Lake Dunstan hides much of what used to be the vibrant main centre of Cromwell, although for the past 23 years a group of dedicated residents have worked to ensure the public will never forget the area's original appeal. Rosie Manins reports.
Without Old Cromwell Inc, a volunteer society formed in 1985, nothing would remain of the town's original buildings, businesses, or houses, manager Elisabeth Williamson says.
"It [old Cromwell town] would have been completely flattened, and no doubt some high rise apartment buildings would be standing along the lakefront,'' she said.
This week, the society received $900,000 from the Central Lakes Trust, $90,000 from the Lotteries Commission, and $200,000 from the Community Trust of Otago.
With almost $1.2 million, Old Cromwell Inc will give the Old Cromwell Town Historic Precinct a two-year facelift comprising the construction of a new village green, Globe Hotel and the old post office, and the restoration of Wishart's Smithy.
The original telephone exchange boards and cables will incorporated in the reconstructed post office.
The Central Otago District Council has also allocated money for public toilets to be built near the precinct's jetty.
Cromwell Community Board chairman Neil Gillespie said the precinct was either Cromwell's best or worst kept secret, in that it was just beginning to become more recognised and visited by locals and visitors alike.
"It provides us with a link to our past, and is a tribute to the hard work and determination of a group of people who realised we might have otherwise lost a lot of our heritage,'' he said.
Old Cromwell Inc leases the precinct land, which was acquired by the council.
Cr Gillespie said the precinct would always have a purpose within Cromwell's expanding economy as a non-competitive addition to the town's main shopping complex.
"The businesses in Old Cromwell Town don't compete with the Mall, but rather make the precinct a working heritage site rather than just a bunch of displays,'' he said.
With a new phase of building set to begin, Mrs Williamson said contractors were getting their heads around the old ways of doing things.
"The stonework will be hard to construct because it was originally really crappy. The stonemason has to make himself do a bad job, as back then people were more interested in getting the building up for business rather than making it look pretty,'' she said.
An accurate depiction is the desired effect, allowing former residents of the township to remember its history while young people could learn it.
It was the threat of old Cromwell being demolished for gold mining excavation while Lake Dunstan was filling with water that prompted residents to save what was left of their former centre.
Old Cromwell Inc was formed, and it soon secured government funding to retain or reconstruct and relocate eight buildings, including the original Wishart's Smithy store and the back of Murrell's Cottage.
Although the rest of the precinct is reconstructed, Mrs Williamson said many of the buildings would have eventually needed repairing anyway.
"The old wooden buildings were basically matchsticks. If we don't have the footprint of original buildings, we work from photos and what is left of the town,'' she said.
Mrs Williamson has worked for the society almost a decade, and said during that time the precinct had become a tourist destination and an economically viable development in its own right.
When the Otago Daily Times visited the precinct on Wednesday morning, its only cafe was filled with customers and people were braving the cold, wet conditions to walk among the selection of art galleries, food and craft stores, and historic buildings.
Despite this, Mrs Williamson is the first person to reject any comparison between the precinct and Arrowtown, which is known by tourists for its own historic buildings and shops.
"Arrowtown is quite commercial. We don't market the precinct to big tour companies, as our infrastructure can't really cope with an influx of 100 people in 15 minutes.
"The precinct will get busier, but we want to keep the relaxed atmosphere because it is our point of difference,'' she said.
Fellow society board member Murray MacMillan, of Cromwell, has also served on the Cromwell Community Board for the past five terms.
Mr MacMillan said in his three years with Old Cromwell Inc, he had enjoyed watching the expansion and growth of the small town he used to call home.
"It was a very vibrant town. Friday night was a big night out".
"There were more businesses and houses on the main street than there is now, including three pubs,'' he said.
Mr MacMillan said the precinct was "starting to get the old feel back''.
"You can never recreate something entirely, but what has been done is great in terms of the preservation of the old buildings. As it grows, it's developing its own character, and with the lake we have a million-dollar view,'' he said.
However, it is a scene which fills some hearts with sadness, as many residents recall the dramatic flooding of parts of the town and surrounding landscape.
Lake Dunstan was created in 1990 to store water for the Clyde dam, in turn flooding the main street of Cromwell's original township, which dated to the gold rush during the 1860s.
Mr MacMillan said many old residents of the township never got over the loss, and still found it hard to accept Cromwell's replacement commercial centre.
"You could never have bad memories of old Cromwell town. It was just that sort of place. I remember everyone going to the movies on a Friday night and then to one of the milkbars, which stayed open until about midnight,'' he said.
"When they came in and mined all the old sections, it was a hell of a shame.
"The saddest thing was when the buildings were knocked down.
"I can live with the fact old Cromwell had to go, but to me that was like skinning it before killing it,'' Mr MacMillan said.
These days, Old Cromwell Town benefits from a variety of annual events which draw crowds to the precinct and promote the area's historic cause.
Every Sunday from December to February a farmers' market is held at the precinct, which also hosts two annual fairs, a wine and food festival and wake-boarding events.
Mrs Williamson said its busy season started at Labour Day weekend and continued until Easter. During that period, businesses were required to open every day from at least 10am to 4pm.
"That's a condition of their lease.
"In winter, proprietors can choose when they want to open and have a chance to take holidays,'' she said.
While visitor numbers decrease during colder months of the year, precinct businesses manage to stay on top of sales through the Internet, and some provide alternative services such as art courses for local residents to generate additional income.
Weddings and fashion shoots are popular, and Mrs Williamson said the society was happy to work with any other organisation or group which wanted to use the area.
Community workers help tidy the precinct and the lakefront, and board members often contribute their skills or knowledge for various projects.
"We have a great cross-section of people within the board, including a farmer, geologist, building inspector, marketer, and a tourist inspector.
"There will never be an end to what's being done at Old Cromwell Town.
"One of our main goals is to see the precinct become financially sustainable on its own,'' Mr MacMillan said.
The dream is set to become a reality if visitor numbers to the precinct are anything to go by.
"I think the community has a general sense of ownership of the precinct. It's theirs, it belongs to all community members,'' Mrs Williamson said.
