Cromwell, New Zealand

Cromwell Tīrau (Māori)
Town
Coordinates: 45°02′45.4″S 169°11′44″E / 45.045944°S 169.19556°E / -45.045944; 169.19556
Country	New Zealand
Region	Otago
Territorial authority	Central Otago District
Ward	Cromwell Ward
Community	Cromwell Community
Electorates	Waitaki Te Tai Tonga (Māori)
Government
• Territorial authority	Central Otago District Council
• Regional council	Otago Regional Council
• Mayor of Central Otago	Tamah Alley
• Waitaki MP	Miles Anderson
• Te Tai Tonga MP	Tākuta Ferris
Area [1]
• Total	15.63 km2 (6.03 sq mi)
Elevation [2]	210 m (690 ft)
Population  (June 2024)[3]
• Total	7,440
• Density	480/km2 (1,200/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+12 (NZST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+13 (NZDT)
Postcode(s)	9310
Local iwi	Ngāi Tahu

Cromwell (Māori: Tīrau) is a town in the Central Otago region of New Zealand's South Island, located on the shore of Lake Dunstan. Established at the confluence of the Clutha / Mata-Au and Kawarau Rivers after gold was discovered nearby during the Otago Gold Rush of the 1860s, Cromwell's location saw it become a junction for travel between Dunedin and areas further inland, such as Wānaka and Queenstown. As gold mining declined, the town developed to service farms and orchards in the surrounding area, becoming known for stone fruit and as part of the Central Otago wine region. The town remains a hub for people travelling throughout the region, with State Highway 8B running through the town and acting as a main route for travellers to Queenstown.

The construction of the Clyde Dam and subsequent creation of Lake Dunstan during the 1980s and 1990s saw Cromwell expand as a town, while also requiring the relocation of a third of town's buildings from areas that would be flooded, including the town centre. Remnants of the old town centre above the lake's water line have been retained and now form a historic precint near the lake shore. Recent years have seen further development in Cromwell and the surrounding areas, including the construction of the Highlands Motorsport Park to the west in 2013 and the Lake Dunstan Trail to the south in 2021.