# Oturehua

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Township in Otago, New Zealand

Oturehua Township General store in Oturehua Interactive map of Oturehua Coordinates: 45°00′25″S 169°54′47″E / 45.007°S 169.913°E / -45.007; 169.913 Country New Zealand Region Otago Territorial authority Central Otago District Time zone UTC+12 (NZST) • Summer (DST) UTC+13 (NZDT) Local iwi Ngāi Tahu

**Oturehua** is a small settlement in the [Ida Valley](/source/Ida_Valley) of the [Maniototo](/source/Maniototo), in [Central Otago](/source/Central_Otago), in the [South Island](/source/South_Island) of New Zealand. The settlement is 500 m (1,600 ft) above sea level, and is located 25 km (16 mi) from [Ranfurly](/source/Ranfurly%2C_New_Zealand), via the Ida Valley - Omakau Road and [State Highway 85](/source/State_Highway_85_(New_Zealand)). The [Otago Central Rail Trail](/source/Otago_Central_Rail_Trail) passes through the settlement. The population was 112 residents at last count.

The New Zealand [Ministry for Culture and Heritage](/source/Ministry_for_Culture_and_Heritage) gives a translation of "place where the [summer star](/source/Antares#Etymology_and_mythology) stands still" for *Ōturēhua*.[1]

## History

In 1967 members of the Otago Anthropological Society surveyed a large area to the east of the town, revealing evidence of quarrying and production of flake knives carried out in the twelfth century.[2]

Oturehua lies beneath a Rough Ridge, a range of hills. The township was also called Rough Ridge until 1907.[3]

The area has changed little from its description in 1905 when it was described as good arable land, from which large crops are successfully raised.[3]

In 1905, the township comprised a post and telegraph office, a store, a hotel near the railway station, a school, coal pits and a flour mill. Of these, only the Gilchrist's General Store and the Oturehua Railway Hotel remain.[3] According to the Otago Daily Times, the Gilchrist store established in 1902 is the oldest continuously operating general store in New Zealand.[4]

In 2025, as a result of several retirements, a group of properties representing most of the main street were put up for sale, including the Gilchrist store, the Oturehua Railway Hotel, an accommodation park, two bed-and-breakfast businesses and three homes.[5]

## Features

Hayes' Engineering Works, located immediately southwest of the township, is a Category I listed historic place.[6] It was once the home to [Ernest Hayes](/source/Ernest_Hayes_(engineer)), a farmer and flour miller who began producing and selling farm tools from his Oturehua property. Hayes invented the internationally acclaimed [wire strainer](/source/Wire_strainer), as well as pulley blocks, cattle stops and windmills.[7]

The Idaburn Dam, located 3 km southwest of Oturehua along the Ida Valley Omakau Road is used for [curling](/source/Curling) [bonspiels](/source/Bonspiels) when conditions permit. It is also the site of the annual mid-winter [Brass Monkey Motorcycle Rally](/source/Brass_Monkey_Motorcycle_Rally), which was held until 2021, though many motorcyclists continue to make a pilgrimage to the site on Kings Birthday Weekend of their own volition, out of tradition

The [Otago Central Rail Trail](/source/Otago_Central_Rail_Trail) runs through Oturehua, adjacent the Ida Valley Omakau Road. The settlement has a number accommodation options.

The remnants of the Golden Progress quartz mine are located 2 km east of Oturehua on Rough Ridge. These workings are notable as they still retain an intact poppet head, the only surviving one in the Otago goldfields. The Golden Progress poppet head was constructed of Australian hardwood and erected later than most, in 1928, which explains its survival. The mine was worked by three lignite-fired boilers, two for the poppet head to drive the winding gear and one to drive the battery further down the gully.[8]

## Education

Poolburn School is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 8 students,[9] with a roll of 31 as of March 2026.[10]

## Notes

Media related to [Oturehua](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Oturehua) at Wikimedia Commons

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["1000 Māori place names"](https://nzhistory.govt.nz/culture/maori-language-week/1000-maori-place-names). New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage. 6 August 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Leach, Foss; Leach, Helen (2019-01-01). ["Excavation of a twelfth-century prepared-core prismatic-blade workshop at Oturehua, Central Otago, New Zealand"](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q106839630). *Tuhinga: Records of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa*. **30**: 209–255.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-cyclopedia_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-cyclopedia_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-cyclopedia_3-2) *Cyclopedia of New Zealand – Oturehua*. Christchurch: The Cyclopedia Company. 1905. p. 618.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Jones, Pam (24 June 2019). ["Gilchrist's Store business for sale"](https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/central-otago/gilchrists-store-business-sale). *[Otago Daily Times](/source/Otago_Daily_Times)*. Retrieved 30 October 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Todd, Katie (8 September 2025). ["Most of Oturehua's main street is on the market"](https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/572414/most-of-oturehua-s-main-street-is-on-the-market). *[RNZ](/source/RNZ)*. Retrieved 30 October 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Hayes' Engineering Works"](https://www.heritage.org.nz/list-details/330/330). *New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero*. [Heritage New Zealand](/source/Heritage_New_Zealand). Retrieved 30 October 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-hayes_7-0)** ["Hayes Engineering"](http://www.heritage.org.nz/places/places-to-visit/otago-region/hayes-engineering). *heritage.org.nz*. [Heritage New Zealand](/source/Heritage_New_Zealand).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-halljones_8-0)** Hall-Jones, J. Goldfields of Otago: An Illustrated History, Craig Printing Co. Ltd, Invercargill, New Zealand, 2005. pp 180. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-908629-61-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-908629-61-3)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-moe3802_9-0)** ["Poolburn School Ministry of Education School Profile"](https://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/find-school/school/profile?school=3802). *educationcounts.govt.nz*. [Ministry of Education](/source/Ministry_of_Education_(New_Zealand)).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-ero3802_10-0)** ["Poolburn School Education Review Office Report"](https://www.ero.govt.nz/institution/3802/poolburn-school). *ero.govt.nz*. [Education Review Office](/source/Education_Review_Office).

v t e Central Otago District, New Zealand Seat: Alexandra Populated places Cromwell Ward Bannockburn Bendigo Cromwell Kawarau Gorge Lindis Pass Lowburn Pisa Moorings Tarras Maniototo Ward Danseys Pass Gimmerburn Ida Valley Kyeburn Naseby Oturehua Paerau Patearoa Ranfurly Waipiata Wedderburn Teviot Valley Ward Ettrick Lake Roxburgh Millers Flat Raes Junction Roxburgh Vincent Ward Alexandra Becks Cambrians Clyde Earnscleugh Fruitlands Galloway Lauder Omakau Ophir Poolburn St Bathans Geographic features Cromwell Gorge Lake Dunstan Greenland Reservoir Lake Manuherikia Maniototo Plain Manorburn Dam Facilities and attractions Alexandra Aerodrome Alexandra Blossom Festival Alexandra bridges Deadman's Point Bridge Central Otago wine region Highlands Motorsport Park Molyneux Park Government District Council Mayor Regional Council Other The Cromwell Argus Dunstan High School

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Oturehua](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oturehua) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oturehua?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.