About Us

The town of Cromwell had its beginnings in 1862 when the two miners, Horatio Hartley, an American, and Christopher Reilly, an Irishman, deposited in Dunedin eighty-seven pound weight of gold that they had recovered from a spot about a mile below the junction of the Kawarau and Clutha Rivers.

The strike earned the two men a reward of 2,000 pounds for the discovery of a new goldfield and it precipitated a gold rush that opened up a wild and inhospitable area of the South Island. Freezing cold in winter and mercilessly hot in summer, there were no roads or bridges, no timber or fuel.

The track through the Cromwell Gorge led through deep gullies and ravines and skirted precipitous cliffs but the miners came in their thousands. It was a rich field and the first gold dispatched to Dunedin under the escort of Sergeant-Major Bracken and three troopers was a highly satisfactory 6,031 ounces.

In its earliest days Cromwell was known as ‘The Junction’ and the earliest photographs of the period show it as a barren, treeless strip of ground bordered on two sides by the rivers. and at one stage there were reputed to be 3,000 miners under canvas or in makeshift rock shelters.

WE'RE LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS

With the recent move to our magnificent new facility Te Huika Wai, within Te Puna Mahara | Cromwell Memorial Events Centre, we are expanding our fantastic team of volunteers to assist in the museum’s operation and development.

We have two types of volunteers: Museum Hosts who help visitors, and Collections Volunteers who help maintain the 4000+ items within the museum’s collection.

Museum Hosts are on hand during opening hours (10am to 5pm daily). Their role is to bring our local history to life while supporting the museum’s sustainability, extend a warm welcome to visitors, share engaging local history stories and encourage donations. Volunteers usually work 3 to 4 hour shifts, from as much as couple of times each week to as little as once or twice a month. Some volunteers may also opt to get involved in specialist activities such as education programmes for school children. Please note that as our Host volunteers are operating within a Central Otago District Council facility, they adhere to CODC volunteer policies and procedures (this includes undergoing a standard police check).

The Collections team works alongside the day-to-day museum operations, ensuring that museum artefacts are probably documented, archived and stored. The team works on a more flexible basis, with most of them spending some time at least once a week.

You don’t need to an expert in museums or in Cromwell’s local history to get involved - just have a passion for learning, understanding and sharing our rich local heritage!

If you think volunteering may be for you, please get in touch with the Cromwell Museum Trust, email info@cromwellmuseum.nz

Our Trustees:

The Cromwell Museum Trust (CMT) is a community organisation that collaborates with Central Otago District Council (CODC) on the development and operation of the Cromwell Museum.

The parties share an objective to support a thriving museum that:

Protects the collection
Engages the community
Contributes to the social and cultural life of Cromwell and surrounding areas
Provides an attractive and high-quality experience for visitors

CODC retains responsibility for the day-to-day operation and management of the museum in its new location within the council-run Te Puna Mahara | Cromwell Memorial Events Centre. CMT contributes in a support and advisory capacity to complement Council-led operations.

Cheryll Sanders - Chair

Living in Cromwell as a child and having parents who were also born here has given Cheryll a strong sense of connection to Cromwell despite moving away at age 13. Her commitment to the area was cemented in 1999 when she and her husband developed a vineyard at Mt Pisa eventually moving here permanently ten years ago. Cheryll has an enduring interest in the history of the Cromwell basin and the stories that bring it alive.

Cheryll became Chair of CMT in August 2026 upon the retirement of founder Chair Martin Anderson.

Joan Lawrence

Joan and her family have been involved in the wine industry at Lowburn near Cromwell for the past 25 years.. Joan's background is in archaeology, and her speciality is in archaeological illustration. Her great love of gardening and history is reflected in the two journals she edited , 'Heritage Roses in New Zealand' and 'Archaeology in New Zealand'. Joan is an oral history recorder with the Central Otago Heritage Trust.
Andrew Pirie - Deputy Chair
Andrew Pirie was appointed a Trustee in late 2025. He has lived in Cromwell since 2023 and has an extensive background in communications and marketing, having been in leadership roles for some of New Zealand’s major companies. Andrew also has significant international experience, having worked across Asia Pacific for over a decade. He has a personal passion for the history of Cromwell and Central Otago.

Donna Hipkins

Wayman Roughan

Wayman Roughan is one of the founder trustees of the Cromwell Museum. His forbears were some of the first settlers in Gabriel's Gully which has given him a keen interest in the heritage of the gold mining in Central Otago. He was Chairman of the 150th Celebrations of the discovery of gold at Gabriel's Gully in 2011. Wayman has had a long association with local bodies focusing on the heritage and Community Development of the region.