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By: Alister MacPherson26th Dec 2023 3:30PMFurther to my earlier comments & after gleaning more information my Father Noel MacPherson (Totara Flat) took over from Bob MacDonald,when Bob passed away.Noel knew all those men,& often spoke of them.He often returned to the Coast to visit & catch up.

By: Alister MacPherson9th May 2023 8:18PMMy Father Noel MacPherson from Totara Flat worked on the dredge,he knew most of those names & often spoke of times in the Dredging industry.My Grandfather George McPherson did the test boring for the Slab Hut dredge but it sunk.

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Grey River Gold Dredge .1954. - ALBUM -

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DescriptionPaul Huffam.."They are all my photos and they were a young man’s snaps (I was 17 then) so the quality is pretty average."

The dredge was launched just by the Ikamatua Railway Station – late 1930s I think. The shift crew were the winchman,who controlled the dredge, plus two “greasers” – one forward and one aft. Sometimes gravel would choke the conveyer (stacker) and would spill over onto the deck; if not noticed the weight of the gravel would cause the stern to sink lower, so it was critical to keep watch on this area of the deck. It operated up the valley (Little Grey River) and to within a quarter of a mile of our family home, and the agonising, screeching, groaning, graunching sounds that it generated is an abiding memory.

If the dredge stopped, for instance to enable the winchman to clear a log from the bucket ladder, the silence was immediately noticed. Dad (Blake Sr.) and my oldest brother Blake both worked shifts on it as winchmen for several years during which young Blake was inspired to build a model in Meccano, he also studied for and gained his Dredge Master’s Certificate there.

The dredge continued working up the valley by Waimunga, towards Blackwater then came back to her final place across the road from the electrical sub-station at the Waiuta/Blackwater turn off from the road (SH 7) to Reefton. George Tibbles was the Dredge Master and some of the other men on the dredge I recall were Bob McDonald the highly skilled welder, (a full time job keeping bucket lips in good order), Duncan McRae, Snowy Flynn, truck driver, Tuki Tainui, Hec Steel driver of the truck to transport the men,Eric Bradley, Charlie Collier the electrician, Andy Nolan the bulldozer contractor who cleared the land in front of the dredge. About 3 dozen people I think were employed by the Company.

My own close connection with the dredge is that often I would take a hot meal to Dad or Blake when they were on the afternoon 4pm – midnight shift. Sometimes I’d take the .22 rifle and occasionally get an opossum – the searchlight on the dredge (which was there for far more important purposes) was very helpful in finding them in the trees nearby.

PhotographerPaul HuffamDate of Photo1950`sMap^[1]ContributorPaul Huffam

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Location (city or town)IkamatuaBlackwaterReeftonPersonBob McDonaldCharlie CollierAndy NolanTuki Tainui George TibblesDuncan McRaeSnowy FlynnEric BradleyOrganisation (eg business)Grey River Gold Dredge EventGrey River Gold Dredge .1950`s.

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Category TagGoldmining

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Date Created3rd December 2019CommentsPaul Huffam I think it was Eric Bradley ,not Roy.

Grant McAlpine Good photos Paul. My Dad worked on the dredge in1941 when I was at school at Totara Flat and Ikamatua.

Trevor Wylde Grant McAlpine Your name rings a bell. Did you go to ChChBHS?? We shifted from Ikamatua Xmas 1941 went to Kopara

Grant McAlpine Yes Trevor, we spoke of this a year or so ago and you said that you came to Nelson sometimes. Give me a call if you do. I am in phone book.

Dennis Gibbs Couple of familiar names. Hec drove the school bus until Judy Hampton took over. I was teaching at Ikamatua from 1974 - 77. Hi to all the others I knew.

Warner Nut Curry Blimn amazing Paul thanks very much sharing,

Lois Iacoppi I remember playing on an abandoned dredge at the bottom of Blackball hill

Lynne Brown We used to play when I was staying at Hollings on the dredge at Redjacks, such fun we had was surrounded by murky water but there were never any accidents, couldn't do that nowdays too risky ACC!!!!!! what a load of codswallop, we learned to look after…See More

Jean Wilson does anyone know the names of the men who worked on the Kumara dredge in the 60s?

Colleen Hoggarth Paul Huffam Jack Didham was the greaser. He bought our home after the Inangahua Earthquake. Betty McCrae was a huge help to us when my mother - Elaine Morrissey- died. Neighbours of Ernie and Jean Wilson
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Paul Huffam Colleen Hoggarth lovely to hear that. I well recall Ernie Wilson. Such a lot of nice recollections these past few days.
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Colleen Hoggarth Paul Huffam Ernie and Jean were such great genuine people. Much sadness when their son Robert passed away this year. A brilliant gentle soul

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