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One Man’s Goldfield: the story of the Horseshoe Bend Diggings, William Rigney and Somebody’s Darling

Introduction

Horseshoe Bend was a gold mining settlement on the east side of the Clutha River,
approximately eight kilometres downstream from Millers Flat, near Roxburgh, in
Central Otago.

Horseshoe Bend no longer appears on maps or official documents relating to Central
Otago. For all practical purposes this settlement has ceased to exist. From 1865 to
the 1930's the Bend was an active mining settlement, supporting a peak population of
around two hundred. Horseshoe Bend had its own post office, shops, hotels, and
church. Today a few fruit trees marking the sites of dwellings, an area of mining
tailings, a single farmhouse, a single stone house, and sundry mining debris mark the
site of over half a century of industry.

My family has owned the stone house at Horseshoe Bend since the early 1970’s. For
much of that time my father sought out the history of the Bend, visiting the old
identities of the district, listening to and recording their stories of the early days. This
book incorporates both the personal recollections of the older generation and the
official records of the area which have survived the years, either in public collections
or private ownership. Since this story was first printed, the late Mrs T McElwain
provided the author with a number of photographs of the Bend.

The compilation of material for this booklet has been an exercise in joining the dots
between sparse known points, being other published material, or the recollections of
others. There is an implicit assumption that these historic records are themselves
totally accurate when this may or may not be the case.

© Jeff Robertson 4