there's gold in them thar hills
Ophir was originally known as Blacks, when gold was discovered in Central Otago in 1863 Ophir’s population grew to over 1000 as it became the commercial and social centre of the district. It was renamed Ophir at this time which was where King Solomon obtained the gold to sheath the Temple in Jerusalem, and is thus the place name of the legendary “King Solomon’s Goldmines”.
Blacks No. 1. A thunder shower had severely inundated the street. July 9, 1869
Between 1863 and 1900 the town went from a few tents to a thriving town with a courthouse, lockup, school, 2 churches, 2 general stores, drapery, hospital and a number of pubs. But once the gold ran out, and the rail line by-passed the town for Omakau over the river, Ophir’s fortunes declined. But dropping off the map, as it did, saved it from development and helped it retain a lot of its original charm.
Geek fact: The collision of terranes that creates schist also created the gold veins for which Central Otago and Ophir is renowned. In temperatures over 200 degrees Celsius, gold becomes soluble and readily moves around through fractures in the rock. It settles into veins of quartz (silicon dioxide), from which it may be released by watering or erosion.
