CHINESE ON THE WAKATIPU GOLDFIELDS
During the early 1800s the people of the Guangzhou Delta area in China were suffering considerable hardship. The area was over populated and many people lived in poverty. In addition they were suffering from the destructive effects of British Imperialism and the opium trade. For many of the rural poor the solution was to finance sons and brothers to travel and work overseas. It was thought they would become rich and quickly return to their village, enhancing their family's position. Mainly they went to California and Australia but some came to New Zealand.
Chinese gold miners didn't come to mine in the Wakatipu until after the initial gold rush. When gold was discovered on the West Coast of the South Island in 1864 many gold miners at the Arrow packed up and followed the rush. Those who owned businesses were suddenly faced with a serious loss of custom. The wider Otago Province was faced with losing its main source of wealth - income from taxes on gold.
The Otago Provincial Government however had a solution - they invited the Chinese to come and work on the Otago Goldfields. At first Chinese miners came direct from places in Australia such as Ballarat but increasingly many came direct from their homelands in Guangzhou. Existing goldminers were not keen on competition and as the Chinese traveled inland to the goldfields they suffered harassment.
http://www.handsonhistory.co.nz/pre-chinese.htm
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