Oamaru

Oamaru is a town built on nineteenth-century gold and grain booms, and the birthplace of the frozen meat. Nestling around its old port fringes is New Zealand’s most intact Victorian architectural landscape. Using a ‘Victorian Town at Work’ theme to promote these unique features, Oamaru is now a major heritage centre.

Oamaru: History and Heritage by Gavin McLean explores the heritage of the southern town.

Born in Oamaru and a professional historian, McLean has an insider’s eye and an historian’s knowledge. He has written a comprehensive guide-book, offering an historical overview and companion for three walks around the town’s most distinctive features. Each walk is fully described and illustrated in colour. There is also a guide to nearby attractions, including the limestone quarry, railway station and Totara Estate.

This attractive souvenir is an accessible, easy-to-read book that will appeal to locals and visitors alike.

Oamaru: History and Heritage is part of the popular eco-tourism series published by Otago University Press, which includes titles on Arrowtown, the Catlins, Stewart Island and Wanaka.