Totara River Timber Mill, Buller, 1 May 1954.

About this image

DescriptionTotara River Timber Mill, Buller, 1 May 1954.

Permission from Beth Browne to use this image of V C Browne & Son, Aerial Photograph Collection, New Zealand from Air 1932-1978.
Image: C41-102-42PhotographerV C Browne & SonDate of Photo1 May 1954Map^[1]ContributorMaye Dunn

Shown in this image

Location (city or town)Totara River

Category Information

Category TagForestry

From Facebook

Date Created4th October 2020CommentsDon Hutton
Hi Maye Dunn do you know where this was in relation to Punakaiki settlement? I was surveying up the Punakaiki River (aka Deadmans Creek) around 1957 but there was no mill up there, although logging trucks were commonly seen coming out of the bush on the south side of the river. GMCs.
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Maye Dunn
Yes Don Hutton it was just on the terrace, Greymouth side of the tearooms. It is now a carpark. It was definitely there in the 50's and 60's. Bill Fischer carted from there and The Mahuika boys worked there- Ben, Fred and Barney. Joe Gillman worked there for a time.

Don Hutton
I guess it couldn't be seen from the riverbed. The road we used only went a short distance on the gravel then we had to walk a couple of miles to the survey site. Land belonging to Freddie Kitchingham ex mayor of Greymouth was being surveyed as scenic reserve. It was a hell of a job in very thick bush and undergrowth on the steep slopes below the terraces as well as on the top.

Don Hutton
PS we stayed at your folks' pub at Barrytown while doing this job!

Maye Dunn
No you couldn't see it from the main road. As you came up the hill to the tearooms you had to turn off right on the corner.
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Phyllis Aberhart
Interesting
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Kevin Voigt
yes Maye so right i carted sawen timber for them when driving ruggs new mahuika boys well old bill fisher put me in drain on razor back when i was driving for andy hunter brighton coal bill was in a g m c he pulled me back on
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Don Hutton
Kevin Voigt Was Ashley Groom one of the drivers? He was doing contract work in those days to make money to buy motels.
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Barry Easton
I think that.mill was between Westport and Charleston
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Barry Easton
Not far from the little totara river
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Graham Moffitt
I agree with Barry. It looks more like the mill which was about a km on the Westport side of the Little Totara bridge. I believe it was powered by water which came from the terrace up on the Left hand side. The Little Totara ck would be down the bank on the R/H side of photo. The road in the background would be going up what was always called Shine's Hill.
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Alexander Gray
Little totara as no limestone cliff behind it, if it was in that carpark
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Don Hutton
The mill Maye Dunn is talking about was adjacent to the limestone terraces (on the left of the photo) which run a long way up both sides of the Punakaiki River. That's quite a distance from the Totara River Barry Easton, Graham Moffit.
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Jack Devine
Definitely the totara. Used to stop traffic so they could load trucks. You couldn’t do that in the middle of a state highway now
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Maye Dunn
I'll correct it if you absolutely sure..
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Jack Devine
Maye Dunn definitely, that is still the main highway, that photo is taken just north of mad mans road at the big totara river. The terrace on the left is the top of shineses between the two totara rivers.
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Maye Dunn
Jack Devine ok thanks

Bob Laing
I agree the Little Totara mill
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Brian Gillooly
YES it is the Mill along side the Totara River. Originally powered by a water from an old Gold mining race onto a pelton wheel. When the water race was damaged , I think from an earthquake A diesel engine was fitted and used until the Mill was closed, when Tauranga Bay Built a modern Mill closer to Westport
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Peter McKenzie
George Kelly worked here too. I'm sure Did would recognise it too. I walked the water sluice with Sid couple times.
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Bill Parlane
worked they some times we were the bush gang up little totara river

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Totara River Timber Mill, Buller, 1 May 1954.

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