Shantytown proudly launched its latest attraction the new Shantytown Sawmill experience on 14th June. The Sawmill was officially opened by the Minister of Tourism Damien O’Connor in front of a very large crowd of dignitaries, stakeholders, sponsors and several hundred members of West Coast sawmilling families.
The project is the first stage of a major redevelopment for the West Coast’s leading man made visitor attraction.
Shantytown, surrounded by regenerating bush, is located on a site originally worked by gold miners and where a sawmill operated in the 1930’s. It is positioned authentically to tell those early stories of triumph and tragedy as the Coast was settled.
Like all attractions, to retain market share, Shantytown must ensure the experience keeps up with changing visitor expectations. This is the aim behind the redevelopment.
The new Shantytown Sawmill experience begins with the steam train journey. At the southern end the story takes shape with, what is now, the ‘falling and hauling’ area at the train stop at the end of the line. Here the story of the forest harvest is presented - the cutting of the trees, their removal and the story of regeneration on a site where this all took place.
Visitors experience the sounds of the bush … and is that the sound of a logging gang working not too far away? The train journey then moves back up the track to the sawmill. Here visitors can see, hear and feel what it was like to work in a sawmill.
The 250 year old beech logs are ready to be milled, the saw blades are screaming as the logs go through, and the milling operation is portrayed on a seven metre screen. Moving though the mill the human story behind this industry emerges – the lives of the mill owner, the wife, the workers, the whistle boy and the unpopular ranger are all told with real life stories.
The project has received support from a number of sponsors including Development West Coast, the Grey District Council, The Lottery Grants Board, The Ministry of Tourism, The New Zealand Community Trust, the West Coast Community Trust and many local individuals and businesses.
Full credit must go to Julia Bradshaw for the impressive interpretation of the story, to Great Leap Forward, Alun Bollinger, Memory Line Productions, Story Inc., Pablo Kelly, Sign Link Graphics, Ian Tibbles and the team of dedicated staff at Shantytown and the many others who contributed to one of New Zealand’s latest impressive cultural attractions.
If you are on the West Coast please drop in to Shantytown and enjoy this new experience of the past.
