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In one of the main streets in town is this colourful building, it's also where my dentist is. It was built in 1902 as a dental surgery by architect firm Gillies and Spence for Mr R. Richmond and has been used by dentists ever since. 

Linking up with Tuesday Treasures and Happy Tuesdays.  

Biker's B & B

 

In Stillwater, about 10 minutes away from where I live is this bed and breakfast named "Biker's". When I took this photo it was early Winter so there wasn't alot of colour especially in the garden where they have roses growing. Apparently it use to be the old Stillwater Hotel aka The Junction Hotel but it was moved in the late 1940s nearer the local railway station. All of the Greymouth region was and is still well known for it's gold and coal mining history.

Linking up with Through my lens, Tuesday Treasures, My corner of the world, Wordless Wednesday.

Notown Cemetery

 

This photo from Find a grave.

About a year ago in late Autumn B and I visited an area about 15 minutes out of town. Notown Cemetery once was a part of Notown - a town that was once a flourishing gold mining place but literally turned into a ghost town. We drove about 15 minutes along a gravel road to get to it and as you can see it's surrounded by bush and mountains.

As you can see alot of the resting places are unmarked mounds of earth or covered by rocks.

There are alot of these places on the West Coast of New Zealand because many people came here in the Victorian area for gold mining which was popular back then. People still do gold mining here but not to the same extent.

Notown School surrounded by bush and gorse.

It was once a busy little town that included hotels, a church and houses but the cemetery is all that remains. Last 2 photos courtesy of West Coast Recollect.

Linking up with Through my lens, Tuesday Treasures, My corner of the world, Wordless Wednesday.

Cobden Cemetery

We have a few cemeteries in Greymouth but this one in a nearby suburb of Cobden is very small. There are approx 49 residents here with the earliest being laid to rest in 1879.

We are getting alot of fine Winter days like this now. The nights are getting down to 3 degrees celsius, the electric blankets are on the beds, the sweaters have come out of the wardrobe with the warm clothes and slippers and there is snow on the mountains through Arthur's Pass. I finally got some yellow Daffodil bulbs planted for Spring but I may buy more but the Freesia bulbs are starting to grow above ground. The cats have all been huddling up with us on the beds and we've lit the fire a few times. It's hibernating season.

Linking up with Skywatch Friday and Tom's Signs.

Cobden Observation Post

 

We've been living in Greymouth nearly 2 years now and we finally got to complete this walk to the Cobden WW2 Observation Post. It took about 20 minutes in total but it was such a nice sunny Autumn day that we didn't mind the exercise.

After what seemed like 100 steps but was probably less we finally reached the top. Let's just say my legs were like jelly.

Nearly at the top in this one, sad to see someone had written some graffiti on the outside of it.

We could see one side of Cobden (a suburb) over lots of house to where the beach begins.

And over to the other side of town where the shops and river are and to the opposite side of Greymouth.

Sadder even still to see people had partied inside and sprayed more nonsensical graffiti - seems to be the norm these days doesn't it?

Linking up with Through my lens, Tuesday Treasures, My corner of the world and Wordless Wednesday.

The state mine robbery

 

I've been wanting to check out this memorial ever since we moved to Greymouth so last week I finally got a chance. It's located on the side of the road on a slight hill on the way out to Runanga (a suburb here) and I was expecting it to be something to do with the 1st and 2nd world wars but it looks like I learned something new.

When I read the words a bit closer I was surprised to see it was dedicated to a robbery that happened in this spot on 9th November 1917. The plaque reads:

"A car carrying the state mine payroll of 3,600 pounds (that's about $7000 nzd in today's world) was held up and robbed by Frederick William Eggers alias William Eggers McMahon. The 2 officers William Hall and John Coulthard were shot and killed but the 3rd officer Isaac James was wounded so he escaped. Eggers was caught, tried and convicted in Christchurch. Executed at Lyttleton Goal on March 5th 1918 he was the last person hanged in the South Island."

Linking up with Skywatch Friday and Tom's Signs.

Dixon Park

In Greymouth central is this place, Dixon Park. At the entrance are War Memorial gates and pillars which were erected in 1922 to honour and commemorate former pupils and staff of the local school who paid the ultimate sacrifice in the First World War.

The band rotunda is a short walk away. It was built in 1910 and was used for musical performances and other public events until the 1930s. It was originally located at the intersection of Boundary Street and Mackey Streets (so in the shopping district) and later moved here where it permanently sits.

Linking up with Skywatch Friday and Tom's Signs.

Gold rush

Right smack bang in the middle of town is this small monument dedicated to Greymouth's gold rush history. 

In 1854 gold was discovered here in the Grey district which bought 29,000 diggers by ship and across mountain passes to Te Wai Pounamu (the place of Greenstone). Many never made it as floods and shipwrecks were frequent. Bodies washed up on the beach and in most cases many were recorded as unidentifiable. At that time the area was known as Mawhera Pa which was accepted by Maori who arrived here 1000 approx years ago. Storekeeper Reuben Waite sailed up the Grey River in 1864 with 70 gold prospectors and a contract to precure 40 tons of coal from further upstream. 3 million ounces of gold was extracted during the gold rush. Greymouth was one of the busiest ports in the country with the gold financing alot of the growth. Westland's coal fire the furnaces that industrialized New Zealand.

Linking up with Through my lens, Tuesday Treasures, My corner of the world and Wordless Wednesday.

Women's Centre

I do like seeing the little old buildings around town. This one which is so art deco in age and although it's good to see something of heritage I'm not sure what it's being used for now. Encouraging to see the little pansies and violets planted around the side and front though and it feels like Spring.

Linking up with Skywatch Friday, All Seasons and Tom's Signs.

Greymouth Signal Box

This little old vintage building sits at the bottom of town next to the Grey River. Built in 1904 it was heavily involved in the rail system in Greymouth which supported the coal trade. The signal box had 52 levels controlling the signals and shunting discs.

In it's heyday it controlled up to 50 trains per day as passengers and freight was taken between Christchurch, Otira, Reefton, Blackball, Rewanui and Ross. In the great flood of 1888 the signal box stood tall and dry but as more coal was moved via the roads the rail line to the wharf was closed.

Photo courtesy of the History House Museum showing the first express train in Greymouth.

In 2010 the floodwall next to the Grey River was raised and the signal box was moved by the trust and restored. btw there are only 5 signal boxes in all of New Zealand.

Here's now it looked in the 1960s - photo from Moe Bowe.

These days the signal box is used by a local art group - personally I'm thankful it's still there in good condition.

Linking up with Through my lens, Tuesday Treasures, My corner of the world and Wordless Wednesday.

Brunner Mine Disaster

 

About 15 minutes out of Greymouth is this historic site which once operated as the Brunner Mine and known as the country's most productive 19th century mine. It was a major producer of bricks and other clay products.

Across the bridge crossing the Grey River from the carpark is where the actual bricks were made.

This is one of the areas where the bricks were made. There were 5 kilns here in total and each one was able to make 2000-3000 bricks.

About 12 men and boys worked in these buildings, the clay dust would've been unbearable  with the only ventilation being through open windows in the mill building. Temperatures in Winter were below freezing - no insulation at all in winter while in summer those working in the sheds with it's underfloor heating really felt the heat. No human rights conditions in those days.

This is how the mining site would've looked back when it was in action - note the bridge on the other side shows this was taken from the hill which now has a road leading to the main highway looking behind the sheds. Photo by H. Yeadon 1880s - both mines were shut down in 1906 and 1908.

A memorial set up to remember those who died in a mass explosion on the site that ripped through the mine on 26th March 1896 killing 65 men, 53 are buried in a mass grave at nearby Stillwater Cemetery and 33 in a single grave each. Two men who were sent in to investigate were later found unconscious after inhaling black damp, a mixture of nitrogen and carbon dioxide. The official enquiry afterwards found the cause was a detonation of a charge in an area of the mine where no one should've been working. Some said that methane gas produced by coal had accumulated because of an ineffective ventilation system.

Photo from Te Ara showing the first bodies being taken out of the mine from.

 

The mass grave as it was being filled back in 1896. Photo from West Coast History.

The memorial and mass grave surrounded by Victorian iron railings as it looks today in such a peaceful quiet place in the country.

Linking up with Through my lens, Tuesday Treasures, My corner of the world and Wordless Wednesday.