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A coal miner`s family, Buller region. ca.1945
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DescriptionScene outside a house, circa 1945 including an unidentified woman, a coal miner's wife. Shows her at her sewing machine, which is on a Bell Tea chest. A child plays at her feet. Washing is on a line, and ducks are in the foreground. A wicker pushchair can also be seen.
Ref: 1/2-115895-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. Photographer Photographer unidentified.Date of Photo1945Map[1] External LinkNational Library
Ref: 1/2-115895-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. Photographer Photographer unidentified.Date of Photo1945Map[1] External LinkNational Library
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Category TagCoal Mining
From Facebook
CommentsTheresa Gibson
Beaut photo but I beg to differ. That is a push chair, not a pram, and they are ducks, not geese.
Cheryl Hedley
Would have been a hard life, but maybe this lady would do it all over again if she has the chance, compared to the world we live In today
Karen Blanchfield
They did it tough. Great photo thanks.
Rosemary Matthews
Beautiful
Deb Ramage
So powerful.
Darryll Coxall
And some think they,ve got it tough today
June David Campbell
Amazing photo. A hard life but they took it in their stride. See the garden hoe so there must have been a veggie garden somewhere
Stuart McMillan
People these days would moan if they had to live there lives like that family
Lynne Brown
The old cane pushchair was same as I was pushed around in have a photo of it. Also love the safe hanging off the wall. Some younger people wouldn’t know what that is. Just love it.
Heather Newby
badge icon
Lynne Brown we had a safe in the back porch,, it was metal and green, Mum stored food in it.
Alexander Gray
looks like the old safe to keep things cool,hanging on the wall
Owen Winstanley
Alexander Gray Yes but the shadows indicate it was on the sunny side of the house. I doubt that was usual.
Bevan Pringle
No power toilet out side no rolls toilet paper may be news paper may be no car may be horse no supermarket no roads just grass tracks no lawns to mow would they have show maybe old tin bath etc etc love the photo
Tania Hawken
Such a fabulous photo with all the bits n Bob's in it to tell a story of days long gone
Betty Juranovich
Busy lady...
Stephen Dwyer
Bet they never cashed their pay cheques at Kiwibank
Ginny Corry
Stephen Dwyer that's a bit rough isn't it. They are going to loose a lot of business through their decisions.
Stephen Dwyer
Ginny Corry. I guess they have made their bed, Ginny. Let them lie in it.
Mary Moffitt
And I reckon that she would have cooked and done the washing outside. Where would she get the water? It is also possible that she took the washing to a creek nearby. My great grandmother had to haul the water out of a well.
Our small settlement at Stillwater had numerous wells to supply house-water when I was a child. Wells supplying water provided another danger for obvious reasons and also because they were very dangerous to dig.
Louise Blair
I would live that life in a heart beat. Love camping and living in the bush. Though I need my toilet paper. My arse hates Doc leaves
Susan Barlow
What an absolutely fantastic photograph! Real, real life!
Natalie Win
A petition may change their stance
Obviously the Kiwibank chairman Jon Hartley has a different take on the new climate change directive to the CEO Steve Jurkovich when Hartley also chairs Sky City Casinos and Kiwibank director Alistair Ryan is also con… See More
David Brown
What did you think of the picture?
Natalie Win
Sorry I got side tracked
Great to have that sort of photo to remind us of the past simple life Enjoyed the photo very much
Jessie Guy
That is a great photo but it sure does tell a whole lot of life at that time, but as Cheryl also said, 'she would do it all over again'. A true pioneer
Christine McNicol
Life was certainley hard back then How strong these people were
Geoff More
The fridge on the wall must be eco friendly.
Shona Ratana
Wow What a picture? Shows just how much work was required to keep those home fires burning away back then. Women had to be strong while men were away at work or war. A picture worth a thousand words. Thank you
Tony Mcgowan
a hero
Sandra Douglas
Tough life for men women &children ...my mother went thru it with 3 boys.
Sally Brake
What a fabulous image.
Kevin Voigt
thats a bell tea chest being as atableKevin Voigt
Kevin Voigt
2nd look a hand winde sewing machine the lady is working
Susan McEnroe
Kevin Voigt probably no electricity anyway.
Kevin Voigt
Shirley Arabin
life had not improved much over the past years for some of these isolated women.Kevin Voigt
thats a bell tea chest being as atable
Kevin Voigt
Kevin Voigt
2nd look a hand winde sewing machine the lady is working
Susan McEnroe
Kevin Voigt probably no electricity anyway.
Kevin Voigt
Shirley Arabin
life had not improved much over the past years for some of these isolated women.
Margaret Harrington
How our lives have changed
Bob Broadhurst
Cool photo
The ventilated "meat safe" on the outside wall too
Tina Taylor
Bob Broadhurst I wondered why the old safe at my son's house was on the north side. They kept glasses and cups in it. Turned out the house had been relocated from Granity or Seddonville in to Westport. Would've been on the South side originally.
Bob Broadhurst
Yeah i was going to add that they usually (always) on the shady side of the house, I remember my Grandparents one on the side of a shed next to the house
Sue Dando
Bob Broadhurst So did ours.
Bridget Ginley
Bob Broadhurst We had one of those in our old house in Runanga. It was deployed as a cat door.
Jessie Guy
Great photo and with a lot going on
Lois Strickland
I don't feel alive until I've had my cup Bell tea!!
Elizabeth Watson
well spotted the meat safe. The bucket was probably used to milk the cow. Kettle was probably boiled on a coal range. Oh how easy we have it now.
Veronique McLean
What a fantastic photo, keeping it real, thankyou for sharing
Colleen Yee
A lovely photo showing us how "living" used to be.
Tessa Daisy
Wow tough times, resilient people! Great pic.
Deb Smith
It's fastly frowned upon now to live similar ... tsk... hmmm Not even allowed to take refuge in a cave. A lot did back in the early days and onwards till recent times. Great photo!
Warren Chinn
Heck. She certainly has her ducks in a row
Lee-Anne Parore
Great snapshot of daily life, tea chests were so useful!?
Lorraine Neighbours
What an awesome photo.
Maree Lewis
I thank the Lord daily that I have a fridge, hot and cold water, and a flush loo!
Lesley Parker Butland
Same here
David Howe
And the meat safe on the side of the house.
Beaut photo but I beg to differ. That is a push chair, not a pram, and they are ducks, not geese.
Cheryl Hedley
Would have been a hard life, but maybe this lady would do it all over again if she has the chance, compared to the world we live In today
Karen Blanchfield
They did it tough. Great photo thanks.
Rosemary Matthews
Beautiful
Deb Ramage
So powerful.
Darryll Coxall
And some think they,ve got it tough today
June David Campbell
Amazing photo. A hard life but they took it in their stride. See the garden hoe so there must have been a veggie garden somewhere
Stuart McMillan
People these days would moan if they had to live there lives like that family
Lynne Brown
The old cane pushchair was same as I was pushed around in have a photo of it. Also love the safe hanging off the wall. Some younger people wouldn’t know what that is. Just love it.
Heather Newby
badge icon
Lynne Brown we had a safe in the back porch,, it was metal and green, Mum stored food in it.
Alexander Gray
looks like the old safe to keep things cool,hanging on the wall
Owen Winstanley
Alexander Gray Yes but the shadows indicate it was on the sunny side of the house. I doubt that was usual.
Bevan Pringle
No power toilet out side no rolls toilet paper may be news paper may be no car may be horse no supermarket no roads just grass tracks no lawns to mow would they have show maybe old tin bath etc etc love the photo
Tania Hawken
Such a fabulous photo with all the bits n Bob's in it to tell a story of days long gone
Betty Juranovich
Busy lady...
Stephen Dwyer
Bet they never cashed their pay cheques at Kiwibank
Ginny Corry
Stephen Dwyer that's a bit rough isn't it. They are going to loose a lot of business through their decisions.
Stephen Dwyer
Ginny Corry. I guess they have made their bed, Ginny. Let them lie in it.
Mary Moffitt
And I reckon that she would have cooked and done the washing outside. Where would she get the water? It is also possible that she took the washing to a creek nearby. My great grandmother had to haul the water out of a well.
Our small settlement at Stillwater had numerous wells to supply house-water when I was a child. Wells supplying water provided another danger for obvious reasons and also because they were very dangerous to dig.
Louise Blair
I would live that life in a heart beat. Love camping and living in the bush. Though I need my toilet paper. My arse hates Doc leaves
Susan Barlow
What an absolutely fantastic photograph! Real, real life!
Natalie Win
A petition may change their stance
Obviously the Kiwibank chairman Jon Hartley has a different take on the new climate change directive to the CEO Steve Jurkovich when Hartley also chairs Sky City Casinos and Kiwibank director Alistair Ryan is also con… See More
David Brown
What did you think of the picture?
Natalie Win
Sorry I got side tracked
Great to have that sort of photo to remind us of the past simple life Enjoyed the photo very much
Jessie Guy
That is a great photo but it sure does tell a whole lot of life at that time, but as Cheryl also said, 'she would do it all over again'. A true pioneer
Christine McNicol
Life was certainley hard back then How strong these people were
Geoff More
The fridge on the wall must be eco friendly.
Shona Ratana
Wow What a picture? Shows just how much work was required to keep those home fires burning away back then. Women had to be strong while men were away at work or war. A picture worth a thousand words. Thank you
Tony Mcgowan
a hero
Sandra Douglas
Tough life for men women &children ...my mother went thru it with 3 boys.
Sally Brake
What a fabulous image.
Kevin Voigt
thats a bell tea chest being as atableKevin Voigt
Kevin Voigt
2nd look a hand winde sewing machine the lady is working
Susan McEnroe
Kevin Voigt probably no electricity anyway.
Kevin Voigt
Shirley Arabin
life had not improved much over the past years for some of these isolated women.Kevin Voigt
thats a bell tea chest being as atable
Kevin Voigt
Kevin Voigt
2nd look a hand winde sewing machine the lady is working
Susan McEnroe
Kevin Voigt probably no electricity anyway.
Kevin Voigt
Shirley Arabin
life had not improved much over the past years for some of these isolated women.
Margaret Harrington
How our lives have changed
Bob Broadhurst
Cool photo
The ventilated "meat safe" on the outside wall too
Tina Taylor
Bob Broadhurst I wondered why the old safe at my son's house was on the north side. They kept glasses and cups in it. Turned out the house had been relocated from Granity or Seddonville in to Westport. Would've been on the South side originally.
Bob Broadhurst
Yeah i was going to add that they usually (always) on the shady side of the house, I remember my Grandparents one on the side of a shed next to the house
Sue Dando
Bob Broadhurst So did ours.
Bridget Ginley
Bob Broadhurst We had one of those in our old house in Runanga. It was deployed as a cat door.
Jessie Guy
Great photo and with a lot going on
Lois Strickland
I don't feel alive until I've had my cup Bell tea!!
Elizabeth Watson
well spotted the meat safe. The bucket was probably used to milk the cow. Kettle was probably boiled on a coal range. Oh how easy we have it now.
Veronique McLean
What a fantastic photo, keeping it real, thankyou for sharing
Colleen Yee
A lovely photo showing us how "living" used to be.
Tessa Daisy
Wow tough times, resilient people! Great pic.
Deb Smith
It's fastly frowned upon now to live similar ... tsk... hmmm Not even allowed to take refuge in a cave. A lot did back in the early days and onwards till recent times. Great photo!
Warren Chinn
Heck. She certainly has her ducks in a row
Lee-Anne Parore
Great snapshot of daily life, tea chests were so useful!?
Lorraine Neighbours
What an awesome photo.
Maree Lewis
I thank the Lord daily that I have a fridge, hot and cold water, and a flush loo!
Lesley Parker Butland
Same here
David Howe
And the meat safe on the side of the house.
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West Coast New Zealand History (19th Dec 2025). A coal miner`s family, Buller region. ca.1945. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 24th Apr 2026 23:41, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/15588