Central Southland
Central Southland and its 1.5 million hectares of farmland is centred around the commercial centre of Winton. The region offers a variety of leisurely pursuits and attractions. Those keen to be carried back to another time will appreciate the heritage trail which takes in historic townships and treasures left by the region’s pioneers.
WintonWinton is named after Thomas Winton, a boundary rider, and, being established in 1861, is one of the oldest inland towns in Southland.
Winton was on the road to the goldfields and became an overnight stopover during the goldrush.
Clement Johnstone, who completed the first surveys of the town, named the streets after nobility who took part in a medieval jousting tournament revival he attended as a boy at the Earl of Eglinton''s Estate in Scotland in 1839.
The Winton Heritage Trail is 10km long and can be walked in 1-2 hours. The trail includes 14 sites of interest:
On Great North Road:
1. Former Post OfficeOpened on 16 November 1905, by Sir Joseph Ward, the Post Master General.
The second storey originally housed the postmaster''s residence and also a manually operated telephone exchange - one of the largest in Southland with 40 operators.
The Post Office closed in 1994 and is now privately owned.
2. ANZAC Oval
Contains a large elm tree which was planted to commemorate the landing of the 1st New Zealand Expeditionary Force on 25 April 1915 at Gallipoli. The elm tree is listed in the NZ Historic and Notable Tree Register.
The picnic table in the oval was made by woodwork students at Central Southland College to commemorate the Winton Centennial in 1976.
3. Central Southland LodgeBuilt on the site of the Railway Hotel, the Central Southland Lodge was opened in March 1911. It is a Category II Historic Building. The Lounge Bar displays a photographic history of the hotel and local area.
The original Railway Hotel was the first major building built in Winton, with 25 rooms. It burnt down in 1910.
4. Jamieson''s BuildingAnother Category II Historic Building, Jamieson''s Building was completed in 1894. Its brick construction enabled it to survive two major fires, in 1901 and 1921. The building is named after Robert Jamieson, a baker who arrived in New Zealand in 1875.
5. Holy Trinity Anglican ChurchA Category II Historic Building, the church was opened in 1876.
On John Street:
6. Centennial ParkA recreational reserve. Of note, the gates to the park were erected to commemorate the Centennial of New Zealand in 1940.
On MacKenzie Street:
7. AvalonAvalon, no 64, was built around 1910 for Mr J R Hamilton, a member of Parliament for Awarua.
The property contains a cedar tree which is listed on the NZ Historic and Notable Tree Register, but was damaged in a storm in 1997.
A rimu tree on the property was planted as a seedling in the early 1900s.
On Arthur Street:
8. Adam Hamilton''s HomeJ R Hamilton''s brother, Adam was a Presbyterian Minister. He became elected as MP for Wallace in 1919, was a member of the War Cabinet during the second World War and was President of the Southland Savings Bank from 1951-1952. The house, no 9, was eventually sold to the Presbyterian Church.
9. Central Southland MuseumBoasts early artifacts such as cowbyre, stables, a smithy, Victorian room, doll room, bar and a shop.
On Park Street:
10. DelamereThe home of Dr Peter Gow at 180 Park St, Delamere was named after his first wife, Anita Rose Delamere Gow, who died in 1917. Dr Gow opened a medical practice in Winton in 1903. Due to the Gows'' service to the community of Winton, a Memorial Library was opened at the old Winton District High School and a local street named after them.
11. Home of P De La Perrelle (224)
Mr P De La Perrelle was a local politician and owned the local newspaper, the Winton Record.
On Wemyss Street:
12. Woodnorth PotteryThe work of Henry Sherrat Woodnorth from the early 1900s, this local artwork is displayed at the Winton Public Library.
On Hillary Street:
13. Ivy Russell ReserveNamed after Miss Ivy Russell, the first woman Town Clerk in New Zealand. She became Winton''s town clerk in 1919 and held the position for 35 years, as well as holding other local body service positions, giving over 50 years service in all.
14. Winton CemeteryThe resting place of many of the early settlers including most of those mentioned in the Heritage Trail. Minnie Dean is also buried here, being famous for becoming the only woman to have been hanged in New Zealand for murdering illegitimate babies. She was buried 8ft below ground and her grave was not marked for many years.
