On a cold frosty night, May 30th 2014, new and old Naseby residents gathered outside the old Post Office in Derwent Street to celebrate the return of the old street lamps.
The official turning on of these lamps would have been almost as exciting as when power first came to the small township in 1947 and the old kerosene lamps were used no more. Mr W. Jacob was the old lamplighter and made his rounds nightly with a ladder and a can of kerosene putting just enough in each lamp to last till dawn. The lamps cost 15/- a year to maintain and he was paid nine shillings a day for this important work.

It is thanks to 'Naseby Vision’, grants and many volunteers that the lamps have been reinstated. A lone piper escorted the official party to the Post Office and amidst great cheers the power lit up the 20 new lamps.Two of them were originals and were dedicated to early families in the district, carrying a plaque of their names.
A poem written especially for the occasion by Naseby's poet ‘Blue Jeans' (Ross McMillan) was read and then all hurried to the Town Hall to continue the festivities.

Kay Dundass

(The above article appeared in the following: Historic Places Central Otago Newsletter July 2014)

Naseby Vision has a write up of the event:
http://www.nasebyvision.org.nz/2013/08/street-lamp-project.html