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Shovelling coal off a truck on Ranfurly Street, Runanga, 1977
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DescriptionShovelling coal off a truck on Ranfurly Street, Runanga, 1977 ishDate of Photo1977Map[1] ContributorBrian Hope
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Location (city or town)RunangaEventShovelling coal off a truck on Ranfurly Street, Runanga, 1977
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Date Created16th February 2021CommentsDebbie Ricketts
Don't forget that bango shovel, they could move some coal with them. When we moved to Nelson was the only one in the class who new what it was, coming from Blackball with miner's as dad, grandad & great uncles.
Helen Brennan
Probably Ritches place and it would be ABC truck - What do you say Brian Hope great picture great memory
Brian Hope
Just about correct
Leslie Connor
USED TO SEE THATINBLACKBALL AS KIDS UNCLES USEDUE TO FILL THE COAL BUCKETS
Iri Sinclair
Former Runanga Mayor Tom Teasdale apparently brought the first articulated truck after ww2
Jenny Jones
No to go to the gym back then .
Peter Gray
Remember when we used to get 12 ton a year free, think it cost about 2/6d a load for delivery, Joe Devine used to drive the truck, if you didn’t need a load you got him to drop it of at pensioner or widow,s place. Looked after each other back then the Coasters way
Jo Hart
Now a nostalgic image, then an everyday occurrence.
Ross Pengelly
badge icon
Jo Hart so true. A truck like that used to fill our coal shed. The coal range heated our water. No electric HWC. Very rustic on the Coast.
Brian Hartley
Looks like an old ABC bottle truck
Don Hutton
Now that's real history or a resource to base historical research upon and then write a thesis.
Roger O'Regan
Classic photo, complete with old Bedford!
Helen Brennan
Probably Ritches place and it would be ABC truck - What do you say Brian Hope great picture great memory
Christopher Guy
Used to help my grand dad Joe Guy who lived in Pitt street Runanga bring in the coal from the street when we stayed there some times as kids
Shona Ratana
Remember when the mine truck would drop off our coal ration. How we loved those shiny large lumps? Plus the dross for banking the fires overnight. Coal had a life of its own with specific names, ie dross, knobs, lumps? So Mum would send us out with specific instructions as to which type of coal she needed for cooking and baking. Those were the days?
Judy Tawhiti
Shona Ratana yes remember the roaring open fire on a winters night,interestingly never knew the name "dross", Shona,or was that a Ohau name for coal.
Shona Ratana
Dross was the smallest coal , had to use a shovel to put in bucket Name may have come from Southland area. In the mornings we used to use poker to wake the overnight fire and throw a very small amount of sugar on fire to start the day? Both the kitchen stove and sitting room fires. Yes coal has a life of its own , also different coal mines produced their own specific types of coal.
Mark Galbraith
Is that you Huck?
Craig McNabb
My grandparents lived at number 53.
Jeff Sara
John ABC
John Sara
Jeff Sara Yes I saw that when it was posted.
Warner Nut Curry
Great photo thanks
Sonia Dando
19 Ranfurly St Runanga lived there corner of Seddon St 1964/68 when house was burnt down
I used to shovel the coal off the heap many times
Karl Barkley
Yep that was the Good Old Day's!
Were People Dropping Dead from All those Coal Fumes from Home Fire's & Steam Engine's? No Not like Now !
Crow Bay
It's Dunollie looking up toward Rewanui isn't it? I was born in Ranfurly st. I am confused
Brian Hope
Far this end of Ranfurly.
Brian Hope
Far north end of Ranfurly St .
Lyn Galvin
When we shifted to Dunedin in 1961 we had to buy a heater and a toaster because we always had a fire going and toasted our bread on the fire
Don McNarn
The good old days
Stuart McMillan
Couldn’t do with out a shovel back in those days
Laurie Anisy
Top fellow Ritchie, always nice to have a chat with him.Yvonne Lawson
We got 2 kinds of coal. Rewanui for banking fire overnight and strongman for burning.
· Reply · 2d
Helen Brennan
Probably Ritches place and it would be ABC truck - What do you say Brian Hope great picture great memory
Brian Hope
Just about correct
Helen Brennan
Brian Hope
Donald Pearson
My next door neighbor when going up the coast road on business came back many a time with his ute loaded with coal.Had coal all round the house,those were the days.
John Stuart
Hell I'm in North Island, worked in Tatu,shoveling coal on day shift,then when get home,go and deliver the 4 ton to Dads customers.
Anne-Marie Dixon
Great photo . Looks like Brian
Catherine Brian Denton
An old "K" Bedford...great truck...just kept on going..I had one for several years.
Heather Newby
Debbie Ricketts
Don't forget that bango shovel, they could move some coal with them. When we moved to Nelson was the only one in the class who new what it was, coming from Blackball with miner's as dad, grandad & great uncles.
Leslie Connor
USED TO SEE THATINBLACKBALL AS KIDS UNCLES USEDUE TO FILL THE COAL BUCKETS
Iri Sinclair
Former Runanga Mayor Tom Teasdale apparently brought the first articulated truck after ww2
Jenny Jones
No to go to the gym back then .
Jo Hart
Now a nostalgic image, then an everyday occurrence.
Ross Pengelly
badge icon
Jo Hart so true. A truck like that used to fill our coal shed. The coal range heated our water. No electric HWC. Very rustic on the Coast.
Brian Hartley
Looks like an old ABC bottle truck
Don Hutton
Now that's real history or a resource to base historical research upon and then write a thesis.
Roger O'Regan
Classic photo, complete with old Bedford!
Grant Jamieson
Yea Jock, i thought it lookd an odd Ranfurly st., unless a back yard no housing
Garick Mcdonald
Grant Jamieson looks like the fire brigade paddock in dunnolie or round that area
Brian Hope
Our address was 69 Ranfurly St .Access from both Ranfurly St and 7 Mile Road .
Neville Burt
Banjo being put to good use
Geoffrey King
ABC, the logo on the truck. would that have anything to do with the collecting of the empty ABC beer bottles from around the hotels, then sent back to the breweries for reuse as happened back in them days. Just asking out of curiosity.
Lorraine O'Donoghue
Everyone connected to mining had their coal unloaded at the gate. You could stand at the end of the street and see all the heaps of coal down both sides of the street and no one stole a lump of it. Couldn't do that today!
Arlene Hutcheon
Yep, our coal arrived like that too. We lived in Huntly, husband worked in the East Mine there.
Ceol Mhor NZ
Arlene Hutcheon I lived on the west coast as kid then moved to Rotowaro. The difference in the coal was amazing. West coast coal could be left outside in all weather conditions and would hardly deteriate. Huntly coal needed to be put in a shelter to stop it turning to slack. Huntly was also heavy in rock and did not burn near as well.
Paddy Smith
True. When I moved to Hector,in the 80's, I arrived and there was a load of coal on the roadside by my House, needed for Hot water, warmth, etc. My Dad delivered Coal there at the time, and one of the miners had got Him to deliver some coal on the roadside, by my House, so I could have Hot water, and warmth straight away. Very much appreciated, never got touched by anyone else.. Sadly, in later years, completely different story. Idiots that moved there, thought it was their right, to just go and take some. Sad wee World we live in now.Kelvin Lammas
I notice the man shoveling the coal
Is really using the coal shovel called the banjo great shovel were not so good on wooden deck because of nails.
Graham Bone
Is that you on the shovel, Brian?
Rob Batstone
Cool, does anyone know what make the truck is ? Commer maybe
Ron Allnatt
It looks like 1950-ish Morris. Commercial.
Lorraine O'Donoghue
Right along the street piles of coal outside the miners houses could be seen and none got stolen.
Marty Farty
He's using a banjo . Good to see
Sarah Penrose
Jock Devine's wife used walk to Greymouth along train tracks & pick up the bits of coal. Don't know if was sold or used @ home to save money but they had a holiday down Queenstown way
Brian McIntyre
My uncle in his younger day dug his vege garden with the banjo shovel
Gordon Dixon
Good old day in Runanga
Suzanne Hall
Very fitting Coast Photo!! Love it
Marcia Grant
Love this photo so many memories
Alan Woods
With a Banjo Shovel?
Anne-Marie Dixon
Such a great photo .
Those were the days1d
Alan Sadler
Our old street
Brian Hope
Older and wiser ?? now ....
KerrieandLeigh Hopkins
Brian Hope and using the ABC truck
Brian Hope
Hi . Looking good. We have a full house - Brennan and his 3 are living with us .
Brian McIntyre
My uncle in his younger day dug his vege garden with the banjo shovel
Alan Woods
With a Banjo Shovel?
John Stuart
Alan Woods only way to shovel coal.lol
Alan Woods
John Stuart There used to be coal-shoveling competitions John, do they still exist?
John Stuart
Alan Woods on West Coast I think they still do.Bet the pays better now too.lol
Vern Pattinson
He has a banjo shovel good old keep sake
Don't forget that bango shovel, they could move some coal with them. When we moved to Nelson was the only one in the class who new what it was, coming from Blackball with miner's as dad, grandad & great uncles.
Helen Brennan
Probably Ritches place and it would be ABC truck - What do you say Brian Hope great picture great memory
Brian Hope
Just about correct
Leslie Connor
USED TO SEE THATINBLACKBALL AS KIDS UNCLES USEDUE TO FILL THE COAL BUCKETS
Iri Sinclair
Former Runanga Mayor Tom Teasdale apparently brought the first articulated truck after ww2
Jenny Jones
No to go to the gym back then .
Peter Gray
Remember when we used to get 12 ton a year free, think it cost about 2/6d a load for delivery, Joe Devine used to drive the truck, if you didn’t need a load you got him to drop it of at pensioner or widow,s place. Looked after each other back then the Coasters way
Jo Hart
Now a nostalgic image, then an everyday occurrence.
Ross Pengelly
badge icon
Jo Hart so true. A truck like that used to fill our coal shed. The coal range heated our water. No electric HWC. Very rustic on the Coast.
Brian Hartley
Looks like an old ABC bottle truck
Don Hutton
Now that's real history or a resource to base historical research upon and then write a thesis.
Roger O'Regan
Classic photo, complete with old Bedford!
Helen Brennan
Probably Ritches place and it would be ABC truck - What do you say Brian Hope great picture great memory
Christopher Guy
Used to help my grand dad Joe Guy who lived in Pitt street Runanga bring in the coal from the street when we stayed there some times as kids
Shona Ratana
Remember when the mine truck would drop off our coal ration. How we loved those shiny large lumps? Plus the dross for banking the fires overnight. Coal had a life of its own with specific names, ie dross, knobs, lumps? So Mum would send us out with specific instructions as to which type of coal she needed for cooking and baking. Those were the days?
Judy Tawhiti
Shona Ratana yes remember the roaring open fire on a winters night,interestingly never knew the name "dross", Shona,or was that a Ohau name for coal.
Shona Ratana
Dross was the smallest coal , had to use a shovel to put in bucket Name may have come from Southland area. In the mornings we used to use poker to wake the overnight fire and throw a very small amount of sugar on fire to start the day? Both the kitchen stove and sitting room fires. Yes coal has a life of its own , also different coal mines produced their own specific types of coal.
Mark Galbraith
Is that you Huck?
Craig McNabb
My grandparents lived at number 53.
Jeff Sara
John ABC
John Sara
Jeff Sara Yes I saw that when it was posted.
Warner Nut Curry
Great photo thanks
Sonia Dando
19 Ranfurly St Runanga lived there corner of Seddon St 1964/68 when house was burnt down
I used to shovel the coal off the heap many times
Karl Barkley
Yep that was the Good Old Day's!
Were People Dropping Dead from All those Coal Fumes from Home Fire's & Steam Engine's? No Not like Now !
Crow Bay
It's Dunollie looking up toward Rewanui isn't it? I was born in Ranfurly st. I am confused
Brian Hope
Far this end of Ranfurly.
Brian Hope
Far north end of Ranfurly St .
Lyn Galvin
When we shifted to Dunedin in 1961 we had to buy a heater and a toaster because we always had a fire going and toasted our bread on the fire
Don McNarn
The good old days
Stuart McMillan
Couldn’t do with out a shovel back in those days
Laurie Anisy
Top fellow Ritchie, always nice to have a chat with him.Yvonne Lawson
We got 2 kinds of coal. Rewanui for banking fire overnight and strongman for burning.
· Reply · 2d
Helen Brennan
Probably Ritches place and it would be ABC truck - What do you say Brian Hope great picture great memory
Brian Hope
Just about correct
Helen Brennan
Brian Hope
Donald Pearson
My next door neighbor when going up the coast road on business came back many a time with his ute loaded with coal.Had coal all round the house,those were the days.
John Stuart
Hell I'm in North Island, worked in Tatu,shoveling coal on day shift,then when get home,go and deliver the 4 ton to Dads customers.
Anne-Marie Dixon
Great photo . Looks like Brian
Catherine Brian Denton
An old "K" Bedford...great truck...just kept on going..I had one for several years.
Heather Newby
Debbie Ricketts
Don't forget that bango shovel, they could move some coal with them. When we moved to Nelson was the only one in the class who new what it was, coming from Blackball with miner's as dad, grandad & great uncles.
Leslie Connor
USED TO SEE THATINBLACKBALL AS KIDS UNCLES USEDUE TO FILL THE COAL BUCKETS
Iri Sinclair
Former Runanga Mayor Tom Teasdale apparently brought the first articulated truck after ww2
Jenny Jones
No to go to the gym back then .
Jo Hart
Now a nostalgic image, then an everyday occurrence.
Ross Pengelly
badge icon
Jo Hart so true. A truck like that used to fill our coal shed. The coal range heated our water. No electric HWC. Very rustic on the Coast.
Brian Hartley
Looks like an old ABC bottle truck
Don Hutton
Now that's real history or a resource to base historical research upon and then write a thesis.
Roger O'Regan
Classic photo, complete with old Bedford!
Grant Jamieson
Yea Jock, i thought it lookd an odd Ranfurly st., unless a back yard no housing
Garick Mcdonald
Grant Jamieson looks like the fire brigade paddock in dunnolie or round that area
Brian Hope
Our address was 69 Ranfurly St .Access from both Ranfurly St and 7 Mile Road .
Neville Burt
Banjo being put to good use
Geoffrey King
ABC, the logo on the truck. would that have anything to do with the collecting of the empty ABC beer bottles from around the hotels, then sent back to the breweries for reuse as happened back in them days. Just asking out of curiosity.
Lorraine O'Donoghue
Everyone connected to mining had their coal unloaded at the gate. You could stand at the end of the street and see all the heaps of coal down both sides of the street and no one stole a lump of it. Couldn't do that today!
Arlene Hutcheon
Yep, our coal arrived like that too. We lived in Huntly, husband worked in the East Mine there.
Ceol Mhor NZ
Arlene Hutcheon I lived on the west coast as kid then moved to Rotowaro. The difference in the coal was amazing. West coast coal could be left outside in all weather conditions and would hardly deteriate. Huntly coal needed to be put in a shelter to stop it turning to slack. Huntly was also heavy in rock and did not burn near as well.
Paddy Smith
True. When I moved to Hector,in the 80's, I arrived and there was a load of coal on the roadside by my House, needed for Hot water, warmth, etc. My Dad delivered Coal there at the time, and one of the miners had got Him to deliver some coal on the roadside, by my House, so I could have Hot water, and warmth straight away. Very much appreciated, never got touched by anyone else.. Sadly, in later years, completely different story. Idiots that moved there, thought it was their right, to just go and take some. Sad wee World we live in now.Kelvin Lammas
I notice the man shoveling the coal
Is really using the coal shovel called the banjo great shovel were not so good on wooden deck because of nails.
Graham Bone
Is that you on the shovel, Brian?
Rob Batstone
Cool, does anyone know what make the truck is ? Commer maybe
Ron Allnatt
It looks like 1950-ish Morris. Commercial.
Lorraine O'Donoghue
Right along the street piles of coal outside the miners houses could be seen and none got stolen.
Marty Farty
He's using a banjo . Good to see
Sarah Penrose
Jock Devine's wife used walk to Greymouth along train tracks & pick up the bits of coal. Don't know if was sold or used @ home to save money but they had a holiday down Queenstown way
Brian McIntyre
My uncle in his younger day dug his vege garden with the banjo shovel
Gordon Dixon
Good old day in Runanga
Suzanne Hall
Very fitting Coast Photo!! Love it
Marcia Grant
Love this photo so many memories
Alan Woods
With a Banjo Shovel?
Anne-Marie Dixon
Such a great photo .
Those were the days1d
Alan Sadler
Our old street
Brian Hope
Older and wiser ?? now ....
KerrieandLeigh Hopkins
Brian Hope and using the ABC truck
Brian Hope
Hi . Looking good. We have a full house - Brennan and his 3 are living with us .
Brian McIntyre
My uncle in his younger day dug his vege garden with the banjo shovel
Alan Woods
With a Banjo Shovel?
John Stuart
Alan Woods only way to shovel coal.lol
Alan Woods
John Stuart There used to be coal-shoveling competitions John, do they still exist?
John Stuart
Alan Woods on West Coast I think they still do.Bet the pays better now too.lol
Vern Pattinson
He has a banjo shovel good old keep sake
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West Coast New Zealand History (10th Mar 2025). Shovelling coal off a truck on Ranfurly Street, Runanga, 1977. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 11th Apr 2026 21:25, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/28992