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Milton

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HistoryMilton is situated 57kms south-west of Dunedin. The early settlement consisted of sawmills, a flourmill, storekeepers, and small runholders. During this time the first Tokomiriro School was built in 1856. When gold was discovered at Gabriel's Gully in 1861 many of these settlements abandoned Milton in search of riches. Yet, they quickly realised the real money lay in supplying the miners. With Milton stood close to one of the most easily accessible routes to the interior they seized the opportunity to establish the town as a major staging post for prospectors heading for the goldfields. During this time, the post office, telegraph office, and many banks were opened.

Milton’s links to the interior continued with the national railway network reaching the town in the 1870s. In 1907, the town became a railway junction when an extension of the Roxburgh Branch was constructed alongside the Main South Line from its original junction at nearby Clarksville into Milton to facilitate better operations. In 1960, Milton lost this status when the extension was removed, and the Roxburgh Branch's junction reverted to being in Clarksville. The Main South Line still runs through the town, though the station closed to passengers on 1 December 1970. From 1900 a rail network was also used by coal mines in the Milton area. This was little used after two miners were killed in 1930 and it was sold for scrap in 1932.

Milton can boast many happenings in its history including being one of the two centres first linked by long-distance telephony, with a pioneering line set up between Milton and Dunedin in February 1878 and becoming the first town in South Otago to receive electricity from the Waipori Power Station in 1922.

An early claim to fame for Milton was its pottery, often regarded as some of the countries finest. Additionally, William White's short-lived Tokomairiro Steam Pottery Work reputedly had the first industrial kilns in the Southern Hemisphere.
Important industries in the town have also included the Bruce Woollen Mill – later Alliance Textiles – and Calder Stewart which continues to be a prominent employer in the town.

Today, Milton continues as a service town for an extensive agricultural community.

Audio

Colin and Jennifer Smith Recording Two

Colin and Jennifer Smith Recording One

Colin Heads and Colin Smith Interview Part One

Colin Heads and Colin Smith Interview Part Two

Nancie Allison Recording One

Nancie Allison Recording Two

Gordon Wallis Oral History Audio

Kath Geddes - In Conversation Audio

Elaine Crawford Recording One

Document

Wool Buy Book 1910-1911, Bruce Woollen Mill

Bruce Woollen Mill Dye Book

Bruce Woollen Mill Pattern Book

Oral History

Colin and Jennifer Smith Oral History, Gray's Department Store, Milton

Colin Heads and Colin Smith Oral History

Kath Geddes Oral History

Organisation

Calder Stewart

Milton Woollen Mill

Video

Kath Geddes - In Conversation Video

Person

George Dabinett

Photograph Album

Milton Centennial Pool Upgrades 1973

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