Lawrence, New Zealand

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Lawrence

Lawrence is a small town of 474 inhabitants (as per the 2001 census) in Otago, in New Zealand's South Island. It is located on the main route from Dunedin to the inland towns of Queenstown and Alexandra, 35 kilometres to the northwest of Milton, 11 kilometres northwest of Waitahuna, and close to the Tuapeka River, a tributary of the Clutha.

Lawrence's main claim to fame is of being the focal point for Otago's 1860s gold rush, after the discovery of the metal at nearby Gabriel's Gully by Gabriel Read. In mid 1862, it is estimated that twice as many people lived around the banks of the Tuapeka River as did in Dunedin itself.

The town was named for Sir Henry Lawrence, hero of the Lucknow military campaign of 1857, and is billed as "The Gateway To Central Otago".

In 1877, a branch line railway was built from the Main South Line to Lawrence, and the town remained the terminus of the line until an extension was built in 1910. Although originally known as the Lawrence Branch, this line ultimately became known as the Roxburgh Branch. The railway closed in 1968 and the town's station has subsequently been demolished, but some relics still remain, including the goods shed.

Lawrence's sister city is Jacksonville, Oregon.