Today, saw a Year 10 Social Studies class from James Hargest visit the museum to learn about the Chinese Miners.

First they listened to an oral history from Mrs Dudley recorded in 1948 about her memories of the Chinese, then they explored the museum and learnt about life on the goldfields for these immigrants. Next they panned for gold in the river....re-enacting what the Chinese Miners would have done before visiting the Chinese village and 'squeezing' into the huts the Chinese lived in.

We hope you enjoyed your visit and look forward to hearing about it on this blog!

Today Macandrew Bay School spent the morning at the museum. Here it learn about the history in the Arrowtown area they experienced an 1880s classroom with Miss Grey, explored the Old Gaol and Saint MacKillop's cottage before panning for gold in the Arrow River.

Did you find gold? Would you like a teacher like Mis Grey? When was the Old Gaol built?

We hope you enjoyed your visit and look forward to hearing comments about it on this blog!

Today saw some of the international students from Wakatipu High come and try their luck at pannig in the Arrow River. They were very sucessful & all of them found gold...some more than one flake!

They were also very patient and determined (excellent mining qualities!) and persevered for over an hour in the icy cold Arrow River water - well done!!

This morning 27 students from Oamaru Intermediate spent time at the Museum's education programme. They took an historic walk around some of Arrowtown's first streets and were locked up in the 'old gaol'. After a short break they experienced 'life as a miner', washing clothes in the river, making butter and panning for gold!

Many were successful and went home with a small piece of alluvial gold! We hope you enjoyed your visit and look forward to hearng comments about it on this blog.

Yesterday afternoon the students from Ruru School tried their luck at panning and cradling for gold in the Arrow River. Some had panned before and they were quick to spot the small flakes of gold...others were just as good even though it was their first time.

Most students were successful and we hope you enjoyed your time with us. Tell us about it on this blog!

Today saw the Year 7 & 8 students from St Jospeh's in Temuka visit the museum. They managed to survive the classroom with Miss Grey before visiting St Patrick's Church & Saint Mary MacKillop's cottage. Saint Mary came to NZ when she was asked by the Catholic Church to help establish schools for children. She helped to establish many schools including St Joseph's in Temuka - the same school that these students attend today!!

Students also panned for gold in the Arrow River with many being successful!! We hope you enjoyed your visit to us and look forward to hearing your comments on this blog!

This afternoon underneath the wonderful sun the Year 5 & 6 students from Arrowtown Primary walked down to the river to try their luck at panning & cradling! And how good were they...pretty good!

One group was the first of the year to find gold with the cradle and others struck it rich with their pans! Some were fooled by 'fools gold'. Others worked the sluice in the river. We hope you had a good time... tell us about it on this blog!

Today saw the second group of Year 8 students from Taieri College visit the museum. Here to participate in four different activities they explored the Chinese village, panned for gold, were locked up in an Old Gaol and visited the GOLD 150 exhibition.

How many of your found gold? What were some of the building materials the Chinese miners used for their huts? Could you cope being locked up in a 1890s Gaol cell?

Tell us about your visit on this blog.

Today, the sun shone and the Year 3 & 4 classes from Arrowtown Primary visited the museum to learn all about life as a miner. They undertook two activities - a guided tour of the Chinse village and 'life as a miner'.

The 'fire' building was excellent as was the 'butter' making. Did you like diggging the 'long drop'? Some were lucky enough to find a small speck of gold!!

We hope you had a good time and look forward to hearing about it on this blog!

Today saw the first of the Junior School visits by Arrowtown Primary School. Here to imagine what life was like for the miners of the 1860s they explored the Chinese village, did some 'shopping' down Buckingham Street & panned for gold in the Arrow River.

What was your favourite thing? What NEW facts did you learn? Would you like to live in a Chinese hut? Do you think gold panning is hard??

We hope you had a good time and look forward to seeing more of you again soon!

p.s. write us a comment about your visit on this BLOG!

Yesterday saw 34 students from Grantlea Downs School in Timaru spend a morning at the museum. Here to experience 'life in the past' they certainly did that!! With Miss Grey to contend with and then a 'lock-up' in the old gaol!

Would you like your school to be like Miss Grey's classroom? What was the worst bit? And the best? What would life be like in a gaol cell in the 1880s? Who was Mary MacKillop?

We hope you had a good time with us and look forward to hearing about it on this blog!!

Today saw the Year 6 students from East Taieri spend a morning at the museum. They survived (just!!) Miss Grey's classroom, explored our museum and our major exhibition of 2012 'Gold - Is where you find it' and then panned for gold in the Arrow River.

What new information did you learn? Could you survive in the freezing Arrow everyday like the miners did?

We hope you had a good time and enjoyed the rest of your camp - tell us about it on this blog!

Today saw 74 students from Taieri College spend a day with our education programme as part of their school camp. They explored the Chinese village and museum; visited an Old Gaol and panned for gold in the Arrow River.

What was your favourite thing? What is a new fact you learnt about gold or the gold rush? How did the Chinese miners live? Could you cope in a goldfields gaol cell??

We hope you enjoyed your visit and look forward to hearing your thoughts on this blog!

Today our most local school, Arrowtown came and learnt all about gold mining!!! The four Year 7 & 8 classes spent a one hour session each perfecting three different mining methods in the Arrow River - panning, cradling and sluicing! They also hand washed a dirty apron using a washboard!

Some were already mining experts - thanks to the boys with their sluice!! And quite a few others found gold!! Well done.

We hope you had a good time & look forward to your comments on this blog.

Today, saw the Year 7 students from Columba College in Dunedin visit the museum as part of their Queenstown Camp. They participated in a several activities including exploring the Chinese village; touring the museum and GOLD 150 exhibition and an historic walk past the miners cottages to the Old Gaol and Saint Mary MacKillop's cottage. Many girls also mastered the 'cup & ball' and 'quoits' games!!

Their last activity was panning for gold in the Arrow River. Some were very lucky and found their very own 'speck' of gold unfortunately others were not so lucky and did not find any gold ....never mind there is always next time.

We hope you enjoyed your camp and look forward to hearing about it on this blog!!

Today, saw the Year 6 class from Palmerston School visit the museum. Here to learn all about the past they participated in several activities including Miss Grey's classroom, exlporing the Chinese village, touring the musem and GOLD 150 exhibition, the Old Gaol and then finally panning for gold in the Arrow River.

What did you learn? Can you remember when gold was first discovered in Arrowtown? and who discovered it? What were the different rooms in Ah Lum's store used for? Why is the fire in the Chinese huts near the door?

We hope you enjoyed your visit and look forward to hearing about it on this blog!