Even before the Waipori Goldfields Charitable Trust was set up, the people who are now associated with the trust worked with others to research, protect and promote Waipori’s heritage and history. Here are some of the activities carried out before the trust was formally established.
Book
David Still’s book Gold beneath dark waters: the people of Waipori was published in 2016, and reprinted in 2019 with some corrections and additions.
This tells the stories of more than 500 families and individuals who lived and worked in the Waipori area, and includes more than 200 photos and maps.
Cemetery restoration
In 2016 several graves were restored at the Waipori cemetery and information panels erected to tell the story of the local area and identify people buried in the cemetery.
Gathering of descendants
At Easter 2016, some 150 descendants of people who had lived at Waipori gathered at nearby Lawrence.
Many stories were told, and plenty of photos and mementoes shared. The gathering provided the impetus to establish the trust.
Plaque
First World War history
The history of six men from Waipori who served in the First World War but did not return home was researched and their stories added to the Waipori Gold website to mark Anzac Day in 2020.
Amenity
Visitors to the cemetery are able to use a solid picnic table made from locally-sourced macrocarpa, which was installed in 2020.