LAWRENCE Lawrence is another of the ‘off the beaten track’ route to Dunedin. Soon after you turn right at Reas Junction you are upon Lawrence.This again is a very nice town. A very historic gold rush town. The number of very old buildings makes Lawrence a sort of ‘lets search’ around sort of place. As mentioned Lawrence's main claim to fame is of being the focal point for Otago's 1860s gold rush, after the discovery of the metal at nearby Gabriel's Gully by Gabriel Read. Lawrence will be celebrating their 150th year in 2011. Gabriel Read, the Australian born prospector, first discovered gold in Lawrence on the 23rd May 1861. Read’s discovery, after initially been told he was on a “wild goose chase”, changed the course of history and laid a foundation for both Otago and New Zealand. The town was named for Sir Henry Lawrence, hero of the Lucknow military campaign of 1857, and is billed as "The Gateway to Central Otago". Today farming is the main industry of the area; Lawrence is still the capital of the "Tuapeka" and is easily accessible from all directions. The Tuapeka museum boasts relics from the days of the gold rush, such as gold pans and mud brick cottages that the gold miners lived in. Visit and see the place where Gabriel Reid discovered gold "shining like stars in Orion on a dark frosty night". The two Churches photographed have survived. A number of older buildings are converting to business or residence. The Hotel is of contempary design and age. The War Memorial is located on the west of the township.