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Blaketown Tiphead looking towards Greymouth.
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Description This photo shows the original rail line to the South Tip which came down behind the buildings in Gresson Street.This line was later routed via Preston Road to enable heavier rocks to be transported. This old bridge then became the well used Blaketown footbridge.
Courtesy of Alexander Turnbull Library.
Map[1]
Courtesy of Alexander Turnbull Library.
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Location (city or town)GreymouthLandmark (Place)Greymouth WharfEventBlaketown Tiphead looking towards Greymouth.
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LinkWest Coast NZ History FacebookCommentsBruce Tones Looks like the blaketown lagoon, heather. And the old footbridge, used to whitebait on those rocks just passed the old yacht club
Kerry Keating Obviously building a bridge, but where? It looks like it's where the foot bridge was from the wharf to Blaketown, of course, prior to the pedestrian bridge.
Laura Mills Detlaff Rail bridge to take rock to the tip ...? Can see tracks coming off it?
Heather Newby They did have a rail line taking those big blocks to make the Blaketown tiphead.. maybe after it was finished they took the bridge down and replaced it with the swingbridge so the fishing boats could go into the lagoon.
Zody Neil William They took the rocks via steer ave bridge.
Laura Mills Detlaff The lagoon entrance was widened at some stage I think ...
Peter Toal Building the blaketown tip train tracks for moving the rock.. What a great photo
Zody Neil William Looks more like the crossing towards Preston road that led to Blaketown, flood wall there now. Where the dry dock is.
Laura Mills Detlaff there was talk of removing the first bridge in the war years ..http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d...
Papers Past — Grey River Argus — 5 October 1916 — Grey River Argus. and Blackball News
PAPERSPAST.NATLIB.GOVT.NZ
Heather Newby Interesting! The swingbridge was always there when I was growing up and it would be raised up for any fishing boat that wanted to come in.
Kerry Keating They took the walk bridge out so the fishing boats could access the lagoon. Prior to that they tied up near the big rock.
Zody Neil William It led into lake eru Moana. Later filled and Now messenger park
Laura Mills Detlaff Is this it?? http://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/3627
Old Blaketown Lagoon and bridge
Location (city or town): Blaketown | Contributor: Kevin Gwatkin | Read the full record details for Photograph:…
WESTCOAST.RECOLLECT.CO.NZ
Bruce Tones
Bruce Tones A few years later, the railway went past victoria park, up over preston road and over the old car bridge, just north of steere av, down to the tip head
Laura Mills Detlaff What a lot of history in one photo
Bruce Tones That came later, zody
Heather Newby The lagoon that was where Messenger Park is now.. never did have fishing boats.. there was a bridge there where Steer Ave is now. The fishing boats were in the first part of the lagoon.... the lagoon that is still left.
Zody Neil William There's no boats in the photo
Kerry Keating They were moored near the big rock back then Zody. Floods forced the removal of the pedestrian bridge. That's when they tied up where they do now.
Bruce Tones Wouldn't think there were many fishing boats way back in those days, zody
Like · Reply · October 8 at 10:05pm
Zody Neil William Yes parallel to steer ave I beleive.
Bruce Tones Kerry, the floods didnt cause the removal of the foot bridge, it was getting beyond repair and too costly to repair
Kerry Keating No Bruce, the floods made it to dangerous for the boats to be where they were, thus the need to shift the mooring place. The Melva s was one that was lost that way.
Jack Devine The melva s was sunk in hawkes bay in the 80s. Hit by another trawler that was coming alongside for something.
Kerry Keating Difference of opinion Jack. The Melva S was moored just down from the big rock. A big flow was on which snapped the rope and sent her over the bar. She was washed up on the beach. That was in the 60s. You might be thinking of another boat which had a similar name.
Jack Devine My father andy skippered melva s in greymouth and i went with him when the boat was sold to eddie nickelson of napier. Worst trip i have ever had around the spit. She is also listed in nz shipwrecks. You must be mistaken, or else she was rebuilt if she is the one that let go in the river
Kerry Keating The Melva S I was referring to was lost in the 60s, you mentioned the you were thinking of was in the 80s. Obviously we are thinking of different vessels. As the one on my mind was lost, they may have used the same name on a new vessel, which is the one on your mind. You reckon that sounds logical?
Jack Devine The one i am talking about is on westcoast recollect under shipping. Greymouth
Jack Devine Just counted the years, we delivered melver s to nelson for eddie to pick up it was closer to 1978
Kerry Keating The newer one, being built in Greymouth, would have been registered there,which is why it had the Grey connection.
Bruce Tones Wrong kerry, no flowing water in the lagoon mate
Kerry Keating This was when they were moored near the big rock in the main river, you remember, where the wooden wharf ended and the rocks started.
Bruce Tones Ok, kerry. Thought we were talking about the wharf near the foot bridge in the first pic
Like · Reply · October 8 at 10:21pm
Kerry Keating That came later Tonesy.
Tony Kokshoorn It,s off Collins St.At Lagoon entrance. It was converted into a foot bridge.
Kerry Keating I'll go with that Koko.
Bruce Tones They had fishing boats in the lagood yrs ago kerry, and on the town side they used to lift the narrow part of the bridge with a crane, I have seen that. Later, they built a new one that was dragged back with a winch
Kerry Keating I clearly remember the fishing fleet tied up in the main river. The Melva s broke her moorings by the flooded river.
Murry McKendry Near where the yatch club was so probably the line out to the tip head for the harbour bd. to carry rocks to extend the south tip
s
Bruce Tones Yes, kerry, they did, but that was after they were unloaded and there was no more room in the lagoon to tie up
Zody Neil William
Zody Neil William You think the bridge joined that gravel spit, bottom left?
Heather Newby The bridge would have originally been built to transport fill and rocks to make up the Blaketown tip head.
Murry McKendry That will be right Zody.
Kerry Keating The Blaketown end of the bridge would have been about there Zody.
Bruce Tones Close enough, zody, but gravel bank wasnt there when I left blaketown in 2003
Zody Neil William The trussed midsection has been removed in your photo Tony? I was thinking it was the bridge visible in the background, where the dry dock, steer ave is now. I'm not 100% yet. More proof needed.. superb photo by the way.
Bruce Tones Nowhere near steere av, zody. Thought u knew greymouth and blaketown
Alan Messenger I distinctly remember being able to walk along a bridge and railway line from the fisherman's wharf area to Preston Road ( the small hill before the fir trees).
Bruce Tones Yes ur right, alan, opposite the raceway, did that myself. And the one that was behind the gym
Zody Neil William Apparently that bridge was only ever for light traffic, not for taking railcars of rocks to build the tip head. Could only leave the steer ave bridge. Just out of this photo.
Merv Burrell It did have a section that moved out of the way so the fishing boats could go through. If I remember right!
Mary Fenemor Great photos. I walked over that bridge (and rode a bike,some times) So many times, (living In Packers Quay) as on Friday nites, didn't Mind it, as always brought Fish & Chips back with Us , for Tea , on return!
Dave Bj Henderson yep the old fish&chip run,done many times back to 42 doyle st.then put them in the oven.
Graham Messenger Just to clarify the location of the old rail line to the tip. It is the one that is in middle of the Blaketown photo above. It ran across from the end of the wharf and crossed the lagoon downstream of the Victoria Park bridge (as in the first photo)
Graham Messenger The old swing bridge was only ever a foot-bridge (in the photo with the fishing boats).
Zody Neil William This is the steer ave crossing getting repaired many years after it was built. Looking west.
Graham Messenger For many years you could see the piles from the old rail bridge about 200 metres down stream from the Victoria Park road bridge. However in looking again at Heather's photo I wonder if that is the old Steer Ave bridge before they converted it to a road bridge (photo taken near the old kid's park and the bowling club?)
Zody Neil William See it has a curve in the stop bank approach just like Heathers photo at the top. Also there is no wharf at the eastern end of heathers photo hence why I thought it must be the steer ave crossing. It was later encased in the flood wall that runs alongside Steer Ave. road today. Nothing wrong with a friendly debate!
Graham Messenger Zody Neil William - I think you are right. I don't think there is any sign of any of that line any more except the remnants along the tiphead.
Alan Messenger When we were kids we used to fish from the bridge you are thinking of Graham. It had a railway line that crossed the line by Curtis's house and finished up behind the fir trees
Graham Messenger Alan - I remember the bridge piles by the fir trees. There also used to be concrete fireplace foundations in the lagoon by the fir trees - I always presumed there must have been a building there at some time. That all went when they built the new bridge.
Alan Messenger There was another small rail bridge about 100 metres from the fir trees
Bruce Tones Yes, there was, alan it was behind fat max's gym and the new sewage plant. I have even walked over it
Zody Neil William More photographic evidence for it being the Steer Ave crossing is the power pole in Heathers photo, and the power pole in this photo of Steer Ave Bridge.
Alan Messenger I'm with Bruce on this one. Actually there were a few small bridges with railway lines around the lagoon area and I don't think the one in the photo is either the main Blaketown bridge or the one replaced by the 'swing bridge'.
Zody Neil William I went down and checked with the hills and piles, it's not steer ave crossing please accept my apologies! No drama
Bruce Tones Alan, the steere av bridge was rebuilt with a footpath added on the north side and the railway lines were where the cars were. I never saw a train go to the tiphead, but have seen the old grey steam crane go there
Graham Messenger Don't forget that the current Steer Av is build over the old pipeline which was south of the old bridge so the location of the old bridge is now under the landfill.
Heather Newby I used to fish for cockabillies off the old pipeline across the road from Bourkes garage.
Kerry Keating Obviously building a bridge, but where? It looks like it's where the foot bridge was from the wharf to Blaketown, of course, prior to the pedestrian bridge.
Laura Mills Detlaff Rail bridge to take rock to the tip ...? Can see tracks coming off it?
Heather Newby They did have a rail line taking those big blocks to make the Blaketown tiphead.. maybe after it was finished they took the bridge down and replaced it with the swingbridge so the fishing boats could go into the lagoon.
Zody Neil William They took the rocks via steer ave bridge.
Laura Mills Detlaff The lagoon entrance was widened at some stage I think ...
Peter Toal Building the blaketown tip train tracks for moving the rock.. What a great photo
Zody Neil William Looks more like the crossing towards Preston road that led to Blaketown, flood wall there now. Where the dry dock is.
Laura Mills Detlaff there was talk of removing the first bridge in the war years ..http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d...
Papers Past — Grey River Argus — 5 October 1916 — Grey River Argus. and Blackball News
PAPERSPAST.NATLIB.GOVT.NZ
Heather Newby Interesting! The swingbridge was always there when I was growing up and it would be raised up for any fishing boat that wanted to come in.
Kerry Keating They took the walk bridge out so the fishing boats could access the lagoon. Prior to that they tied up near the big rock.
Zody Neil William It led into lake eru Moana. Later filled and Now messenger park
Laura Mills Detlaff Is this it?? http://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/3627
Old Blaketown Lagoon and bridge
Location (city or town): Blaketown | Contributor: Kevin Gwatkin | Read the full record details for Photograph:…
WESTCOAST.RECOLLECT.CO.NZ
Bruce Tones
Bruce Tones A few years later, the railway went past victoria park, up over preston road and over the old car bridge, just north of steere av, down to the tip head
Laura Mills Detlaff What a lot of history in one photo
Bruce Tones That came later, zody
Heather Newby The lagoon that was where Messenger Park is now.. never did have fishing boats.. there was a bridge there where Steer Ave is now. The fishing boats were in the first part of the lagoon.... the lagoon that is still left.
Zody Neil William There's no boats in the photo
Kerry Keating They were moored near the big rock back then Zody. Floods forced the removal of the pedestrian bridge. That's when they tied up where they do now.
Bruce Tones Wouldn't think there were many fishing boats way back in those days, zody
Like · Reply · October 8 at 10:05pm
Zody Neil William Yes parallel to steer ave I beleive.
Bruce Tones Kerry, the floods didnt cause the removal of the foot bridge, it was getting beyond repair and too costly to repair
Kerry Keating No Bruce, the floods made it to dangerous for the boats to be where they were, thus the need to shift the mooring place. The Melva s was one that was lost that way.
Jack Devine The melva s was sunk in hawkes bay in the 80s. Hit by another trawler that was coming alongside for something.
Kerry Keating Difference of opinion Jack. The Melva S was moored just down from the big rock. A big flow was on which snapped the rope and sent her over the bar. She was washed up on the beach. That was in the 60s. You might be thinking of another boat which had a similar name.
Jack Devine My father andy skippered melva s in greymouth and i went with him when the boat was sold to eddie nickelson of napier. Worst trip i have ever had around the spit. She is also listed in nz shipwrecks. You must be mistaken, or else she was rebuilt if she is the one that let go in the river
Kerry Keating The Melva S I was referring to was lost in the 60s, you mentioned the you were thinking of was in the 80s. Obviously we are thinking of different vessels. As the one on my mind was lost, they may have used the same name on a new vessel, which is the one on your mind. You reckon that sounds logical?
Jack Devine The one i am talking about is on westcoast recollect under shipping. Greymouth
Jack Devine Just counted the years, we delivered melver s to nelson for eddie to pick up it was closer to 1978
Kerry Keating The newer one, being built in Greymouth, would have been registered there,which is why it had the Grey connection.
Bruce Tones Wrong kerry, no flowing water in the lagoon mate
Kerry Keating This was when they were moored near the big rock in the main river, you remember, where the wooden wharf ended and the rocks started.
Bruce Tones Ok, kerry. Thought we were talking about the wharf near the foot bridge in the first pic
Like · Reply · October 8 at 10:21pm
Kerry Keating That came later Tonesy.
Tony Kokshoorn It,s off Collins St.At Lagoon entrance. It was converted into a foot bridge.
Kerry Keating I'll go with that Koko.
Bruce Tones They had fishing boats in the lagood yrs ago kerry, and on the town side they used to lift the narrow part of the bridge with a crane, I have seen that. Later, they built a new one that was dragged back with a winch
Kerry Keating I clearly remember the fishing fleet tied up in the main river. The Melva s broke her moorings by the flooded river.
Murry McKendry Near where the yatch club was so probably the line out to the tip head for the harbour bd. to carry rocks to extend the south tip
s
Bruce Tones Yes, kerry, they did, but that was after they were unloaded and there was no more room in the lagoon to tie up
Zody Neil William
Zody Neil William You think the bridge joined that gravel spit, bottom left?
Heather Newby The bridge would have originally been built to transport fill and rocks to make up the Blaketown tip head.
Murry McKendry That will be right Zody.
Kerry Keating The Blaketown end of the bridge would have been about there Zody.
Bruce Tones Close enough, zody, but gravel bank wasnt there when I left blaketown in 2003
Zody Neil William The trussed midsection has been removed in your photo Tony? I was thinking it was the bridge visible in the background, where the dry dock, steer ave is now. I'm not 100% yet. More proof needed.. superb photo by the way.
Bruce Tones Nowhere near steere av, zody. Thought u knew greymouth and blaketown
Alan Messenger I distinctly remember being able to walk along a bridge and railway line from the fisherman's wharf area to Preston Road ( the small hill before the fir trees).
Bruce Tones Yes ur right, alan, opposite the raceway, did that myself. And the one that was behind the gym
Zody Neil William Apparently that bridge was only ever for light traffic, not for taking railcars of rocks to build the tip head. Could only leave the steer ave bridge. Just out of this photo.
Merv Burrell It did have a section that moved out of the way so the fishing boats could go through. If I remember right!
Mary Fenemor Great photos. I walked over that bridge (and rode a bike,some times) So many times, (living In Packers Quay) as on Friday nites, didn't Mind it, as always brought Fish & Chips back with Us , for Tea , on return!
Dave Bj Henderson yep the old fish&chip run,done many times back to 42 doyle st.then put them in the oven.
Graham Messenger Just to clarify the location of the old rail line to the tip. It is the one that is in middle of the Blaketown photo above. It ran across from the end of the wharf and crossed the lagoon downstream of the Victoria Park bridge (as in the first photo)
Graham Messenger The old swing bridge was only ever a foot-bridge (in the photo with the fishing boats).
Zody Neil William This is the steer ave crossing getting repaired many years after it was built. Looking west.
Graham Messenger For many years you could see the piles from the old rail bridge about 200 metres down stream from the Victoria Park road bridge. However in looking again at Heather's photo I wonder if that is the old Steer Ave bridge before they converted it to a road bridge (photo taken near the old kid's park and the bowling club?)
Zody Neil William See it has a curve in the stop bank approach just like Heathers photo at the top. Also there is no wharf at the eastern end of heathers photo hence why I thought it must be the steer ave crossing. It was later encased in the flood wall that runs alongside Steer Ave. road today. Nothing wrong with a friendly debate!
Graham Messenger Zody Neil William - I think you are right. I don't think there is any sign of any of that line any more except the remnants along the tiphead.
Alan Messenger When we were kids we used to fish from the bridge you are thinking of Graham. It had a railway line that crossed the line by Curtis's house and finished up behind the fir trees
Graham Messenger Alan - I remember the bridge piles by the fir trees. There also used to be concrete fireplace foundations in the lagoon by the fir trees - I always presumed there must have been a building there at some time. That all went when they built the new bridge.
Alan Messenger There was another small rail bridge about 100 metres from the fir trees
Bruce Tones Yes, there was, alan it was behind fat max's gym and the new sewage plant. I have even walked over it
Zody Neil William More photographic evidence for it being the Steer Ave crossing is the power pole in Heathers photo, and the power pole in this photo of Steer Ave Bridge.
Alan Messenger I'm with Bruce on this one. Actually there were a few small bridges with railway lines around the lagoon area and I don't think the one in the photo is either the main Blaketown bridge or the one replaced by the 'swing bridge'.
Zody Neil William I went down and checked with the hills and piles, it's not steer ave crossing please accept my apologies! No drama
Bruce Tones Alan, the steere av bridge was rebuilt with a footpath added on the north side and the railway lines were where the cars were. I never saw a train go to the tiphead, but have seen the old grey steam crane go there
Graham Messenger Don't forget that the current Steer Av is build over the old pipeline which was south of the old bridge so the location of the old bridge is now under the landfill.
Heather Newby I used to fish for cockabillies off the old pipeline across the road from Bourkes garage.
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West Coast New Zealand History (24th May 2020). Blaketown Tiphead looking towards Greymouth.. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 5th Jun 2026 12:07, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/13424