Looking down an incline towards the Blackwater Mine buildings, Waiuta.

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DescriptionLooking down the incline towards the Blackwater Mine buildings, showing an unidentified man and boy (right foreground). Waiuta.

Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections 1370-272-2PhotographerNew Zealand Herald Map^[1]External LinkAuckland Library-Blackwater MineNZ History OnlineContributorHeather Newby

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Location (city or town)BlackwaterWaiutaOrganisation (eg business)Blackwater mineEventLooking down a bush tramway towards the Blackwater Mine buildings.

Category Information

Category TagGoldmining

From Facebook

Date Created30th September 2019CommentsKeith Funnell Heather Newby ... how politely expressed Heather. Very ballsy I’d say. We did a family visit to Waiuta on 14 Sept.... just getting up that road was dramatic enough I thought. Is this one of Joseph Divis’ photos, as I have not seen it previously

Heather Newby Keith Funnell Dad went to a dance in Waiuta in about 1949 and he was on the back of his mates motorbike, and they came to grief by a bridge on the road up.. Dad said it was a gravel(metal) road that wasnt good. He had a scar on his noise from that crash.

Heather Newby if you look at the external link in Recollect you will see the Auckland Libraries link...click on it.. and it says...Photographer
New Zealand Herald AND
Unknown......(maybe the "unknown" is Jo Divis,)

Heather Newby I wonder what is left there? is there any trace?

Keith Funnell Snowy River battery I assume. The Friends of Waiuta book “through the eyes of a miner - the photography of Joseph Divis” has a number of epic photos like this. I recon that is Divis standing at right on the photo, and probably taken Christmas Day when the mine and battery was closed. There are other photos taken that day of inside the battery. Have not seen this photo previously however.

Heather Newby thanks for the information.. so interesting.. I reckon you are right too/

Keith Funnell Heather Newby .. yes, Divis had a whole range of his glass plate photos published by Auckland-based news papers of the time, so quite likely his. He also wore distinctive hats like the gentleman pictured, and being a dark suit it makes me think of the images he photographed one Christmas Day, using the mine managers family as props so as to give perspective. He. Also included himself in many photos, so do think this is just like his work.

Robin Gibbens Great photo like to see then and now photo

Alec Birch This is the incline tram that was built in 1911 to solve the problem of getting supplies and materials between the mine site and the battery. it drops 400m, and worked on a counterbalance system, there's a photo taken just below where this one is taken on p8 of "Waiuta" including the bent phone pole.

Jim Staton Hi there, could we not call the Snowy battery incline an tramway please, tramways were hauled by a locomotive or tram, this is a self acting incline, ta

Mike Davie
Have just read a book about Waiuta, Through the eyes of a miner by Joseph Divis. Absolutely brilliant about the mine and town.

Nikki Smith
Mike Davie the book was about Josef Divis and it was written by Simon Nathan.

Geoff Roberts
Mike Davie Did you know the Campbell family that were in Murch had come from there??

Nikki Smith
Looking at the Snowy gold battery which was in the valley below the Blackwater shaft which was located in Waiuta itself.

Mari Walsh
How did they build or that! Amazing!

Caroline Dunlop
Mari Walsh Maybe had a look at the Denniston one.

Linda Harrison
Wow. What an incline!

Ken Duncan
spent a lot of time around Waiuta when training in the Army. little did we know about the cyanide or arsnic

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Looking down an incline towards the Blackwater Mine buildings, Waiuta.

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