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Coal wagons, Greymouth Wharf. 1960's.
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DescriptionCoal wagons,Greymouth Wharf, 1960's.
Shared with permission from Beth Browne for V C Browne & Son.
Image:PB0032-10PhotographerV C Browne & SonDate of Photo1960Map[1] ContributorMaye Dunn
Shared with permission from Beth Browne for V C Browne & Son.
Image:PB0032-10PhotographerV C Browne & SonDate of Photo1960Map[1] ContributorMaye Dunn
Shown in this image
Location (city or town)GreymouthLandmark (Place)Greymouth WharfEventCoal wagons,Greymouth Wharf, 1960's.
Category Information
Category TagCoal Mining
From Facebook
Date Created5th October 2020CommentsFrank ODonnell
I used to play on them when I was a kid and get very black
Lawrence Boul
A query on the date: The VC Browne site lists it as '60s'.
Maye Dunn
Just checked back..you're right I'll change it..my mistake.
Brian McIntyre
Seen it nearly as busy as that in the early 50s
Kevin Voigt
It will come again
Jack Pittaway
I don’t think so, small independent mines are all that is left now.
Garry Cooke
I don't think so as well, the world isn't buying coal anymore, India does for coke, some steel mills use it. Over here in Oz the mines are hard out trying to promote the stuff for electrical production, but solar is catching on fast, as with windpower, the day of fossil fuels is nearing it's end, and when you look at it, coal and oil has had a fair run of it, but electric is the new fuel of the future. I have an electric bike that does 17kph and a range of 50k, that's enough for shopping, Dr's, hospital, train and even down the waterfront fishing. No registration, a good saving and they use bugger all power to charge, yes sorry but coal's on it's way out. Unless they can use it more efficantly and cleanly, pollution has made it's mark on the younger generation and they are our next leaders.
·
Ryan Gibbs
Its still there. The Westcoast still produces more coal than it did back "When Coal Was King"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mining_in_New_Zealand...
Kerry Wildermoth
Garry Cooke agree that pollution is at the forefront of young people's thinking, efficiency and cleaner energy is important. Science and technology is finding all manner of ways to reduce the impact on the environment of fossil fuels. Battery's are also a potential major pollutant and already the production is having a impact by increasing mining for materials and the extra transport, also recycling is a major problem. The life of so called green energy options is not infinite, now we have big corporations making millions pushing this agenda.
Roger Strong
Garry Cooke Coal is already able to be used more cleanly and efficiently-solar and wind power only work under certain conditions and with lots of subsidies. Coal will come back as people relaise the stupidity of trying to rely on non-baseload power sources.
Cathy Howat
Garry Cooke I agree, and I'm from a Coast mining family. Glad to see it going. Too many of my relatives lost their health and sometimes their lives
Garry Cooke
Roger Strong sorry but it wont come back, far too many have found more efficant ways of doing things,look at it with open eyes, trains don't use coal anymore, either do ships, gas has replaced for heating furnaces, we don't burn it in our fires anymore, until the day comes when we can burn coal and use every bit of carbon from the smoke, then it's a dying cause, l come fro mining stock lived in Granity, mum was born in Millerton, l hated it when l moved away and seen what the general public thought of coal, our time is over the young are inheriting the powers that be, they don't like pollution,. l lived in Gladstone for sometime, coalfired power across the bay, meant to be pollution free, my arse it is, every morning you had to wipe a coating of dust off ur car before work.
Goldie Roslyn Leckie
Bathurts are not so small?
Jeff Sutherland
Carbon Fibre?
Kevin Voigt
Yeah!
Frank ODonnell
It was when I was about 8 years I am no 68 the good old days when kids were kids
Del Godfrey
Frank ODonnell bet mum wasn’t too pleased when you came home in that state!
Frank ODonnell
No she was not but she got over it mate
Kevin Gwatkin
Just missing the boats
·
Donald Hibbs
will still move nearly 1 million tonne of coal a year via the Midland line.
Alan Pegley
Lived in an upstairs flat in the 1950s where Kingsgate is now. This was a common sight then
rank ODonnell
Yes Alan it was a great sight back then I have just Retired from kiwi Rail after 45 years
Jarrod Olliver
It gets railed in trainloads to Lyttleton then shipped to japan.
Des Madgwick West Coaster
Still is king
.Lee Henderson
Japan preserves it in the ocean with our logs. Dont they sell it back to us now lol
· Reply · 1d
Kevin Voigt
better get that right gary so right all good some one put up all india wants is coke thats what the coke ovens at brunner are all about bet coal will com back
Irene Tiller
Those were the days
Layne Green
What a great picture
Rose Green
Layne Green our heritage and future
Layne Green
Rose Green yes wouldn't have it any other way.
Patrick Nicholls
Layne Green they need to lift the red flags mate and make the coast great again and a lot of the other mining areas in NZ it's becoming a problem when almost 90 % of coal NZ uses is exported in but we have the resources on our back door step makes no senseBrian Steele
Yes those were the days when the placed buzzed. Every one had a job and people was happy . Everyone had something to get up for.
The big difference to day is we've got the Greens to contend with. And what have we got out there.......empty shops unemployment poverty etc. Etc.
Hails Long
Brian Steele yea your got that right Brian greymouth used to be a far more financial place to live, more happiness, honesty , and the list goes on
Brian Steele
Robin Gibbens absolutely Right mate.Brian Steele
Yep some of my old workmates told me stories where they'd gone to the pub and spent 10 bob ($1) and got pissed. Cant do that today
Noeline McCaughan
I have never understood how any person would want to go down a mine and dig out coal for a living. Dirty, dusty and dark. Give me fresh air and daylight any time rather than that.
Brian Steele
Noeline McCaughan that's what the West Coast was built on......hard honest work. This region has contributed untold billions to the economy of this country and this region does not deserve to treated like we are today. Look and think about what w… See More
Write a comment...
Brian McIntyre
Must be a collier ship due
Neville Burt
Great line up.
Arthur Bass
When coal was King. Should still be like that.
Brian Gus Heveldt
Spent a lot of time climbing through those Coal Wagons in the mid to late 1960’s to service the Coal Boats.You couldn’t drive on to the Wharf and often the wagons would shunt when you had Fruit and Veges on the Wagon and it was like Russian Roulette.
Peter McEnaney
When coal was king
David Clarke
For those who don’t realise 40% of the energy in the USA comes from Coal so 40% of the Power used to charge the so called Clean EV’s in the States comes from Coal. What does that say about NZ Government restricting the Coal production? Virtue Signalling.
Frank ODonnell
We played on them got so black
Curtis Parker
That's a lot of coal there, just think how much coal went through greymouth back in those days
Kevin Bell
And the Coast got stuff all back.
Pamela May Walford
Kevin Bell Exactly.
Mark Batty
I remember thinking it was cool climbing between the wagons to get to the edge of the wharf!
Deborah Sweetman
I remember sitting on the cobden side with my mum as she whitebaited and watch the coal being loaded onto the boats. Fascinated me.
Bruce Tones
I have seen it like that, many times, when young, living in blaketown, and coal, is a natural resource, to be used,
Judy Fishburn
Those were the days,shame they ended
Lorraine O'Donoghue
Who would have ever dreamt in those days of how things were going to change as much as they have, that coal would become a dirty word?
Steph JF
Bill Neville amazing!
Jennifer Noble
Absolutely
John Fowler
Can remember from Cobden the sound of the cranes working through the night if a boat was in.
Ed Dando
Lv this pic when Coal was King
Ed Dando
I can see the Dobson black stuff
Robin Gibbens
That’s how it should be now instead of importing it. But we do have a lying commie two faced labour bitch shagging this once great country
Tony Warner
Surely someone can figure a way to burn it without the pollution theres enough new knowledge and new ideas out there Japan has cut its emissions on their coal fired power plants,,,,,,one day hopefully
Robert Stanley Hepple
Tony Warner There's plenty of technology to cut emissions drastically but the lunatic climate change lobby are pushing unsustainable, very expensive alternatives that are not sustainable!
Steven Shrives
And now no jobs no coal just fish
David Carty
We lived there then!!!
Sandra Case
those were the days hard to get through to go wbaiting
Helen Brennan
Our playground
Sandra Skates
Bryce Smith
They shifted it by tons.
Glenys Elizabeth Martin
Wonder what our lives would have been like, A good percentiles of our school classes growing up had fathers that earned living down mine s(including mine) probably would not even , been Here,,4 generations b4 mine in both sides of our family earned their living here (not all in mines )but locally employed ,Now they go overseas for work!
Anne Honey
Agree with you Glenys coal miners daughters grand daughters and grt granddaughters . We just accepted the lifestyle.
Eleanor Morel
Anne Honey Yes we did. It was a job. It fills me with horror to know of them being underground. As kids we just accepted it.
Garry Chapman
Our Father was a shunter after we left Stillwater and then Wharf Foreman .Great times for the Railways and the Coal Miners
Shirley Barrow
Garry Chapman When was that, please? I'm married to Mike Barrow and his brother Pat worked for the Railway from about 1969 until 1979. Their Dad was Stan Barrow who used to work in United Sawmills. Just wondering
John Armstrong
And that’s all been shovelled out of mines amazing
Rob Oakley
Breaks your heart the way Governments treated the Coast. They took all including lives of miners and they gave back nought to the people or helped businesses I cry for the COAST
John Armstrong
???? How did they get it out of the wagons to the boat
Ken Jackson
And now we are importing more coal than ever......does not make sense to me.
I used to play on them when I was a kid and get very black
Lawrence Boul
A query on the date: The VC Browne site lists it as '60s'.
Maye Dunn
Just checked back..you're right I'll change it..my mistake.
Brian McIntyre
Seen it nearly as busy as that in the early 50s
Kevin Voigt
It will come again
Jack Pittaway
I don’t think so, small independent mines are all that is left now.
Garry Cooke
I don't think so as well, the world isn't buying coal anymore, India does for coke, some steel mills use it. Over here in Oz the mines are hard out trying to promote the stuff for electrical production, but solar is catching on fast, as with windpower, the day of fossil fuels is nearing it's end, and when you look at it, coal and oil has had a fair run of it, but electric is the new fuel of the future. I have an electric bike that does 17kph and a range of 50k, that's enough for shopping, Dr's, hospital, train and even down the waterfront fishing. No registration, a good saving and they use bugger all power to charge, yes sorry but coal's on it's way out. Unless they can use it more efficantly and cleanly, pollution has made it's mark on the younger generation and they are our next leaders.
·
Ryan Gibbs
Its still there. The Westcoast still produces more coal than it did back "When Coal Was King"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mining_in_New_Zealand...
Kerry Wildermoth
Garry Cooke agree that pollution is at the forefront of young people's thinking, efficiency and cleaner energy is important. Science and technology is finding all manner of ways to reduce the impact on the environment of fossil fuels. Battery's are also a potential major pollutant and already the production is having a impact by increasing mining for materials and the extra transport, also recycling is a major problem. The life of so called green energy options is not infinite, now we have big corporations making millions pushing this agenda.
Roger Strong
Garry Cooke Coal is already able to be used more cleanly and efficiently-solar and wind power only work under certain conditions and with lots of subsidies. Coal will come back as people relaise the stupidity of trying to rely on non-baseload power sources.
Cathy Howat
Garry Cooke I agree, and I'm from a Coast mining family. Glad to see it going. Too many of my relatives lost their health and sometimes their lives
Garry Cooke
Roger Strong sorry but it wont come back, far too many have found more efficant ways of doing things,look at it with open eyes, trains don't use coal anymore, either do ships, gas has replaced for heating furnaces, we don't burn it in our fires anymore, until the day comes when we can burn coal and use every bit of carbon from the smoke, then it's a dying cause, l come fro mining stock lived in Granity, mum was born in Millerton, l hated it when l moved away and seen what the general public thought of coal, our time is over the young are inheriting the powers that be, they don't like pollution,. l lived in Gladstone for sometime, coalfired power across the bay, meant to be pollution free, my arse it is, every morning you had to wipe a coating of dust off ur car before work.
Goldie Roslyn Leckie
Bathurts are not so small?
Jeff Sutherland
Carbon Fibre?
Kevin Voigt
Yeah!
Frank ODonnell
It was when I was about 8 years I am no 68 the good old days when kids were kids
Del Godfrey
Frank ODonnell bet mum wasn’t too pleased when you came home in that state!
Frank ODonnell
No she was not but she got over it mate
Kevin Gwatkin
Just missing the boats
·
Donald Hibbs
will still move nearly 1 million tonne of coal a year via the Midland line.
Alan Pegley
Lived in an upstairs flat in the 1950s where Kingsgate is now. This was a common sight then
rank ODonnell
Yes Alan it was a great sight back then I have just Retired from kiwi Rail after 45 years
Jarrod Olliver
It gets railed in trainloads to Lyttleton then shipped to japan.
Des Madgwick West Coaster
Still is king
.Lee Henderson
Japan preserves it in the ocean with our logs. Dont they sell it back to us now lol
· Reply · 1d
Kevin Voigt
better get that right gary so right all good some one put up all india wants is coke thats what the coke ovens at brunner are all about bet coal will com back
Irene Tiller
Those were the days
Layne Green
What a great picture
Rose Green
Layne Green our heritage and future
Layne Green
Rose Green yes wouldn't have it any other way.
Patrick Nicholls
Layne Green they need to lift the red flags mate and make the coast great again and a lot of the other mining areas in NZ it's becoming a problem when almost 90 % of coal NZ uses is exported in but we have the resources on our back door step makes no senseBrian Steele
Yes those were the days when the placed buzzed. Every one had a job and people was happy . Everyone had something to get up for.
The big difference to day is we've got the Greens to contend with. And what have we got out there.......empty shops unemployment poverty etc. Etc.
Hails Long
Brian Steele yea your got that right Brian greymouth used to be a far more financial place to live, more happiness, honesty , and the list goes on
Brian Steele
Robin Gibbens absolutely Right mate.Brian Steele
Yep some of my old workmates told me stories where they'd gone to the pub and spent 10 bob ($1) and got pissed. Cant do that today
Noeline McCaughan
I have never understood how any person would want to go down a mine and dig out coal for a living. Dirty, dusty and dark. Give me fresh air and daylight any time rather than that.
Brian Steele
Noeline McCaughan that's what the West Coast was built on......hard honest work. This region has contributed untold billions to the economy of this country and this region does not deserve to treated like we are today. Look and think about what w… See More
Write a comment...
Brian McIntyre
Must be a collier ship due
Neville Burt
Great line up.
Arthur Bass
When coal was King. Should still be like that.
Brian Gus Heveldt
Spent a lot of time climbing through those Coal Wagons in the mid to late 1960’s to service the Coal Boats.You couldn’t drive on to the Wharf and often the wagons would shunt when you had Fruit and Veges on the Wagon and it was like Russian Roulette.
Peter McEnaney
When coal was king
David Clarke
For those who don’t realise 40% of the energy in the USA comes from Coal so 40% of the Power used to charge the so called Clean EV’s in the States comes from Coal. What does that say about NZ Government restricting the Coal production? Virtue Signalling.
Frank ODonnell
We played on them got so black
Curtis Parker
That's a lot of coal there, just think how much coal went through greymouth back in those days
Kevin Bell
And the Coast got stuff all back.
Pamela May Walford
Kevin Bell Exactly.
Mark Batty
I remember thinking it was cool climbing between the wagons to get to the edge of the wharf!
Deborah Sweetman
I remember sitting on the cobden side with my mum as she whitebaited and watch the coal being loaded onto the boats. Fascinated me.
Bruce Tones
I have seen it like that, many times, when young, living in blaketown, and coal, is a natural resource, to be used,
Judy Fishburn
Those were the days,shame they ended
Lorraine O'Donoghue
Who would have ever dreamt in those days of how things were going to change as much as they have, that coal would become a dirty word?
Steph JF
Bill Neville amazing!
Jennifer Noble
Absolutely
John Fowler
Can remember from Cobden the sound of the cranes working through the night if a boat was in.
Ed Dando
Lv this pic when Coal was King
Ed Dando
I can see the Dobson black stuff
Robin Gibbens
That’s how it should be now instead of importing it. But we do have a lying commie two faced labour bitch shagging this once great country
Tony Warner
Surely someone can figure a way to burn it without the pollution theres enough new knowledge and new ideas out there Japan has cut its emissions on their coal fired power plants,,,,,,one day hopefully
Robert Stanley Hepple
Tony Warner There's plenty of technology to cut emissions drastically but the lunatic climate change lobby are pushing unsustainable, very expensive alternatives that are not sustainable!
Steven Shrives
And now no jobs no coal just fish
David Carty
We lived there then!!!
Sandra Case
those were the days hard to get through to go wbaiting
Helen Brennan
Our playground
Sandra Skates
Bryce Smith
They shifted it by tons.
Glenys Elizabeth Martin
Wonder what our lives would have been like, A good percentiles of our school classes growing up had fathers that earned living down mine s(including mine) probably would not even , been Here,,4 generations b4 mine in both sides of our family earned their living here (not all in mines )but locally employed ,Now they go overseas for work!
Anne Honey
Agree with you Glenys coal miners daughters grand daughters and grt granddaughters . We just accepted the lifestyle.
Eleanor Morel
Anne Honey Yes we did. It was a job. It fills me with horror to know of them being underground. As kids we just accepted it.
Garry Chapman
Our Father was a shunter after we left Stillwater and then Wharf Foreman .Great times for the Railways and the Coal Miners
Shirley Barrow
Garry Chapman When was that, please? I'm married to Mike Barrow and his brother Pat worked for the Railway from about 1969 until 1979. Their Dad was Stan Barrow who used to work in United Sawmills. Just wondering
John Armstrong
And that’s all been shovelled out of mines amazing
Rob Oakley
Breaks your heart the way Governments treated the Coast. They took all including lives of miners and they gave back nought to the people or helped businesses I cry for the COAST
John Armstrong
???? How did they get it out of the wagons to the boat
Ken Jackson
And now we are importing more coal than ever......does not make sense to me.
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West Coast New Zealand History (22nd Apr 2022). Coal wagons, Greymouth Wharf. 1960's.. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 13th Apr 2026 07:36, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/28526