List of historic places in Gore District



The Gore District is a territorial authority in eastern Southland, on the South Island of New Zealand. The region was first settled by the Māori. European occupation began in the early 1850s, alongside the spread of sheep ranching. The town of Gore was founded in 1862, but the area did not see large-scale growth until the 1890s and 1900s, following railway expansion into the region. The boroughs of Gore and Mataura were united into the Gore District following nationwide local government reforms in 1989. Despite an agricultural downturn and population decline in the late 20th century, the area remains strongly agrarian, with dairying and sheep farming remaining vital local industries, especially following an upturn of agricultural growth across Southland in the 1990s.

Heritage New Zealand classification of sites on the New Zealand Heritage List / Rārangi Kōrero, in accordance with the Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Act 2014, distinguishes between Category 1 ("places of special or outstanding historical or cultural significance") and Category 2 ("places of historic or cultural significance"). Other categories exist, such as ones marking locations notable to local Māori heritage, but none of these are located within Gore district. Six locations in the district are listed on the New Zealand Heritage List. Two sites are within the town of Gore itself, three are in Mataura, and one (Willowbank Railway Windmill and Water Tank) is in Willowbank, a rural locality to the northwest of Gore.