Old Cromwell Town

#221 Do - walk historic Old Cromwell Town. Cromwell was originally known as The Junction, as it sat at the point where the Kawarau River and the Clutha River met. In 1992, when the hydro dam at Clyde was to be completed and the valley behind it flooded to form Lake Dunstan, Cromwell's historic business district was going to end up submerged in the bottom of the lake. In the 1980s, a group of concerned locals formed a volunteer society 'Old Cromwell Inc' and with the support of grants, they moved or reconstructed some of the historic buildings dating from goldrush times (1860-1900) to higher ground, to ensure Old Cromwell would live on. Amazing to think of the people who work so hard to preserve this heritage precinct for us to enjoy and remember how it used to be.

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