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Arrival of trucks at Lake Brunner Sawmills.
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DescriptionArrival of trucks at Lake Brunner Sawmills.Photographer Unidentified photographerMap[1] ContributorHeather Newby
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Location (city or town)Lake BrunnerLandmark (Place)Sawmill
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Category TagForestry
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LinkLake BrunnerCommentsJennifer Butt Where was the mill exactly?
1 May at 23:14 · Like
Roseanne Winstanley Owen here - There were two mills at Ruru. Without knowing the date of this photo it is hard to tell. The surrounds suggest that it could be the 'old' mill because there seems a greater area of land on the left of the photo than there was at the new mill. The new mill was very near where the kiln is still standing. The old mill was a hundred or so metres up the tram line, near the TeKinga road. But the log skid does look a bit like the new mill. There appears to be no winch on the log skid and the 'breaking down' area seems vastly different to how I remember the new mill. I don't remember the old mill working and I was born in 1948.
2 May at 11:43 · Edited · Like · 1
Bryce Smith I agree Owen. My heart leapt on seeing this but it seems different. There were no houses on the left, just skids to load the railway wagons. Also there was pathway on the right of the log skids where slabs were stacked for locals to collect as firewood. Note the small hut far left. I think that was Alfs office which in my time was situated on right side of the tracks overlooking sawn timber skids. So this is probably the earlier photo and the houses are the Ruru village opposite the school. I was there 1954 - 61 before transferring to Paroa, and left the Coast in 1963, but used Barry Dallas Bach most weekends.
2 May at 13:46 · Like
Roseanne Winstanley Owen again. Hi, Bryce. There were houses on the left of the mill but they were on the other side of the Otira/Greymouth (Midland) line. Redmond O'Brien, Wally Kerr, Percy Feary to name some of the families on that side. But the new mill was very close to the railway siding and there was no room for housing. However there is a building behind the mill in the photo which may/could be the kiln. In other words I am still a bit confused.
2 May at 14:05 · Like
Brett McLean Another photo of the Ruru Sawmill Bryce Smith,Roseanne Winstanley
Brett McLean's photo.
2 May at 16:04 · Like · 4
Bryce Smith The track to the right had to be wide enough for Molloys truck to back along to load the slab fire wood we had previously stacked.also I think the grade of logs pulled by the loci were thicker than those being milled in the 50 Yes Owen Kerrs lived opposite the school as did the Winstanleys. Fearys lived further towards Te Kings, opposite Southorns
2 May at 16:34 · Like · 1
Roseanne Winstanley Owen here. The new mill had a large workshop to the right as we look at it and the houses in the background make me think it is the old mill. But I am still confused by the small office to the left and the building partly obscured. Bryce, yes we did live opposite the school but so did almost everyone. Very few houses on the school side of the road. But the Kerrs and Percy Feary's shop were on the other side of the railway line, almost in the swamp. Feary's shop was almost opposite our house. Not sure who you are thinking about opposite Southorns, certainly not Feary's store. Fay Lemon lived in that group of houses and may be able to help.
2 May at 16:58 · Like
Bryce Smith Owen you are right. I was confused,thinking of the saw doctor- forgotten his name.is Fay Lemon still around? Her father Ted made some furniture for us. He also supplied me the necessaries to blow a hole for our septic tank.Those were the days !!!
3 May at 23:04 · Like
Roseanne Winstanley Owen here - Hi, Bryce, there is a contributor to this site with Fay Lemon in the name so I am assuming that is her. Fay's uncle Bill Hornby is probably the saw doctor you are thinking of, although Fay's father was also pretty handy, as he was at most things. Bill and his brother Dick lived in the last house (TeKinga end) in Ruru on the school side. Dick ran a small shop supplying mostly sweets, ice creams etc. I'll jog your memory even further. Next to the Lemons lived a family called Lansdowne, their two older children had the surname Moir; Suzanne (my class) and Lawrence.
4 May at 12:35 · Edited · Like
Bryce Smith Yes Margret was a lovely lass who stuck out her hand and caught a hard hit soft ball ! I can still see the shocked look on her face. Didn't the mayor Tony Kokshorn live with them ? Thanks, it was Bill I remembered.your father said Bill did not want me to strip my saw blade before I sent it up to him for sharpening - I did it wrong ! Do you remember Roy Straight ? Lived on lake side of tracks near Moana. His cow got loose on the tracks and was hit by a train. What a job to keep this quiet. Job at stake ! Al so often think about the Chamberlains. My first day there, Robert brought his pet baby opossum to school hidden under his shirt.
1 May at 23:14 · Like
Roseanne Winstanley Owen here - There were two mills at Ruru. Without knowing the date of this photo it is hard to tell. The surrounds suggest that it could be the 'old' mill because there seems a greater area of land on the left of the photo than there was at the new mill. The new mill was very near where the kiln is still standing. The old mill was a hundred or so metres up the tram line, near the TeKinga road. But the log skid does look a bit like the new mill. There appears to be no winch on the log skid and the 'breaking down' area seems vastly different to how I remember the new mill. I don't remember the old mill working and I was born in 1948.
2 May at 11:43 · Edited · Like · 1
Bryce Smith I agree Owen. My heart leapt on seeing this but it seems different. There were no houses on the left, just skids to load the railway wagons. Also there was pathway on the right of the log skids where slabs were stacked for locals to collect as firewood. Note the small hut far left. I think that was Alfs office which in my time was situated on right side of the tracks overlooking sawn timber skids. So this is probably the earlier photo and the houses are the Ruru village opposite the school. I was there 1954 - 61 before transferring to Paroa, and left the Coast in 1963, but used Barry Dallas Bach most weekends.
2 May at 13:46 · Like
Roseanne Winstanley Owen again. Hi, Bryce. There were houses on the left of the mill but they were on the other side of the Otira/Greymouth (Midland) line. Redmond O'Brien, Wally Kerr, Percy Feary to name some of the families on that side. But the new mill was very close to the railway siding and there was no room for housing. However there is a building behind the mill in the photo which may/could be the kiln. In other words I am still a bit confused.
2 May at 14:05 · Like
Brett McLean Another photo of the Ruru Sawmill Bryce Smith,Roseanne Winstanley
Brett McLean's photo.
2 May at 16:04 · Like · 4
Bryce Smith The track to the right had to be wide enough for Molloys truck to back along to load the slab fire wood we had previously stacked.also I think the grade of logs pulled by the loci were thicker than those being milled in the 50 Yes Owen Kerrs lived opposite the school as did the Winstanleys. Fearys lived further towards Te Kings, opposite Southorns
2 May at 16:34 · Like · 1
Roseanne Winstanley Owen here. The new mill had a large workshop to the right as we look at it and the houses in the background make me think it is the old mill. But I am still confused by the small office to the left and the building partly obscured. Bryce, yes we did live opposite the school but so did almost everyone. Very few houses on the school side of the road. But the Kerrs and Percy Feary's shop were on the other side of the railway line, almost in the swamp. Feary's shop was almost opposite our house. Not sure who you are thinking about opposite Southorns, certainly not Feary's store. Fay Lemon lived in that group of houses and may be able to help.
2 May at 16:58 · Like
Bryce Smith Owen you are right. I was confused,thinking of the saw doctor- forgotten his name.is Fay Lemon still around? Her father Ted made some furniture for us. He also supplied me the necessaries to blow a hole for our septic tank.Those were the days !!!
3 May at 23:04 · Like
Roseanne Winstanley Owen here - Hi, Bryce, there is a contributor to this site with Fay Lemon in the name so I am assuming that is her. Fay's uncle Bill Hornby is probably the saw doctor you are thinking of, although Fay's father was also pretty handy, as he was at most things. Bill and his brother Dick lived in the last house (TeKinga end) in Ruru on the school side. Dick ran a small shop supplying mostly sweets, ice creams etc. I'll jog your memory even further. Next to the Lemons lived a family called Lansdowne, their two older children had the surname Moir; Suzanne (my class) and Lawrence.
4 May at 12:35 · Edited · Like
Bryce Smith Yes Margret was a lovely lass who stuck out her hand and caught a hard hit soft ball ! I can still see the shocked look on her face. Didn't the mayor Tony Kokshorn live with them ? Thanks, it was Bill I remembered.your father said Bill did not want me to strip my saw blade before I sent it up to him for sharpening - I did it wrong ! Do you remember Roy Straight ? Lived on lake side of tracks near Moana. His cow got loose on the tracks and was hit by a train. What a job to keep this quiet. Job at stake ! Al so often think about the Chamberlains. My first day there, Robert brought his pet baby opossum to school hidden under his shirt.
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West Coast New Zealand History (30th Sep 2015). Arrival of trucks at Lake Brunner Sawmills.. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 10th Jun 2026 19:54, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/1185