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Heavy machinery ready to build new road up into Mt Greenland, Ross. 1967.
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DescriptionNana Pop Detlaff.."When the convoy of mining vehicles came down from Auckland there was an on-going radio commentary about where they were! All very exciting! When they got to the Taramakau and Arahura one way river bridges they had to go across the river beds as they were too wide to fit on the bridges. They were financed by Auckland business people but most of the money was spent on "wasteful" things. The investors were shown handpicked, rich gold bearing quartz rocks which came from the Osmers family home in Ross. (H. Osmers was the mine manager of the Mt Greenland mine in the early days). These rich samples were crushed and assayed and the results were spectacular. That was the beginning of the Fitzpatrick era of mining on Mt Greenland. (See P89 "Goldtown" by P R. May)."Date of Photo1967Map[1]
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Location (city or town)RossEventHeavy machinery ready to build new road up into Mt Greenland, Ross. 1967.
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Category TagRoads
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Date Created14th September 2020CommentsPhil Millar
I remember RYAN Bros from Christchurch going over to Haast with there big machinery and trucks.
Wayne Thornton
Phil millar Ryan bros. Haven’t heard that name in years
Stuart McMillan
Big machinery alright
Malcolm Lutton
jack ryan died 12month ago over 90
Jenny Leach
Remember these trucks doing the road up to Mount Greenland
Bryan Eckhoff
They picked me up from westland high school and took me home to Ross funny me and Willie Grant were just talking about on the weekend
Sandra Douglas
Bryan Eckhoff so you & Bill started work with them at 16 cutting gorse with a slasher!
then they brought in dozer.
Bryan Eckhoff
Sandra Douglas yeah after all the hard work wss done
Peter Detlaff
They drank a lot we used to go to dump on Sunday and hundreds of bottles from sat night at the night club they built
Kevin Voigt
Peter Detlaff yeah they wer nt beer bottles pink champagne lol lol
Jenny Leach
Used to help there house maid Sally in the kitchen to do the cooking for the Fitzpatrick in the old catholic school house
Kevin Voigt
yeah the old convent turned old school into a nite club would put one in auckland to shame
Carrol Barnes - Baker
I remember that blue with stars for ceiling
Sandra Douglas
Ken Johnston
'Ze Good 'Ol Days....
Tony Shirley Watters
Yes Earl did own The Wayside .My folk were up Lu and Mick Gordon ,so Tony took dad out there for a drink as a surprise //,his parents were at our wedding.Nola was also living up here ,we were great friends. Earlthen went Nth to Cable Bay ,we had a holiday there .then he went to the Red Fox before going over to the B O Plenty .Dea Minehan
Julie Madigan how so we get this to Francie Win...that's Mitchell's house with uncle Rob's pub in the background ? Mary Wakefield Wayne Samuel Eagle
Mary Wakefield
Dea Minehan good skills cuz
Dea Minehan
Dea Minehan Viv Watson??
Dea Minehan
Nancy Phil
Nancy Phil
Dea Minehan thanks Dea, I saw this briefly the other day & forgot to go back & check it out. It was about a year after I’d left home.
Phil Olson
What is the trucking company. That looks like a Hino truck leading the convoy. Remember riding with my brother Murray in a Hino owned by Westland Transport when they were doing bush roads for Fletchers in the Arahura.
Bryan Eckhoff
Phil Olson it is a Hino owned by the mining company felt real special when they picked up high scool in hoki and took me through to Ross from memory i think it had 24 gears
Kevin Voigt
it wasnt a trucking co it a mining co U M I N C O
Sandra Douglas
Kevin Voigt did you go on the trip to Puke in the HINO for the booze up?
Kevin Voigt
went to manypub visits to puke thik i took commer bus to that one4 with 12 piss heads lol lol
Kevin Voigt
Ken Johnston
Bloody Good Customers..when patronizing the 'Hotel Empire'....Stan Johnton would vouch for that...RIP Dad...
Kevin Voigt
you not wrong there bloody good days loved every minute of my life there
Nana Pop Detlaff
When the convoy of mining vehicles came down from Auckland there was an on-going radio commentary about where they were! All very exciting! When they got to the Taramakau and Arahura one way river bridges they had to go across the river beds as they were too wide to fit on the bridges. They were financed by Auckland business people but most of the money was spent on "wasteful" things. The investors were shown handpicked, rich gold bearing quartz rocks which came from the Osmers family home in Ross. (H. Osmers was the mine manager of the Mt Greenland mine in the early days). These rich samples were crushed and assayed and the results were spectacular. That was the beginning of the Fitzpatrick era of mining on Mt Greenland. (See P89 "Goldtown" by P R. May).
very interesting.. thanks
Stuart McMillan
Nana Pop Detlaff thanks for that update
Kevin Voigt
so true nana and pop some of those bussenis people in auckland were pretty high up one was a crminal laywer they seen what old pat had and there eyes rolled like aold time cash register a lot more behind this con i meet alot of these share holders after they went bust at a meeting in a room in stans pub you should have seen there faces when i showed around kind regards
I remember RYAN Bros from Christchurch going over to Haast with there big machinery and trucks.
Wayne Thornton
Phil millar Ryan bros. Haven’t heard that name in years
Stuart McMillan
Big machinery alright
Malcolm Lutton
jack ryan died 12month ago over 90
Jenny Leach
Remember these trucks doing the road up to Mount Greenland
Bryan Eckhoff
They picked me up from westland high school and took me home to Ross funny me and Willie Grant were just talking about on the weekend
Sandra Douglas
Bryan Eckhoff so you & Bill started work with them at 16 cutting gorse with a slasher!
then they brought in dozer.
Bryan Eckhoff
Sandra Douglas yeah after all the hard work wss done
Peter Detlaff
They drank a lot we used to go to dump on Sunday and hundreds of bottles from sat night at the night club they built
Kevin Voigt
Peter Detlaff yeah they wer nt beer bottles pink champagne lol lol
Jenny Leach
Used to help there house maid Sally in the kitchen to do the cooking for the Fitzpatrick in the old catholic school house
Kevin Voigt
yeah the old convent turned old school into a nite club would put one in auckland to shame
Carrol Barnes - Baker
I remember that blue with stars for ceiling
Sandra Douglas
Ken Johnston
'Ze Good 'Ol Days....
Tony Shirley Watters
Yes Earl did own The Wayside .My folk were up Lu and Mick Gordon ,so Tony took dad out there for a drink as a surprise //,his parents were at our wedding.Nola was also living up here ,we were great friends. Earlthen went Nth to Cable Bay ,we had a holiday there .then he went to the Red Fox before going over to the B O Plenty .Dea Minehan
Julie Madigan how so we get this to Francie Win...that's Mitchell's house with uncle Rob's pub in the background ? Mary Wakefield Wayne Samuel Eagle
Mary Wakefield
Dea Minehan good skills cuz
Dea Minehan
Dea Minehan Viv Watson??
Dea Minehan
Nancy Phil
Nancy Phil
Dea Minehan thanks Dea, I saw this briefly the other day & forgot to go back & check it out. It was about a year after I’d left home.
Phil Olson
What is the trucking company. That looks like a Hino truck leading the convoy. Remember riding with my brother Murray in a Hino owned by Westland Transport when they were doing bush roads for Fletchers in the Arahura.
Bryan Eckhoff
Phil Olson it is a Hino owned by the mining company felt real special when they picked up high scool in hoki and took me through to Ross from memory i think it had 24 gears
Kevin Voigt
it wasnt a trucking co it a mining co U M I N C O
Sandra Douglas
Kevin Voigt did you go on the trip to Puke in the HINO for the booze up?
Kevin Voigt
went to manypub visits to puke thik i took commer bus to that one4 with 12 piss heads lol lol
Kevin Voigt
Ken Johnston
Bloody Good Customers..when patronizing the 'Hotel Empire'....Stan Johnton would vouch for that...RIP Dad...
Kevin Voigt
you not wrong there bloody good days loved every minute of my life there
Nana Pop Detlaff
When the convoy of mining vehicles came down from Auckland there was an on-going radio commentary about where they were! All very exciting! When they got to the Taramakau and Arahura one way river bridges they had to go across the river beds as they were too wide to fit on the bridges. They were financed by Auckland business people but most of the money was spent on "wasteful" things. The investors were shown handpicked, rich gold bearing quartz rocks which came from the Osmers family home in Ross. (H. Osmers was the mine manager of the Mt Greenland mine in the early days). These rich samples were crushed and assayed and the results were spectacular. That was the beginning of the Fitzpatrick era of mining on Mt Greenland. (See P89 "Goldtown" by P R. May).
very interesting.. thanks
Stuart McMillan
Nana Pop Detlaff thanks for that update
Kevin Voigt
so true nana and pop some of those bussenis people in auckland were pretty high up one was a crminal laywer they seen what old pat had and there eyes rolled like aold time cash register a lot more behind this con i meet alot of these share holders after they went bust at a meeting in a room in stans pub you should have seen there faces when i showed around kind regards
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West Coast New Zealand History (21st Sep 2020). Heavy machinery ready to build new road up into Mt Greenland, Ross. 1967.. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 13th Apr 2026 12:52, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/28429