HistoryTuapeka West is a farming area 30kms west of Lawrence between State Highway 8 and the Clutha River. This area was formerly part of James Smith's 'Scrubby' run which was taken up in 1874. Many early settlers were former miners who took up farming. A post office was established in 1878 and the Tuapeka School was built the following year in 1879. A store with a liqour licence and a blacksmith also serviced the community in the late 1800s. Today, many of the original farms have been amalgamated into large holdings.
