Luggate Information: July 2009

Graham first had contact with Luggate when he and his late wife Betty passed through on their Honeymoon in 1955. Graham said he fell in love with the fishing, people and the climate. In the early 1960’s Graham and Betty built their crib in Reid Avenue and then finally moved up here full time (Graham having left his job as an accountant in Dunedin) to work in the office for Upper Clutha Transport. Graham worked for UCT for 19 years and has now been retired for approx 8 years.

With outdoor bowls very much a passion over the years for both Graham and Betty, Graham still found time for many hobbies such as fishing, gardening and gold mining with a suction dredge down at the Clutha and Lindis Rivers, the Luggate Creek and at Bannockburn. Most was very fine gold but a couple of good sized nuggets mostly out of the Lindis and Bannockburn areas.

“Old Thingamys” Graham also started collect collecting memorabilia of old blacksmith gear and farm machinery. When asked what got him interested in old things his reply was “I kept looking in the mirror”. Among some of his many many treasures is a two man bush saw that has a painting of the red bridge on it done by Gus Nisbet late of Lake Hawea. A fantastic old water wheel that Graham collected from Mt Barker also graces his back year along with an old cart holding several milk cans

Graham has also found petrified wood up the top of Little Criffel and has polished this.

Rock Hound or "Silly Old Fossil" as some of his friends would call him.
Finding Rhodonite and Jasper down at the Clutha river started off yet another interest and apart from the local rock Graham has rocks and rough gems from many other places. Who would have thought grey old rock found on the side of the river could have such beautiful colours inside. Polishing takes 4 lots of 22 hours with 4 different grits from course grit to a fine grit then the final polish only takes 15 – 30 minutes.