Ophir
Rural locality
Ophir Post and Telegraph Office
Ophir Post and Telegraph Office
Coordinates: 45°07′S 169°36′E / 45.117°S 169.600°E / -45.117; 169.600
CountryNew Zealand
RegionOtago
Territorial authorityCentral Otago District
WardVincent Ward
Government
 • Local authorityCentral Otago District Council
 • Regional councilOtago Regional Council
Time zoneUTC+12 (NZST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+13 (NZDT)
Local iwiNgāi Tahu
Blacks Hotel

Ophir is a small settlement in Central Otago, New Zealand, located between Alexandra and Ranfurly close to the east bank of the Manuherikia River. The settlement of Omakau is located on the opposite bank, 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) to the northwest.

Ophir was originally known as Blacks, when gold was discovered in Central Otago in 1863 Ophir's population grew to over 1000 as it became the commercial and social centre of the district. It was renamed Ophir at this time which was where King Solomon obtained the gold to sheath the Temple in Jerusalem, and is thus the place name of the legendary "King Solomon's Goldmines".

When the Otago Central Railway was constructed in 1906, it was routed through Omakau. This had a positive effect for Omakau, which thrived, but a negative effect on Ophir which saw a considerable loss in population.[1]

Today, with a current population of around 50, the town is also known for the many original buildings still surviving including the restored Post and Telegraph Office, the 1895 Courthouse, and the 1870s Police Station. The Post Office is a schist and stone masonry structure built in 1886, and registered by Heritage New Zealand as a Category I Historic Place (List number 341, 22 November 1984).[2]

New Zealand's second-lowest official temperature of -21.6 °C was recorded at Ophir on 3 July 1995, even though it is not located at a high elevation.[3][4]

Demographics

Ophir is considered by Statistics New Zealand to be a part of the Omakau rural settlement, which is itself part of the much larger Manuherikia-Ida Valleys statistical area.[5]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ophir, New Zealand.
  1. ↑ "Otago places". Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
  2. ↑ "Ophir Post Office". New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero. Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 21 December 2009.
  3. ↑ "NZ's temperature record hits new low - minus 25.6degC". The New Zealand Herald. 12 July 2011.
  4. ↑ "Summary of New Zealand Climate Extremes". National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA). January 2004.
  5. ↑ 2018 Census place summary: Manuherikia-Ida Valleys
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