- Canvastown
Infobox Settlement
name = Canvastown
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name =New Zealand
subdivision_type1= Region
subdivision_name1= Marlborough
pushpin_
latd = 41
latm = 17
lats = 26
latNS = S
longd = 173
longm = 40
longs = 13
longEW = ECanvastown is a locality at the point where the
Wakamarina River joins thePelorus River , in Marlborough,New Zealand . State Highway 6 runs through the area.Rai Valley is 17 km to the northwest. Havelock is 10 km to the east. [cite book|title=Reed New Zealand Atlas|year=2004|id=ISBN 0-7900-0952-8|author=Peter Dowling (editor)|publisher=Reed Books|pages=map 60] [cite book|title=The Geographic Atlas of New Zealand|year=2005|id=ISBN 1-877333-20-4|author=Roger Smith, GeographX|publisher=Robbie Burton|pages=map 138]History
The town was founded in 1864, after gold was discovered in the Wakamarina Valley. Up to 6000 miners came to make their fortunes. Where there had previously been a Māori pā, streets of tents sprang up providing tents, restaurants and taverns to a population of about 3000 people. About convert|25000|oz of gold was recovered in 1864. [cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.teara.govt.nz/1966/G/GoldDiscoveries/WakamarinaAndTheWestCoast/en|title=Gold Discoveries - Wakamarina and the West Coast|encyclopedia=
Encyclopedia of New Zealand (1966) ] The surface gold was worked out within two years and most of the miners moved on to new gold discoveries on the West Coast. [cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.teara.govt.nz/EarthSeaAndSky/MineralResources/GoldAndGoldMining/6/en|title=Gold and gold mining - Other goldfields|encyclopedia=Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand ] [cite book|title=Marlborough - A Provincial History|editor=A. D. McIntosh|year=1940|pages=p 241] Steam dredges continued to work the river into the 20th century. [cite book|title=Click - A Captured Moment - Marlborough's Early Heritage|author=Marlborough Historical Society|year=2005|isbn=0-473-10475-X|pages=p 200]Education
Canvastown School is a coeducational full primary (years 1-8) school with a decile rating of 5 and a roll of 29. [cite web|url=http://www.tki.org.nz/e/schools/display_school_info.php?school_id=3186|title=Te Kete Ipurangi - Canvastown School|publisher=Ministry of Education] The school was founded in 1877 [cite web|url=http://www.nram.govt.nz/record.php?id=1559&parent=nramindexbyvolume&volume=X|title=Canvastown School (X1719)|publisher=National Register of Archives and Manuscripts] and celebrated its 125th Jubilee in 2002. [cite journal|url=http://www.edgazette.govt.nz/notices.php/notices.php?action=view&id=58194|title=Jubilees & reunions: Canvastown School|journal=Education Gazette New Zealand|volume=81|issue=5|date=25 March 2002 ]ee also
*
Maungatapu murders Notes
External links
* [http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~marksy/ Local history]
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