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Biddy of Buller
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DescriptionFemale goldminers were an unusual phenomenon in nineteenth century New Zealand, and Bridget Goodwin was something of a legendary figure even in her own day.
Bridget Goodwin was born in Ireland,some time between 1802 and 1827. Her parents' names are unknown. She was unable to read or write. She mined first at Bendigo and Ballarat in Australia and then sailed for New Zealand, arriving at Nelson in the mid 1860s. She mined in the Collingwood area and then, after a long overland trek to the West Coast, in the vicinity of the Buller River.
There is some evidence that Bridget Goodwin and her companions settled in a hut not far from the Lyell township and mined close to Lyell in the 1880s and early 1890s. During this period the two men died. The man who survived longer is said to have been called 'Old Bill'. On the other hand, a poem entitled 'Biddy of the Buller', by the popular West Coast poet Hugh Smith, who moved from Ahaura to Reefton the year before Bridget Goodwin died, gives the name of her male companion as 'Jack'.
ContributorHeather NewbyDate of story eventsLate 1800sMap[1]
Bridget Goodwin was born in Ireland,some time between 1802 and 1827. Her parents' names are unknown. She was unable to read or write. She mined first at Bendigo and Ballarat in Australia and then sailed for New Zealand, arriving at Nelson in the mid 1860s. She mined in the Collingwood area and then, after a long overland trek to the West Coast, in the vicinity of the Buller River.
There is some evidence that Bridget Goodwin and her companions settled in a hut not far from the Lyell township and mined close to Lyell in the 1880s and early 1890s. During this period the two men died. The man who survived longer is said to have been called 'Old Bill'. On the other hand, a poem entitled 'Biddy of the Buller', by the popular West Coast poet Hugh Smith, who moved from Ahaura to Reefton the year before Bridget Goodwin died, gives the name of her male companion as 'Jack'.
ContributorHeather NewbyDate of story eventsLate 1800sMap[1] loading google map....
West Coast New Zealand History (10th May 2015). Biddy of Buller. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 23rd Aug 2026 23:09, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/1165