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Prosperous Days - a view of the old Brunner and Tyneside mines.ca.1864-76
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DescriptionBrunner, on the edge of the Grey River, became a ‘colonial outpost’ of Britain’s first industrial
revolution, supplying most of New Zealand’s fuel
and power in the form of coal.
The rich Brunner coal seam, named after explorer Thomas Brunner, was to become hugely important with British technology and labour making possible the large scale industrial activity at this site. While coal was king here, coke and fireclay products also
achieved high acclaim.Date of Photoca.1864-76Map[1] External LinkBrunner Mine,1864-1942.ContributorMary Moffitt
revolution, supplying most of New Zealand’s fuel
and power in the form of coal.
The rich Brunner coal seam, named after explorer Thomas Brunner, was to become hugely important with British technology and labour making possible the large scale industrial activity at this site. While coal was king here, coke and fireclay products also
achieved high acclaim.Date of Photoca.1864-76Map[1] External LinkBrunner Mine,1864-1942.ContributorMary Moffitt
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Category Information
Category TagCoal Mining
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CommentsDavid Wood Is that the same bridge we could still drive over in the 1970s?
Kyle Webster they did up its pretty much the same
Bruce Lightfoot Kyle Webster replicated but in treated pine.doesnt need to have the same load rating now
Mike Waghorne I wonder whether there were two entrances to the Tyneside mine. The vertical shaft was clearly just downriver from the bridge. But when we moved to Brunner in 1953 there was still a small Tyneside mine just upriver from the bridge. It had an incline entrance and was worked by a handful of men. As a kid, I was allowed, surely illegally, to go into the mine, even showing some visitors around. But it was so close to the river bank that once you went down ten or twenty metres the whole area was flooded. It was fascinating.
Mary Moffitt It would be a good to have a sketch map showing where the different mines were. I can think of about five in Brunner (settlement area) but don't ask me the names or to pinpoint them. I always get them mixed up. Then there are the others in the Brunner Borough. The larger area had a name Coaldale at one stage.
It was a fascinating place where the men won a lot of control of their world. Like Blackball the Brunner Miners provided all of the social amenities in the young community, including a doctor, but even more so.
I am thinking about the way this particular group of miners in Brunner provided the doctor free to the whole community, non-miners and children included, whereas in Blackball the doctor was paid for by one group of miners and got into trouble for treating members of another mining group. He had to treat those ones out of his own pocket, because he could not charge them or see them die.
I'm glad to have grown up in a community where everyone mattered, whether in the 'in-group' or not.Steph JF
Completely agree. No options,freedom in Nz of choice is no longer!
· Reply · 1h
Bob Laing
Interesting old photo
I agree with earlier comments. This is a very interesting history site. Let us keep it that way.
· Reply · 1h
Brian Steele
Now look at the GREENS they want to destroy our prosperity which was built on our natural resources hard work and sweat. This country has gone backwards
· Reply · 3h
Dennis Gibbs
Brian Steele no one wants coal.
· Reply · 2h
Brian Steele
Dennis Gibbs bullshit. It will come back
· Reply · 2h
Dennis Gibbs
Brian Steele good luck with that.
David Perry
badge icon
Dennis Gibbs How you gonna make iron and steel without coal?
John Stuart
Dennis Gibbs Huntly power station does!.Due to low lake levels Meridian is firing her up again.Pity they shut most of the mines eh?.Coal from Indonesia,what with their impeccable Green support.
Dean Hetherington
Brian Steele every word of that statement is utterly , completely false .
Marilyn Corson
Dennis Gibbs yes they do i burn coal as does many others
Paul Mcewen
I suggest you people that want to get rid of coal google Planet of the Humans, and watch it, might wake your stupid Green ideological theories and realise how much we rely on coal
Heather Newby
the World economic forum with their post covid plan"the Great Reset" of the world economy.. will be getting rid of coal altogether
https://www.weforum.org/.../end-fossil-fuel-subsidies.../
End fossil fuel subsidies and reset the economy - IMF head
WEFORUM.ORG
End fossil fuel subsidies and reset the economy - IMF head
End fossil fuel subsidies and reset the economy - IMF head
Brian Steele
Dennis Gibbs waste of time importing Indonesian coal which is a low quality when we have our own supplies that created work for New Zealanders
Jo E Nicol
Brian Steele it’s not the Greens it’s the market which was the reason for coal mining in the 1st place at the very least people will not have to work in a highly dangerous workplace underground to feed their families!
Brian Steele
We cant get enough Bio fuel in thi s country. And nor is it hot enough for what it is needed for. . I'll be burning coal for a long time yet. Your a very selfish negative person Dennis
Brian Steele
Jo E Nicol if it wasnt for the Greens poking their nose into the development of the pike mine that would have been open cast and producing now . And we wouldnt have lost all those miners
Brian Steele
Robin Gibbens agree
Heather Newby
Brian Steele open cast for Pike river was never an option because of the totally unsuitable topography of the location
Rhonda Glasson
I love seeing these old photos of places we lived by But please don’t make it a government issue We are all pissed of but at least we have history
Debbie Ansett
Fantastic picture
Kyle Webster they did up its pretty much the same
Bruce Lightfoot Kyle Webster replicated but in treated pine.doesnt need to have the same load rating now
Mike Waghorne I wonder whether there were two entrances to the Tyneside mine. The vertical shaft was clearly just downriver from the bridge. But when we moved to Brunner in 1953 there was still a small Tyneside mine just upriver from the bridge. It had an incline entrance and was worked by a handful of men. As a kid, I was allowed, surely illegally, to go into the mine, even showing some visitors around. But it was so close to the river bank that once you went down ten or twenty metres the whole area was flooded. It was fascinating.
Mary Moffitt It would be a good to have a sketch map showing where the different mines were. I can think of about five in Brunner (settlement area) but don't ask me the names or to pinpoint them. I always get them mixed up. Then there are the others in the Brunner Borough. The larger area had a name Coaldale at one stage.
It was a fascinating place where the men won a lot of control of their world. Like Blackball the Brunner Miners provided all of the social amenities in the young community, including a doctor, but even more so.
I am thinking about the way this particular group of miners in Brunner provided the doctor free to the whole community, non-miners and children included, whereas in Blackball the doctor was paid for by one group of miners and got into trouble for treating members of another mining group. He had to treat those ones out of his own pocket, because he could not charge them or see them die.
I'm glad to have grown up in a community where everyone mattered, whether in the 'in-group' or not.Steph JF
Completely agree. No options,freedom in Nz of choice is no longer!
· Reply · 1h
Bob Laing
Interesting old photo
I agree with earlier comments. This is a very interesting history site. Let us keep it that way.
· Reply · 1h
Brian Steele
Now look at the GREENS they want to destroy our prosperity which was built on our natural resources hard work and sweat. This country has gone backwards
· Reply · 3h
Dennis Gibbs
Brian Steele no one wants coal.
· Reply · 2h
Brian Steele
Dennis Gibbs bullshit. It will come back
· Reply · 2h
Dennis Gibbs
Brian Steele good luck with that.
David Perry
badge icon
Dennis Gibbs How you gonna make iron and steel without coal?
John Stuart
Dennis Gibbs Huntly power station does!.Due to low lake levels Meridian is firing her up again.Pity they shut most of the mines eh?.Coal from Indonesia,what with their impeccable Green support.
Dean Hetherington
Brian Steele every word of that statement is utterly , completely false .
Marilyn Corson
Dennis Gibbs yes they do i burn coal as does many others
Paul Mcewen
I suggest you people that want to get rid of coal google Planet of the Humans, and watch it, might wake your stupid Green ideological theories and realise how much we rely on coal
Heather Newby
the World economic forum with their post covid plan"the Great Reset" of the world economy.. will be getting rid of coal altogether
https://www.weforum.org/.../end-fossil-fuel-subsidies.../
End fossil fuel subsidies and reset the economy - IMF head
WEFORUM.ORG
End fossil fuel subsidies and reset the economy - IMF head
End fossil fuel subsidies and reset the economy - IMF head
Brian Steele
Dennis Gibbs waste of time importing Indonesian coal which is a low quality when we have our own supplies that created work for New Zealanders
Jo E Nicol
Brian Steele it’s not the Greens it’s the market which was the reason for coal mining in the 1st place at the very least people will not have to work in a highly dangerous workplace underground to feed their families!
Brian Steele
We cant get enough Bio fuel in thi s country. And nor is it hot enough for what it is needed for. . I'll be burning coal for a long time yet. Your a very selfish negative person Dennis
Brian Steele
Jo E Nicol if it wasnt for the Greens poking their nose into the development of the pike mine that would have been open cast and producing now . And we wouldnt have lost all those miners
Brian Steele
Robin Gibbens agree
Heather Newby
Brian Steele open cast for Pike river was never an option because of the totally unsuitable topography of the location
Rhonda Glasson
I love seeing these old photos of places we lived by But please don’t make it a government issue We are all pissed of but at least we have history
Debbie Ansett
Fantastic picture
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West Coast New Zealand History (10th Jun 2021). Prosperous Days - a view of the old Brunner and Tyneside mines.ca.1864-76. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 4th Apr 2026 02:32, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/17570