Bruce PETRY
Waihi was established as a mining town in 1878/79 and at its height was one of the main centres of mining in the Coromandel (and New Zealand). This previous association and new mining techniques have lead to the reopening of mining operations in the 1980s. The town now showcases both its past and current mining achievements.
Waihi itself is situated within an area of significant cultural, industrial and scenic value, and consequently its conservation necessitates a delicate balancing of conflicting requirements. These heritage concerns must in turn be effected against a background of on-going open cast mining, an activity critical to the economic survival of the town. http://www.waihi.org.nz/about-us/martha-gold-mine/1.aspx
This paper explores and discusses:
1) Conservation issues associated with the interpretation and adaptive ongoing occupation of Waihi as a cultural heritage landscape with integral ties to past, present and future mining activity.
2) Initiatives aiming to consolidate links between the town's history and its emerging role as a tourist destination.
3) Strategies and the possible sequencing of initiatives to enhance and promote both the commercial and the conservation worth of the town.
4) The value of thematic approaches for drawing together and integrating varied value structures in complexly occupied environments.