Arawata Bill: The Story of Legendary Gold Prospector William James O'Leary

Author(s): Ian Dougherty

Country Stations & History

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Arawata Bill (1865–1947) was a pioneering folk hero. He spent decades in the unforgiving mountain country of New Zealand’s South Island, prospecting for gold and other minerals and making new tracks in unexplored areas. His astonishing feats of endurance and tenacity, coupled with his charming eccentricity, have captured the imagination of generations, and Denis Glover immortalised him in his famous poem, ‘Arawata Bill’. Recently, a Californian Country Rock act have added his story to their ballads.