Queenstown-Skippers Bridge

29 March 1901 Suspended on 14 wire cables, the single-lane bridge improved access to the Skippers gold-mining settlement, once the largest on the Shotover River. It was opened after three years of construction during which its cost doubled to about £4000 (equivalent to more than $760,000 in 2020).29/03/2021. This gold rush actually began not too far away from Skippers Canyon, in what is now known as Arthur’s Point. In November 1862, Thomas Arthur and Harry Redfern were able to mine approximately four ounces (28.3 grams) of gold within three hours, making no secret about their haul. Miners began to flock to the region and, soon after, the Shotover River (inside Skippers Canyon) became renowned for being the world’s richest river. The veracity of this statement, however, is hard to confirm as there are no official records of how much gold was found.