ABOUT THE LOST ARTIFACT CHARACTERS
​(Spoiler alert! Recommend reading this after you have played the game!)
Henry Garrett – The villain of the story, Henry Garrett was a notorious bandit who arrived in Otago in 1861 from Australia. Originally from England, he had served time as a convict on Norfolk Island and in Victoria before following the gold rush to Otago. Intelligent and charismatic, he was no ordinary bandit. As Robert Gilkison wrote in “Early Days in Central Otago”, Henry Garrett was “the bandit who brought a glamour of romance into the early days which they have never lost. He was the possessor of powers and abilities that might have made him a leader amongst honest men and even when committing a crime he could display humour and good nature which clearly distinguish him from the common cut-throat or robber.”
Henry Garrett wrote poetry and prose including a published book about his time in convict prisons. Few would expect a hardened convict to write this poem.
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Listen to it here:
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“Dreaming, dreaming ever dreaming
Of ideas never undressed
Mind, unlike dull matter, seeming
Feels no want of, takes no rest.
In my night dreams there comes often
Gleams of joy nothing else can give
Which seems sent me here to soften
This ruined life I’m forced to live”
William Rees – William Rees was Queenstown’s first European settler arriving in 1860. He built his homestead where Queenstown CBD is today and established a sheep farm. When the gold rush arrived in 1862 he turned his wool shed into a hotel (now Eichardt’s Hotel) and sold provisions to diggers.
Kitty Kirk – Kitty Kirk and her story encompasses the spirit and strength of NZ pioneer women. She arrived in Dunedin as a baby with her mother from Ireland. By 12 she was living in Queenstown and had discovered her talent as a horse whisperer. She led packhorses through the treacherous Skippers Canyon mountain road and lived an independent life generating her own livelihood.
Jack Tewa – Jack Tewa was the first person to discover gold in the Whakatipu Basin. He was working for William Rees when he found gold in the Arrowtown river. His find sparked the Queenstown 1862 gold rush. He was awarded a medal for his bravery when he saved a man’s life on Lake Whakatipu near Jacks Point (named after him). He was a local hero and played an important role in Queenstown gold rush life.
Gabriel Read – Gabriel Read discovered the first Otago goldfield in 1861, sparking its gold rush. He shared his discovery immediately and sought little personal fortune from his find. As a veteran of the Californian and Victorian goldfields, he helped the diggers organise themselves and taught them mining techniques.
