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Recent Events, Visits and Fundraisers

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Chinese New Year 2024

Around 300 people participated in our event to welcome in the Year of the Dragon.  Thank you to the volunteers from the Tuapeka area, OSCA and camp descendant families.  A big thank you to the Otago Community Trust and Kotahitaka for their funding for this event.

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Visit post Lawrence Cemetery Seat and Plaque unveiling, 18 March 2023

Archeologist Richard Walter shared about the fascinating archeological findings of excavations at the Lawrence Chinese site between 2005 and 2010 to a group visiting the Camp on Saturday led by Adrienne Shaw.

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Chinese New Year Festival, 29 January 2023

The Year of the Rabbit was celebrated at the Lawrence Chinese Camp with national performances and guests.  Thank you to all the volunteers, supporters and OSCA for their amazing cooks and Lion dancers.  

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This was possible due to the funding from the Ministry of Cultural and Heritage and Otago Communities Trust.  The event was in partnership with Sun Gum Saan Ltd, who launched their New Zealand Chinese History schools curriculum.  

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Lion Dance Performance, 8 Oct 2022

Lion Dance troupes from Auckland and Christchurch made a pilgrimage to the Camp to remember and honour the past people of the Camp at the alter in the Joss House and then performed for the Lawrence-Tuapeka community. 

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Labour Party Ethnic Caucus Visit on 9 July 2022

With the new school history curriculum including the heritage of the pioneer Chinese in NZ, Ministers of Parliament Ingrid Leary (MP for Taieri) and Naisi Chen (list MP in Botany), as well as Arena Williams (MP for Manurewa) and Mayor Bryan Cadogan visited the Camp on 9 July to learn about its provenance and the history and significance of the early Chinese in NZ from historians Dr James Ng and Dr James Beattie.

 

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Lawrence Chinese Camp
Chinese New Year Celebrations, Feb 2022

Unfortunately this event has had to be cancelled due to Covid alert restrictions. We look forward to a Chinese New Year event in February 2023!

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Buy a Brick fundraising campaign launched Aug 2023

As the restoration work enters the final design stage, the Trust invites you to donate to our fundraiser so that building work will be possible.  Click here for how you can help

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Fundraiser - 100 Club Raffle March 2023

Thank you to all the supporters of our 100 Club Raffles.  Winners have been notified and we a special thank you to those who donated their winnings back to the camp.  

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Lawrence Heritage Weekend - Nov 2022

There was a steady stream of visitors at the Open day at the Camp on Sunday 6 Nov. 

 

A beautiful day, the Joss house with displays was open and friend of the Camp Anne Cheng was there to help children don Leonora the Lion and learn how to lion dance!

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Asia New Zealand Foundation Visit, 8 Oct 2022

A repeat visit from the Leadership Network of the ANZF. Dr James Ng, historian and founder of the Camp's Trust, and Camp trustee and descendant Rachel Gemmill shared about the life and people at the Camp in the 1880's.

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Fundraiser, Sunday 22nd May starting at 7 pm
Lawrence Golf Club

Thank you to all those who participated in the Quiz Night and supported our fundraiser with donations for the prizes. Special thanks to the Lawrence Golf club who hosted us. We raised enough to cover our everyday running costs for the next few months:)

 

Previous News

Events at the Lawerence Chinese Cam, prior to 2022 can be viewed on our Past Events page
Otago University archives
Otago University Archives

Lawrence Chinese Camp trustees Professor Richard Walter, Malcolm Wong and Peter Cummings at University of Otago looking at some of the camp's artefacts stored there.

 

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Joss House repairs

Restoration work has been undertaken on the Joss House. It had been used as a holiday home for many years and was returned to the Lawrence Camp from another site in Lawrence. The deteriorated exterior timber was replaced and repainted and the interior repaired. 

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Joss House relocated back to the Lawrence Chinese Chinese Camp

An original Joss House, was moved back to the Lawrence Chinese Camp in 2016 thanks to funding from the Otago Community Trust. Although modified, the structure fitted its original foundations at the camp and plans are in place to restore and retain its cultural significance. 

Artefacts from the camp
Artefacts from the camp

Artefacts from the camp on display at Tuapeka Goldfields Museum at 17 Ross Place in Lawrence.  Click here for current opening times.

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Joss House relocation celebrated - 2018

The pig oven was back in action to celebrate the return of the Joss House which had been located Maryport Street, Lawrence since the 1940's

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