East of Eden

Ōamaru takes centre stage in East of Eden

Our Whitestone streets. Our people. A story seen around the world.

Ōamaru’s extraordinary Historic Precinct was transformed into early twentieth-century California for Netflix’s seven-part adaptation of East of Eden.

Our distinctive Whitestone buildings provided a ready-made period setting – but it was our community that truly brought the streets to life. Local people stepped in front of the camera as extras, supported the production behind the scenes and shared in the excitement as a major international story unfolded in the heart of town.

Explore how Ōamaru became part of East of Eden, meet some of the locals involved, share your own memories of filming and discover the places that will soon be seen by audiences around the world.

East of Eden comes to Netflix on 1 October 2026.