Westport. 1870s.

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Description2013 population: 4,035
During exploration of remote parts of Nelson province in 1858, John Rochfort entered the Buller River from the sea in the cutter Supply, and showed that it could be used as a port. After gold was discovered in the middle reaches of the Buller River, a small trading settlement grew up on the eastern side of the river mouth. About 80 people lived there at the end of 1861, in a township known as Buller. The name Westport was proposed for the settlement by J. C. Richmond in 1863, apparently because of its similarity to Westport in County Mayo, Ireland. At the height of the gold rushes in 1867 the population grew to 1,500.

The discovery and mining of high-quality bituminous coal near Westport led to the progressive development and expansion of the port. Breakwaters confined the river to a defined channel, with a minimum depth of 4 metres at low tide. Until the railway through the lower Buller Gorge was completed in 1944, all coal was exported by sea.

Westport had a peak population of over 5,500 in the 1950s. It has gradually declined to just over 4,000.

Changing industries
Although the output of coal from the Buller coalfield has increased since 1990, the number of people employed in coal mining has declined. Almost all the coal is now transported out of the region by train.

In 2015 the largest employers were Solid Energy and the Holcim cement works, which manufactures cement at a plant near Cape Foulwind from local limestone and coal. Ships carrying cement were the main users of the port, although some of the cement was transported around the South Island by rail. In the early 2010s Solid Energy reduced staff numbers, while in 2015 Holcim announced that the works would close in two to three years.

ncreasing agricultural production
Westport is surrounded by flat land – a sequence of uplifted marine terraces formed during past inter-glacial periods. Although the land appeared suitable for agriculture to early settlers, iron layers (called iron pans) have produced sour, infertile soils, locally called pākihi (from a Māori word that originally meant open country). Hydraulic excavators have allowed the development of the technique of ‘flipping’, where the soil is dug to a depth of 2–3 metres, inverting and mixing it as well as breaking the iron pan to improve drainage. With the use of fertiliser, there was a substantial rise in dairy production, and large areas of previously abandoned land were farmed.

Carters Beach
Located on the western side of the Buller River, about 5 km from Westport, Carters Beach is the only sheltered sandy beach on the West Coast suitable for swimming. An 18-hole golf course and Westport airport are located nearby.

Cape Foulwind
On the coast, about 12 kilometres west of Westport, Cape Foulwind is a rocky headland jutting into the Tasman Sea. Granite was quarried here for the breakwaters that protect Westport harbour. A circular walkway goes past the lighthouse, and there is a seal colony at the southern end of the walkway, near Tauranga Bay.

Simon Nathan, 'West Coast places - Westport', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/west-coast-places/page-3 (accessed 25 February 2019)
Story by Simon Nathan, published 23 Feb 2009PhotographerBurton BrothersDate of Photo1870`sMap^[1]External LinkWESTPORT-TE ARAContributorHeather Newby

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Location (city or town)Westport

Category Information

Category TagGoldmining

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Westport. 1870s.

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