Old Westland

A Story of the Golden West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand Known to the Maori as Te Wai Pounamu (The Waters (or place) of Greenstone)

by

E. IVEAGH LORD

With an Introduction by

Colonel The Honourable Mr. Justice Northcroft

D.S.O., V.D.

Old Westland is a Centennial Memorial sponsored by the Westland Provincial Organisation, and approved by the National Centennial Council, Wellington, New Zealand.

WHITCOMBE AND TOMBS LIMITED

AUCKLAND • WELLINGTON • CHRISTCHURCH • DUNEDIN • INVERCARGILL • LONDON • MELBOURNE • SYDNEY

DEDICATION

Old Westland is dedicated to the memory of my Father and Mother, Edward Iveagh and Ellen Lord, and to my Aunt Francis Trim—who lives among us yet. Pioneers of the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand, they saw Old Westland at the zenith of its golden glory—when in the years of its first decade it yielded over 3,000,000 ounces of gold—adding (when most needed) £12,000,000 to the wealth of the then infant Colony.

My people, in common with their fellow Pioneers, suffered many hardships and privations, of which they often told me, and in so doing inspired the writing of this work, wherein it has been my constant endeavour, to place upon permanent record, at least some of the wonderful achievements of the sterling men and women who pioneered Old Westland.

Greymouth,

Christmas, 1939.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The author, with a deep sense of appreciation, has pleasure in acknowledging the valuable and kindly assistance, so readily given during the preparation of this work, by the following gentlemen:

The late Mr. William Wilson of Hokitika, a student of West Coast History, who passed on shortly after the commencement of this story. Dr. William McKay, Greymouth, an outstanding authority on Old Westland, who, apart from supplying the most valuable and interesting data, has been most helpful in the compilation of this volume. Mr. Martin Nestor, Assistant Secretary, National Historical Committee, Wellington, who also placed at my disposal information of the greatest importance which has enabled me to correct many errors that had crept into the story of the Province. Mr. D. J. Evans, Honorary Secretary, Westland Provincial Centennial Council, Hokitika, who has been untiring in his efforts to procure records and photographs pertaining to Westland as it was in the beginning.

List of Illustrations
		Facing Page
Reproduction of Abel Janszoon Tasman’s Chart		1
The Mawhera Pa, Greymouth		8
Greymouth, 1866		9
Wrecks at Hokitika, 1865		64
Shipping at Hokitika, 1865		65
Napoleon Hill, Ahaura, Westland		128
Ross, a Notable Field		129
Canterbury-West Coast Road, 1866		144
The Camp, Hokitika, 1865		145
Westland’s First and Only Provincial Council		216
Digger on the Tramp		217
The Cage, Taramakau		256
Tainui Street, Greymouth, 1866		257

Contents
		Page
Introduction
Chapter I		1
	Maori Mythology—The Coming of Ngahue—Pounamu (Greenstone)—First Human Occupation—Maori Occupation.
Chapter II		13
	Tarapuhi—Werita Tainui—The Mawhera Pa—Abel Janszoon Tasman, 1642—Captain James Cook, 1770.
Chapter III		24
	Cook at Dusky Sound, 1773—First Shipment of Seal Skins, 1793—Sealing in Westland 116 Years Ago—Description of Westland.
Chapter IV		36
	The Pioneer Explorers, 1846–48—Thomas Brunner,F.R.G.S.—Charles Heaphy,V.C.—Sir William Fox—Brunner Traverses the Buller and part of Westland’s Coastline.
Chapter V		51
	Brunner at Mawhera Pa—Discovery of Brunner Coal Seam—Lake Brunner—Traverse of Inangahua—Brunner Seriously Ill—Heroic Struggle to Nelson.
Chapter VI		63
	Subsequent Explorers—The Oakes Expedition, 1857—James Mackay Explores Grey Valley—Harper and Locke Cross Southern Alps, 1857—]ames Mackay’s Second Visit, 1859—John Rochfort.
Chapter VII		77
	James Mackay Cuts Track from Roto-iti Plains to Grey River, 1860—Purchase of Native Lands—The Deed of Sale—Rent of Reserves Amounts to £424,000.
Chapter VIII		91
	Reuben Waite—The Existence of Gold Reported—The First Prospectors—£1,000 Reward for the Discovery of a Payable Goldfield—Henry Whitcombe—Death of Whitcombe.
Chapter IX		105
	Lauper Reaches Lake Brunner—Attempts to Reach Westland from Otago—The Caples and Pyke and Clarke Expeditions—Charles Townsend Reaches the Grey—Establishment of Depôt.
Chapter X		117
	Albert William Hunt, Stormy Petrel of the Goldfields—Sir Arthur Dudley Dobson—Discovery of Arthur’s Pass—Charles Townsend Drowned—End of 1863.
Chapter XI		130
	William Horton Revell—Death of Tarapuhi—Revell Instructed to Close Depôt—Revell Addresses Public Meeting, Cathedral Square, Christchurch—S.S. Nelson Arrives at the Grey.
Chapter XII		143
	Reuben Waite’s Story—First Shipment of Coal from Grey, July, 1864—Isaac Blake—Hudson and Price—First Police Reach Grey.
Chapter XIII		157
	Hudson Erects First Store at Hokitika—Rush to the Totara River—Spirit of the Diggers—G. O. Preshaw—“Banking Under Difficulties.”
Chapter XIV		170
	Preshaw’s Story—Greenstone—Tracy’s Shanty—Captain Leech Inspects Hokitka River—Rush to Six Mile (Waimea).
Chapter XV		183
	S.S. Nelson Arrives at Hokitika—The Christmas Party—Rush for Business Sites—Gold Everywhere—End of 1864.
Chapter XVI		196
	Superintendent Province of Nelson Drowned—“Charley the Packer”—Canterbury West Proclaimed a Goldfield—George Samuel Sale—The West Coast Road—Australian Invasion.
Chapter XVII		208
	Diggers Splendid Men—Westland’s First Born—Town of Greymouth Surveyed—First Church Service—Westland a Separate Province.
Chapter XVIII		220
	Richard John Seddon—Storekeeper-Politician-Premier—Albert Hunt, Will-of-the-Wisp of Goldfields—George Dobson Murdered—Close of Record Year: Gold to Value of over £2,000,000 won.
Chapter XIX		237
	Hokitika Wonder City—Bully Hayes—Greymouth Crescent City—Gentleman George—Chinaman’s Luck.
Chapter XX		248
	The Inangahua District—Reefton—Grey-Brunner Railway—Kumara—Moonlighters—End of Westland’s Golden Era—Conclusion.
L’envoi

Fold-out reproduction of Abel Janzoon Tasman's chart mapping the West Coast of New Zealand. Modern settlements of Greymouth, Hokitika, and Okarito have been added as well as Cape Foulwind and Mt Cook.

This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was first published outside the United States (and not published in the U.S. within 30 days), and it was first published before 1989 without complying with U.S. copyright formalities (renewal and/or copyright notice) and it was in the public domain in its home country on the URAA date (January 1, 1996 for most countries).

The longest-living author of this work died in 1941, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 83 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.

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