Paerau is a small settlement in inland
Central Otago
Central Otago is located in the inland part of the Otago region in the South Island of New Zealand. The motto for the area is "A World of Difference".
The area is dominated by mountain ranges and the upper reaches of the Clutha River and tributa ...
in
New Zealand's
South Island
The South Island, also officially named , is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand in surface area, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman ...
. It is located in the
Strath Taieri
Strath Taieri is a large glacial valley and river plateau in New Zealand's South Island. It is surrounded by the rugged hill ranges to the north and west of Otago Harbour. Since 1989 it has been part of the city of Dunedin. The small town of Middle ...
, the upper valley of the
Taieri River
The Taieri River is the fourth-longest river in New Zealand and is in Otago in the South Island. Rising in the Lammerlaw Range, it initially flows north, then east around the Rock and Pillar range before turning southeast, reaching the sea sou ...
, at the foot of the
Rock and Pillar Range. "Paerau" is a
Māori-language name meaning "one hundred ridges".
Despite being geographically close to
Middlemarch and
Roxburgh, the terrain and roads mean that
Ranfurly and
Patearoa
Patearoa is a small settlement in inland Otago in New Zealand's South Island. It is located 20 kilometres southwest of Ranfurly, in the Maniototo
The Maniototo Plain, usually simply known as The Maniototo, is an elevated inland region in Ota ...
are the more closely related communities of interest.
Paerau is also colloquially referred to as ''Styx''.
History
As well as the Taieri River the district is also home to the
Styx Creek
Styx Creek is a small to medium-sized natural stream in the Central Otago region of New Zealand. It flows into the Taieri River in the valley near Paerau, about northwest of Dunedin.
It was given the name Styx by John Turnbull Thomson (1821–1 ...
, a small
tributary of the
Taieri River
The Taieri River is the fourth-longest river in New Zealand and is in Otago in the South Island. Rising in the Lammerlaw Range, it initially flows north, then east around the Rock and Pillar range before turning southeast, reaching the sea sou ...
. The creek was given the name
Styx by
John Turnbull Thomson (1821–1884) chief surveyor of Otago after what is in mythology, the name of one of the five rivers which all converge at the centre of the Greek underworld on a great marsh, which sometimes is also called the Styx.
Upstream of the confluence of the Taieri River with the Styx Creek, the Taieri is forded by the
Old Dunstan Road (Dunstan Trail) which provided the most direct route in the 19th century from
Dunedin to the
Central Otago
Central Otago is located in the inland part of the Otago region in the South Island of New Zealand. The motto for the area is "A World of Difference".
The area is dominated by mountain ranges and the upper reaches of the Clutha River and tributa ...
goldfields. The trail crosses the Rock and Pillar Range from
Clark's Junction (near
Middlemarch) and descends into the Upper Taieri, whence it crosses the Taieri River. From the Paerau district the Old Dunstan Road continued on via the
Serpentine
Serpentine may refer to:
Shapes
* Serpentine shape, a shape resembling a serpent
* Serpentine curve, a mathematical curve
* Serpentine, a type of riding figure
Science and nature
* Serpentine subgroup, a group of minerals
* Serpentinite, a ...
goldfields to the
Poolburn Reservoir
Poolburn Reservoir, also known as Poolburn Dam, is a reservoir in Central Otago, New Zealand. Built during the Great Depression for irrigation but also as an employment initiative, the water is used by farmers in the Ida Valley.
Geography
The r ...
and eventually to
Alexandra
Alexandra () is the feminine form of the given name Alexander (, ). Etymologically, the name is a compound of the Greek verb (; meaning 'to defend') and (; GEN , ; meaning 'man'). Thus it may be roughly translated as "defender of man" or "prot ...
.
Originally the second overnighting stop from Dunedin (after Clark's Junction), Styx's importance meant two
hotels operated on either side of the river in case there was a flood.
Besides one of the hotels was a stable and a
jailhouse.
When gold was discovered in Central Otago the provincial government was quick to take over the responsibility of moving the precious metal safely to Dunedin. When they used the Old Dunstan Road an overnight stop was usually made at Styx.
[ As a result a stone stable was built in the 1860s to cater for the horses of the gold escort and other travellers, while they stayed at the Styx Hotel which was located next door.
The nearby stone jailhouse was also built in the 1860 and while it may have housed some prisoners in transit or an occasional local troublemaker it was mostly used by the gold escort to store the gold overnight. The strongbox that contained the gold was secured to the inside wall by chains.][
The opening of other routes which while longer were open all year and the Otago Central Railway and Alexandria caused the Old Dunstan road to fall into disuse and thus patronage of the crossing at Styx.
In keeping with this theme, the hotel had a coin embedded in the bar, alluding to the coin required for the ferryman across the river to the underworld.
]
Geography
Paerau is located in a large scroll plain A scroll plain occurs where a river meanders across an area with a very low gradient, usually with a fairly continuous discharge. In addition to meanders, scroll plains are also characterised by many oxbow lakes.
See also
*Strath
A strath is a ...
called the Styx Basin crossed by the Taieri River, Logan Burn, Serpentine Creek and Styx Creek. The meanderings of the water ways are extremely complex, leaving many small oxbow lake
An oxbow lake is a U-shaped lake or pool that forms when a wide meander of a river is cut off, creating a free-standing body of water. In South Texas, oxbows left by the Rio Grande are called '' resacas''. In Australia, oxbow lakes are call ...
s. These wetlands stretch from near Paerau to Canadian Hut. The area includes the 136 ha Serpentine Wildlife Management Reserve.
The site of the Styx crossing of the Taieri River is several kilometres from the modern 'hub' of Paerau, where the school was once located.
Located in the southern end of the Rock and Pillar Range, about 12 km south of Paerau, is the Loganburn Dam which impounds the Great Moss Swamp
The Great Moss Swamp (also known as the Loganburn Reservoir) is located in Otago, New Zealand. It lies in the Maniototo, close to the former gold mining route of the Old Dunstan Road, 85 kilometres to the northwest of Dunedin city centre. It is c ...
(also known as the Loganburn Reservoir to provide irrigation for 9,300 ha to water for the Paerau hydro power station.
Economy
The economy is based on agriculture. The district is also home to the Paerau hydro power station.
Education
The Paerau school was established in 1915 and closed in 2012 due to a falling roll.
References
External links
Paerau
{{Central Otago
Populated places in Otago