SHELLIE EVANS

The heritage-listed St Bathans' School ruins sit on a 3187 square-metre section that has come onto the market for $185,000.

One of the most photographed sites in the "ghost town" of St Bathans, Central Otago is up for sale.

The St Bathans' School Ruins are on a parcel of land that has been listed on TradeMe for $185,000.

While you might have visions of your own Grand Designs project, there are restrictions on the site – it has a Category II Historic Place listing with Heritage New Zealand.

Any changes to the ruins and any earthworks would need to be approved by Heritage New Zealand.

The owner told Stuff he bought the section, just across the road from the picturesque Blue Lake at St Bathans, a year ago, and camped there over the summer.

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"It's a great place to spend the summer – there's a long drop and water," he says. "There is also a consented building platform (for a new house) and archaeological assessment for further development has been completed. But I can't afford to build, so have decided to put it on the market."

It's the setting as well as the ruins that adds to the magic.Supplied photo

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The owner says the ruins attract many visitors over the summer. "The ruins are amazing, and it's never a problem – the people who want to stop and take a look are always interesting to talk to."

St Bathans, a former goldmining town, is often referred to as a ghost town, because it has fewer than 10 permanent residents. The town is listed on paranormal websites and locals say ghost hunters come from near and far in the hopes of experiencing a "sighting". In 2010, a visitor from Invercargill was delighted when an apparition appeared in a photo he had taken of the old post office building.

The Vulcan Hotel is said to be haunted by the spiteful spirit of a woman named "The Rose", who was murdered in one of the rooms.

The elevated section overlooks the picturesque Blue Lake.Supplied photo

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But the town is also known for the stunning stone ruins and the man-made Blue Lake, created in 1933 after miners had sluiced the 120-metre Kildare Hill into a 69-metre "Glory Hole". At that time the Glory Hole was the deepest mining hole in the Southern Hemisphere.

However, the operation was stopped when the pit came too close to the town. The huge hole was filled with water, with the minerals in the surrounding rocks giving the lake its startling turquoise hue.

The lake is said to be home to a few of its own ghosts. A barmaid supposedly drowned herself there after being jilted by her lover, while others say the pregnant girl was murdered. And some people believe long-deceased miners can be seen rising from its depths at night. 

The white cliffs make a dramatic backdrop.Supplied photo

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But the old school ruins have a  strong recorded history. The stone building was built in 1875, and Heritage New Zealand says there was a grand ball to celebrate.

It wasn't all fun for the students, however. In winter, the inkwells in the desks would freeze over.

"As gold mining declined, so did the population and the school roll," notes Heritage New Zealand. "By the 1930s only the smaller room was needed as a schoolroom. The final blow came for the school building itself in 1943 when it was damaged during an earthquake. Teaching was transferred to the vacant two-storied post office, but in 1949 the school was finally closed and leased to the local pest destruction board."

The owner says any changes, restoration plans and earthworks would need to be approved by Heritage New Zealand. "The schoolhouse could be rebuilt, but it would need to remain true to the original," he says.

"The site may be remote, but you can still go to the pub and have a hot meal, and there are plenty of cafes a little further afield."