Clutha District is a territorial authority in the south of the Otago region of the South Island of New Zealand. First occupied by the MÃÂori, the region saw settlement by European sealers and whalers in the 1830s. They founded Port Molyneux near the mouth of the Clutha River. Although some European land claims were made in the region during the 1840s and 1850s, the discovery of gold in 1861 triggered the Otago gold rush and a large number of settlers. Coal mining developed in the district during the late 1860s. By the mid-20th century, mining had greatly declined. The district has become largely agricultural.
Heritage New Zealand classification of sites on the New Zealand Heritage List / RÃÂrangi KÃ Ârero, in accordance with the Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Act 2014, distinguishes between Category 1 ("places of special or outstanding historical or cultural significance") and Category 2 ("places of historic or cultural significance"). Some sites important to MÃÂori communities are given special classifications, although none of these sites are located within Clutha District itself. A total of sixty-three listed sites are located in Clutha District, including forty-seven Category 2 sites and fourteen Category 1 sites. The largest number of sites are in the communities of Lawrence and Inch Clutha.
This site was formerly listed on the New Zealand Heritage List, but is no longer extant.