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  From Gold to Dust  

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Uploaded: 07/02/13 12:24 AM GMT
From Gold to Dust
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This piano lives in the old mud-brick public Hall (Nolans Hall, built in 1892) in St Bathans ,an old gold mining town in the Maniototo area, New Zealand. In its hey-day St Bathans population was 2000, mostly gold miners. Current population is less than 10+1 ghost living in the Vulcan Hotel.
The piano was very dusty under the keyboard lid, and quite damaged but I like the way it still proudly displays it maker's name. Anyone can have a play on it.

I found this Newspaper Report of a "Patriotic Meeting At St Bathans Hall" dated 25th January 1900, in which the piano is mentioned twice - Mrs Brown and Mrs A. Waterston being the pianists. Miss A Waterston accompanied Miss N Waterston as she sang "Rule Britannia", and the chorus was taken up by the audience, making the hall ring.
Can you imagine the tales this piano could tell of the gold mining days, if it could talk.
Taken with Canon 450D. Comments most welcome :)

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