Category: Hotels
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On National Radio: Cardrona hits the big time
In a 25 minute segment on National Radio, interviews with three Cardrona personalities are shared with listeners. Tim Scurr, talking about life in the valley. Jim Patterson (via an archived interview with him), long time publican at the Cardrona Hotel. And Roger Gordon who was one of many to put energy into restoring the hotel.…
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Early commerce in Cardrona Valley
John Cunnard was one of the first to operate a canvas constructed drinking establishment at Cardrona. He’d originally been at the Arrow diggings and in April 1863 had submitted the lowest price of £6 a cairn for the first trail markers to be erected in the district. He disposed of his share in his Arrow…
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The early Cardrona village
Like most mining camps the initial town was built of calico or canvas. A favoured method of construction, this allowed buildings to be both erected and dismantled quickly; the material also being comparatively light and cost effective. In most early mining settlements the initial inhabitants were young, single and high-spirited. A ‘work hard – play…
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Hope, hardship and hotels
Cardrona cannot boast of a dastardly figure such as Bully Hayes in its past but, like all mining districts, attracted its share of vagabonds and “ne’er do wells”. Charles Colclough was the patron of the Royal Mail Hotel and Post Office Store. He was also a joint leaseholder with James Gibson and together they ran…
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The gold mining years: 1864 – 1910
When passing through the Valley to the West Coast for greenstone, the Maori referred to the Cardrona Valley, as the “Dry Valley”. They travelled along the ridgeline because matagouri and speargrass were so thick in the valley and then they descended where there was less matagouri and more manuka at the dryer Mt. Barker end.…
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Cardrona Families
A brief introduction to families who lived in the valley and influenced the history of Cardrona. Anderson Eric Anderson from the Mt Barker family of Daniel Thomas (Tom) and Jean Elizabeth Anderson, had a Cardrona connection back through to pioneers John and Rebecca Pearce. He reinstated this connection by marrying Cardrona girl Jean Waters, daughter…
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Gallery: Cardrona’s buildings
Some of Cardrona’s buildings date back to the time of early settlers arriving in the valley, and many of them have outlasted two generations of Cardrona residents. Below is a selection of photos featuring Cardrona buildings.