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 Eichardt's was born as a result of the rich vein of gold which drew many prospectors, opportunists and downright optimists from around the globe. A meeting place to discuss the fortunes, misfortunes and missed fortunes of the pioneering past, it remains an icon and New Zealand institution. Queenstown still attracts those intrigued with unlocking the secrets held deep within this alpine region.
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Boomtown goldfields shanty to bustling local township with characters from around the world all adding to Queenstown's colourful mix. None more so than the publican, Albert Eichardt, the former Prussian guard. Even then, Eichardt's was the finest accommodation available and welcomed many notable people as the fledgling tourism industry began to expand in the grand age of travel. After Albert's death, his capable wife Julia ran the show and is remembered as one of Eichardt's most-loved daughters. Julia had 70 rooms lit by electricity, 30 years before there was a town supply!
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Queenstown turned out in force to farewell Julia Eichardt after her death following a fall outside the hotel. It was the biggest funeral ever seen in the town - with 400 mourners and another 100 at the cemetery. However, this didn't spell the end of Eichardt's progressive development. The Searle family took over and among other achievements, had the first motor launch on the lake, which could take 30 people. The hotel was the hub for the "Grand Motor Tour" in automobiles, later a bus service and, still the most popular method of arrival until the 1930s, the steamer ship by lake from Kingston.
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New Zealand tourism pioneer, the Mount Cook Company, incorporated Eichardt's as one of the stars in its prestigious network and extended the hotel. The company developed the first commercial ski company at nearby Coronet Peak in 1939. The government operated Eichardt's for a period, until it reverted back into private hands again. The current owners have just completed a massive refurbishment which has restored the hotel to its glorious and glamorous heyday.
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Eichardt's is quite simply a Queenstown icon - born from the wealth of a booming gold-mining town, it reflected the adventurous spirit of the early explorers of the hidden alpine valleys. It was a grand era with the walls of the hotel ringing with the laughter of a gallery of rogues, lovable and otherwise. And it took some steady hands to keep the lively crowd in order at times.
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