History of Ayrburn Farm embedded for the future

The new access road into Waterfall Park is going well with key construction milestones reached, including the two vehicle crossings over Mill Creek.  It was therefore timely to progress road names and these presented the perfect opportunity to integrate the lands meaningful history into what will be commonly used road names for anyone that enters the area.

Ayrburn Farm, the landholding that previously made up the area of Waterfall Park, Ayrburn Domain, Ayrburn Homestead, and Northbrook was one of the first farms to be established in the area after W.G. Rees settled in the district in 1860 and after gold was discovered in the Shotover River in 1862. Not only was it one of the first farms, but it was one of the most successful and long-standing in the area, and the farm continued in production until the early years of the 21^st century.

Scottish born William Paterson established Ayrburn Farm around 1865-1867, naming it after the town ‘Ayr’ where he was born in West Kilbride Scotland, with ‘burn’ being the Scottish word for stream to reference the water body, known as Mill Creek, that runs through the site. As a nod to the homage of Paterson’s heritage, the first main road which turns off Arrowtown – Lake Hayes Road and lined with beautiful pin oak trees is called ‘Ayr Avenue’.

Paterson developed the farm into one of the more significant farms in the basin at the time, including several large and substantially constructed buildings that still stand today and directly reflect Paterson’s success. To celebrate his success, the second road that turns off Ayr Avenue and over Mill Creek to the doorstep of these heritage buildings (now known as Ayrburn Domain) is named ‘William Paterson Close’ after the man himself.

Media Relations
Sonya Fynmore
+64 21 404 206
Sonya.fynmore@winton.nz