That perseverance paid off though. Their initial deposit of 87 poundweight of gold earned them a reward of 2000 and sparked a gold rush.
Thousands of miners flocked to the area, then known as The Junction, and a tent city sprang up, complete with makeshift pubs.
Those founding years of Cromwell will be celebrated from Saturday July 7, in a series of events, beginning with the unveiling of a plaque to mark the occasion above the spot where Hartley and Reilly found their gold, near the confluence of the Kawarau and Clutha Rivers.
Adrian Somerville, chairman of celebration organising group Cromwell and Districts Promotions Group, said there were many events to cater for everyone and they were timed to fit in with the school holidays.
Some of the events would involve people digging in sand for prizes including gold, a heritage fashion parade, a miners' ball, special events for children, judging of a beard-growing competition, and trips to the goldfields of Bannockburn and Bendigo.
There would also be a series of history lectures from the likes of gold rush historian Lloyd Carpenter, from the University of Canterbury.
His PhD thesis examines how the Central Otago gold rush shaped this country's culture, society and literature.
Though the official celebrations will last only two weeks, the promotions group has produced a gold-plated medallion, featuring the specially designed Rush to the Junction logo.
Group secretary Terry Emmitt, who designed the medallion, has previously said the idea was that it could be awarded to "all high achievers from every event held in the Cromwell district in 2012" so the "interest in the 150th anniversary is year-long".
Mr Somerville said those medallions had already been distributed to and used by various sports groups in the district.
A meeting of the promotions group would take place tonight to set the timetable of events.
