Dozens of descendants of European early settlers in the Wakatipu might visit Queenstown in February next year, as part of efforts to preserve, promote and celebrate the history of the resort.
Plans to establish the Rees charitable trust and the first settlers and descendants incorporated society continue with the key involvement of heritage enthusiasts Lindsay Singleton and Revell Buckham.
Mr Singleton said this week Mr Buckham, a Queenstown lawyer, was making adjustments to draft charitable trust and society documents, which would be finalised "reasonably soon".
The papers would be circulated to potential trustees, including members of the dissolved steering committee behind the 150th anniversary festivities of the Queenstown arrival of explorers William Gilbert Rees and Nicholas Von Tunzelmann, held last February.
The independent trust aimed to raise awareness and appreciation of the early days of Queenstown and the contribution of early settlers, Mr Singleton said.
Trustees would hold events, fundraise and work in tandem with the Lakes District Museum, the Queenstown and District Historical Society and the Queenstown Lakes District Council heritage strategy, he said.
The first settlers and descendants society was launched during the anniversary weekend. Registration forms asked for details of familial connections to Queenstown and contact details and word of mouth had promoted the initiative around the world.
Anniversary guest Rosemary Marryatt, of Waikanae, a great-granddaughter of William Gilbert Rees, and Fiona Hart were co-ordinating responses, Mr Singleton said.
"We've accumulated the letters of interest from the forms we distributed. We sent that out to quite a number of people and we've got in excess of 30 parties who acknowledged interest."
There had been two Australian parties with connections with pioneer-era Queenstown, another lived in the United Kingdom and the rest were from around New Zealand.
The society was a catalyst for sharing historical information and untold stories between descendants, Mr Singleton said.
"We'll have an organisation they can go to learn about anything, or who can help them with genealogical matters. It will meet reasonably regularly, as its members decided, and it's designed to overcome the void that's been historically there of who these relatives had been in Queenstown in the early days."
• Interested parties can contact Mrs Marryatt via rojo@paradise.net.nz or Ms Hart via foxtrothotel@hotmail.com.
