The feverish desire for alluvial gold created Arrowtown. Historical imagination is required to envisage the harsh life on the Otago goldfields in the 1860s, but picturing the resulting colonial settlement is aided by Arrowtown's heritage cottages, hotels and shops, along with the informative displays and exhibits at the Lakes District Museum. The Māori and Chinese contributions are readily acknowledged today, but Autumn gold in Arrowtown is the seasonal legacy of deciduous trees planted by European pioneers. This afternoon session will explore the colourful history of Arrowtown in the context of the Wakatipu region.