when the present steel arched bridge was built using the original stone piers. (Top)
The background to this building is sketchy. Originally the site was owned by the Education Board of Otago who sold it in 1872 to John Cox, proprietor of the Port Phillip Hotel. Rumour has it that this building was used as a honeymoon suite for the hotel. The building featured as a hotel for the movie ‘Illustrious Energy’.
10. St Michael's Anglican Church
St Michael’s Anglican Church was built in 1877 using local stone. Traditionally English in design, its interior woodwork was crafted by Charles Huston. The ceiling is arch braced dark wood, the large East and West windows have tracery tops and the small windows early English lancet. The much older stone wall fronting the Church originally surrounded an earlier wooden Church. The remaining three walls were of cob, which have now disintegrated. (Top)
11. Post Office - Matau Street
This is a fine example of masonry a few people would realise that it was built in two sections more than 10 years apart. The mason was Mr Gair of Cromwell and the extension was added when Post Office mail boxes and a telephone exchange were installed. Seven telephones were installed in 1909. The first Post Office, originally made of calico, was situated on the corner of the street. The Postmaster’s residence, a fine stone house, complements the Post Office. This area was the hub of the town from the 1860’s to the end of the century and was known as “The Camp”.
Across the road from the Post Office is a building that served as the headquarters of the Vincent County Council until 1989. The first Chambers were built and opened in 1878. It was an elegant stone building but became too small and was replaced by a new building of quite a different design and material but unfortunately is rather out of character. In 1990 the museum’s fine collection of exhibits was moved from the courthouse into the former council building.
Next door is the old Magistrates and Wardens Court House. Built of stone in 1864, it replaced the original courthouse of calico and scantling lined with paper, which was destroyed during a disastrous wind storm of 1863. The courthouse was also the administration headquarters of the Dunstan gold rush and contained the offices of Vincent Pyke, Commissioner of the Goldfields, and Major Keddell, Commissioner of the Otago mounted police.
A fine stone house standing next door to the Court House was built in the late 1860’s for the Sergeant of Police. At the time there was a stone gaol to the left of this building and an office beside the residence. From here to the school further along the road, were housed up to fifteen mounted troopers, who policed the goldfields and acted as escorts for the gold coach to Dunedin and to many important visitors.
15. Roman Catholic - St Dunstan's Church
St Dunstan’s Catholic Church, built in 1903 by a local builder and mason, (Thos Wilkinson and John Holloway & Associates), replaced an earlier church, St Mary’s, which was destroyed by a devastating windstorm. Mass was heard in the old stone school on the main street until the new church was finished. It is a fine example of early English Gothic, roofed with Marseilles tiles.
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Further up Fraser Street on the right is the house of Benjamin Naylor who was a cousin of the Benjamin Naylor of the Victoria Stores (Olivers) and known respectively as Young Ben and Old Ben. Young Ben assisted his older cousin before opening his own store next to his home (still operating as a general store). The house, built in 1884 by Albert Fountain and J. Noone, has been the home to six generations of the family.
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At the top of Fraser Street is the Briar Herb Factory Museum, which house s many relics of our past.
On the right is the original Clyde Railway Station. It was built in 1907 when the railway system arrived in Central Otago. It is one of only three original stations still standing.
17. St Mungo's Presbyterian 'Union' Church
On the corner and opposite St Dunstan’s Catholic Church is St Mungo’s Union Church of the Clyde/Alexandra Parish. This church was built by the district’s Presbyterians in 1894. Originally a wooden building, it was roughcast in the 1950’s and redecorated inside. In 1970 the Methodists joined the Presbyterian creating the Union Church.
Further along stands a little white cottage with its iron lace of the Victorian era. In the 1870’s this house was the home of Mr Charles Henry Wong Gye, who came to Clyde from the Australian goldfields in May 1871. He was a goldfields warden and also acted as an interpreter for the Chinese on the Dunstan goldfields. The grounds were very spacious surrounded by a very handsome stone wall.
Opposite is a very old stone house, perhaps the earliest one built in the town. A Mr Tyrell, clerk of the Court, built it for his family in 1860. It retains its original structure including the roof and floors, but has been added to at the back.
20. Miss Chris McDonald's Home
Next is another stone house of similar vintage built by Mr Anthony Brough, the first solicitor to practice in Clyde. It was a show place in its early days, set in a very large section among trees and garden. It was later occupied by Mr Brough’s successor, F W Wilson, and then his successor, Robert Gilkison, who added the detached stone building for a nursery. Now the grounds are now much smaller.
