2. Murder, Mayhem and Malcontents Part One

Not all those that came to Central Otago were here to work hard to make their fortune, or just a living.  Amongst the thousands that flocked to Otago and in particular to the rushes throughout Central were those who were determined to make their fortune by robbery and murder. In Part One of these stories, we look at two major robberies that took place at Dunstan - now called Clyde - and the emergence of the infamous Burgess gang who operated in the Kawarau Gorge. In this episode, the 1863 armed robbery of the manager of the Bank of New Zealand - on the hill overlooking the town! - is told, along with the fascinating revelation that the money taken may still be hidden under a rock on the hill. In 1870, the gold on its way down to Dunedin was locked up in the Clyde Jail, but in the middle of the night two boxes of gold were taken. Within a short time a constable and his friend were arrested. The dock in which they appeared is still at the Clyde Museum.