History of Queenstown

Queenstown is not a historical city by any stretch of the imagination, but it has grown up into a wealthy and attractive centre from its early days of sheep farming and gold mining. Queenstown is, in fact, one of New Zealand’s premier tourist destinations.

From sheep to gold

Life started out in Queenstown in the mid-1850s, when the white man arrived to farm sheep and search for gold. People were here before however, with evidence of Maori settlements near where the town is today. It was the sheep farmers who discovered gold on the banks of the Shotover River in 1862, which set the region alight. Not long after two sheep shearers discovered some flakes of gold, a deluge of gold prospectors were scrambling for some of the action.

Within a year, Queenstown was a full-blown gold mining town, buildings had been constructed and streets laid out. The town was positioned some distance from the gold, owing to Lake Wakatipu, which was then the main means for get about. The gold would only last a few decades however and when it dried up at about the turn of the 20th century, most people had moved on to pastures new.
 

Queenstown tourism

Queenstown had to make some drastic change to turn its fortunes back around after all the gold had been mined, so it decided to advertise its greatest asset; its superb surroundings. Within a short time, several walking trails were set up and people began to come from around New Zealand, during the summer, to stroll among the glorious countryside.

By the 1950s, tourists were hungry for more, and with the obvious allure of the surrounding mountains where there was the potential for skiing,  Coronet Peak Ski Area was set up to become a commercial ski field. This really opened up Queenstown and many more companies decided to cash in on the action and soon jet-boating, white water rafting and bungee jumping were in full swing. The advent of the jet age and the opening of Queenstown Airport also had a big impact on the area.

Modern history

Queenstown Airport eventually became Queenstown International Airport in the 1990s through a big refit and extended runway, allowing it to handle commercial jets direct from many destinations. The backpacker crowd is perhaps Queenstown’s main source of income as most visitors of the backpacker ilk tend to try out at least one adventure activity and also take to the bars in droves.

Another of Queenstown’s recent claims to fame is its connection with The Lord of the Rings movies. Some scenes were filmed near the city and in nearby Arrowtown, and now Lord of the Rings' tours are very popular.