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Denniston - the early years.
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DescriptionA small, almost abandoned coal town, 27 km north-east of Westport. It was named after R. B. Denniston, manager of the first major mine to open in the 1870s and later a director of the Westport Coal Company. On a bare plateau at an altitude of 600 metres, Denniston was the bleakest of the coal mining towns, often shrouded in fog. The nearby town of Burnetts Face was squashed into a narrow valley, close to the original coal discovery. Jenny Pattrick’s novel The Denniston rose (2003) gives a depressingly vivid picture of the lives of miners and their families.
Coal was transported from the plateau down to a branch railway line by the Denniston incline, a spectacular cable railway. Mining ceased in the 1990s, and only a few inhabitants remain. Part of the town is a historic reserve, with a museum and walking tracks around mining relics.External LinkThe Denniston ExperienceTe Ara - Denniston
Coal was transported from the plateau down to a branch railway line by the Denniston incline, a spectacular cable railway. Mining ceased in the 1990s, and only a few inhabitants remain. Part of the town is a historic reserve, with a museum and walking tracks around mining relics.External LinkThe Denniston ExperienceTe Ara - Denniston
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Location (city or town)Denniston
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Category TagCoal Mining
From Facebook
Date Created13th May 2015CommentsLinzi Woods
A lot of house there then - i wonder what the population was in it's heyday.
Karen Potter
Mum was born there.
Ian Andrew Jonson
It was there because of the quality of the coal.
Tony Warner
Worked there 11 1/2 years best job I ever had and I'm up to job 65. .... never found another job like it anywhere
Tony Warner
Exactly the BTU rating was the highest in the world
Susan Barlow
A village on top of a hill! It must have experienced some fairly gruesome winters.
Ian Miller
My mother came from Millerton. Any pics from there?
Heather Newby
badge icon
Author
Ian Miller https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/search?datefrom=&dateto=&keywords=millerton&order=desc&orderby=relevance&ntids=W10=&page=1&viewtype=grid&type=all&in=0&digital=0
My search results from West Coast New Zealand History
WESTCOAST.RECOLLECT.CO.NZ
My search results from West Coast New Zealand History
My search results from West Coast New Zealand History
Caroline Crann
Went to Denniston last weekend. Really interesting and heaps of info to look at and read
Derious Worgan
My mum and dad lived at Burnetts Face.
Alison Hibbs
Amaising - villages up in the hills. Hard to believe. But that was what life was years ago. U can’t change history.
Anne Clarke
If you haven't read Denniston Rose - you should!
Craig Norman
Anne Clarke radio NZ did it as a serial. I cried at the last episode/ great book/
Calum McCreath
It must have been a hard place to live?
Anne Clarke
Anne Clarke
Calum McCreath Women had to travel down the hill in the coal carts to give birth to their babies! There was no road to the Village so anything you needed went up and down that way! Apart from that it was a very damp and unhealthy living environment with fogs not lifting all day. What a life!
Daphne Mckay
My father inlaw work in the mind he met Mum in law they lived on Denniston brought up 4 kids .she said was a hard life
Sue Lucas
I lived there 1941 to 44
Les van Dijk
The sadest part way so many family's were enticed to come to work here from Wales and other places im sure by false promises but they are our family and the sacrifices will remain with us forever
Charmaine Andresen
Ive read the books 'The Denniston Rose' great reading! Loved them and wish I had kept the books so I could read them again!
Waikohatu Scott
Take Note Hokitika has rare west coast books including Denniston Rose and Heart Of Coal by Jenny Patrick.
This dual copy has photos of the community, pool, school & mine equipment etc. Great book! An excellent read
Maxine Hight
I was born in the Denniston Hospital 7.12.54
· Reply · 9h
John Rosanowski
The large Curragh family came from Scotland around 1910 and lived and worked at Burnetts Face. (My great grandparents.) All of their kids married and had children. And then they had children. And more. There must be hundreds who trace back to this original family. Any takers reading this post ??
James Codyre
John Rosanowski I see Gavin Curragh(son of Joe) here in Timaru and his sister Julianne is mother to Shane Archbold.A professional cyclist in Europe.I think we are related to the Curragh Clan of Denniston through either the Kelly or Codyre mob.
James Codyre
Joe might not be his real handle but he was a NZR Loco driver for years.
Kay Green
Both my paternal Grandparents were born in Denniston. My Father worked as an electrican in the mines till 1941 when he joined the NZ Railways at Westport where I and my brother and sister were born
Ian Pakii
Kerry Stewart you need to have a look up here when you go up to Westport very interesting
Ted McCreath
This seems to sum it up!!.
Image may contain: text that says '"Damn Denniston Damn the track Damn the way both there and back Damn the the wind and damn the weat weather 03/04/2011 God damn Denniston altogether."'
Ted McCreath
Burnetts Face. Further on from Denniston
Image may contain: outdoor, text that says 'BurnettsFace1910 "I would not have wanted to grow up anywhere else" ackHiggins 03/04/2011'
Morag Hamilton
This was used for the cover of 'The Denniston Rose'.
Sheryl Elizabeth Paki
My parents lived at burnett face
Shaun Burgess
my little piece of paradise home i love denniston
Don McNarn
I actually rode on the incline
Peter Prosser
I have the good news , Lorraine Philp was born up the hill in 1949 with her dad working down the coal face , very tuff work , Lorraine and l have been married over 50 years , how times change , we all know that time changes things but as time goes on its good to remember the past.
Annette Mead
My great grandmother was born there.
Myron Caldwell
When aunty Alice Caldwell from Reefton, was in Auckland after major heart surgery, my mother Eileen Caldwell and aunty Thelma Davis from Westport stayed with us in Auckland. We took them both to a friend of my wife to meet her. As soon as they discovered they knew each other, they flashed back 50 years as they had all lived up on the hill. It took about 5 hours to catch up with all the gossip and leave to come home. A small world from the Coast. Myron.Annette Mead
My great grandmother was born there.
Myron Caldwell
When aunty Alice Caldwell from Reefton, was in Auckland after major heart surgery, my mother Eileen Caldwell and aunty Thelma Davis from Westport stayed with us in Auckland. We took them both to a friend of my wife to meet her. As soon as they discovered they knew each other, they flashed back 50 years as they had all lived up on the hill. It took about 5 hours to catch up with all the gossip and leave to come home. A small world from the Coast. Myron.
Bryce Smith
Always worth a visit if passing through.
Robert Fay Lemon Griffin
Bryce Smith It sure is Bryce.
Margaret Magill
When I was visiting Westport from Northern Ireland my cousins took me up to Denniston. It was an amazing place to visit and my cousin told me lots of stories about the area and the people who lived there. I really enjoyed reading Jenny Patrick’s Denniston Rose and Heart Of Coal.
Ted McCreath
I once worked for a man whose parents shifted from Denniston to Nightcaps in Southland. He told me that 'Denniston Rose' was almost an autobiography of his cousin from Westport. I wonder...........
A lot of house there then - i wonder what the population was in it's heyday.
Karen Potter
Mum was born there.
Ian Andrew Jonson
It was there because of the quality of the coal.
Tony Warner
Worked there 11 1/2 years best job I ever had and I'm up to job 65. .... never found another job like it anywhere
Tony Warner
Exactly the BTU rating was the highest in the world
Susan Barlow
A village on top of a hill! It must have experienced some fairly gruesome winters.
Ian Miller
My mother came from Millerton. Any pics from there?
Heather Newby
badge icon
Author
Ian Miller https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/search?datefrom=&dateto=&keywords=millerton&order=desc&orderby=relevance&ntids=W10=&page=1&viewtype=grid&type=all&in=0&digital=0
My search results from West Coast New Zealand History
WESTCOAST.RECOLLECT.CO.NZ
My search results from West Coast New Zealand History
My search results from West Coast New Zealand History
Caroline Crann
Went to Denniston last weekend. Really interesting and heaps of info to look at and read
Derious Worgan
My mum and dad lived at Burnetts Face.
Alison Hibbs
Amaising - villages up in the hills. Hard to believe. But that was what life was years ago. U can’t change history.
Anne Clarke
If you haven't read Denniston Rose - you should!
Craig Norman
Anne Clarke radio NZ did it as a serial. I cried at the last episode/ great book/
Calum McCreath
It must have been a hard place to live?
Anne Clarke
Anne Clarke
Calum McCreath Women had to travel down the hill in the coal carts to give birth to their babies! There was no road to the Village so anything you needed went up and down that way! Apart from that it was a very damp and unhealthy living environment with fogs not lifting all day. What a life!
Daphne Mckay
My father inlaw work in the mind he met Mum in law they lived on Denniston brought up 4 kids .she said was a hard life
Sue Lucas
I lived there 1941 to 44
Les van Dijk
The sadest part way so many family's were enticed to come to work here from Wales and other places im sure by false promises but they are our family and the sacrifices will remain with us forever
Charmaine Andresen
Ive read the books 'The Denniston Rose' great reading! Loved them and wish I had kept the books so I could read them again!
Waikohatu Scott
Take Note Hokitika has rare west coast books including Denniston Rose and Heart Of Coal by Jenny Patrick.
This dual copy has photos of the community, pool, school & mine equipment etc. Great book! An excellent read
Maxine Hight
I was born in the Denniston Hospital 7.12.54
· Reply · 9h
John Rosanowski
The large Curragh family came from Scotland around 1910 and lived and worked at Burnetts Face. (My great grandparents.) All of their kids married and had children. And then they had children. And more. There must be hundreds who trace back to this original family. Any takers reading this post ??
James Codyre
John Rosanowski I see Gavin Curragh(son of Joe) here in Timaru and his sister Julianne is mother to Shane Archbold.A professional cyclist in Europe.I think we are related to the Curragh Clan of Denniston through either the Kelly or Codyre mob.
James Codyre
Joe might not be his real handle but he was a NZR Loco driver for years.
Kay Green
Both my paternal Grandparents were born in Denniston. My Father worked as an electrican in the mines till 1941 when he joined the NZ Railways at Westport where I and my brother and sister were born
Ian Pakii
Kerry Stewart you need to have a look up here when you go up to Westport very interesting
Ted McCreath
This seems to sum it up!!.
Image may contain: text that says '"Damn Denniston Damn the track Damn the way both there and back Damn the the wind and damn the weat weather 03/04/2011 God damn Denniston altogether."'
Ted McCreath
Burnetts Face. Further on from Denniston
Image may contain: outdoor, text that says 'BurnettsFace1910 "I would not have wanted to grow up anywhere else" ackHiggins 03/04/2011'
Morag Hamilton
This was used for the cover of 'The Denniston Rose'.
Sheryl Elizabeth Paki
My parents lived at burnett face
Shaun Burgess
my little piece of paradise home i love denniston
Don McNarn
I actually rode on the incline
Peter Prosser
I have the good news , Lorraine Philp was born up the hill in 1949 with her dad working down the coal face , very tuff work , Lorraine and l have been married over 50 years , how times change , we all know that time changes things but as time goes on its good to remember the past.
Annette Mead
My great grandmother was born there.
Myron Caldwell
When aunty Alice Caldwell from Reefton, was in Auckland after major heart surgery, my mother Eileen Caldwell and aunty Thelma Davis from Westport stayed with us in Auckland. We took them both to a friend of my wife to meet her. As soon as they discovered they knew each other, they flashed back 50 years as they had all lived up on the hill. It took about 5 hours to catch up with all the gossip and leave to come home. A small world from the Coast. Myron.Annette Mead
My great grandmother was born there.
Myron Caldwell
When aunty Alice Caldwell from Reefton, was in Auckland after major heart surgery, my mother Eileen Caldwell and aunty Thelma Davis from Westport stayed with us in Auckland. We took them both to a friend of my wife to meet her. As soon as they discovered they knew each other, they flashed back 50 years as they had all lived up on the hill. It took about 5 hours to catch up with all the gossip and leave to come home. A small world from the Coast. Myron.
Bryce Smith
Always worth a visit if passing through.
Robert Fay Lemon Griffin
Bryce Smith It sure is Bryce.
Margaret Magill
When I was visiting Westport from Northern Ireland my cousins took me up to Denniston. It was an amazing place to visit and my cousin told me lots of stories about the area and the people who lived there. I really enjoyed reading Jenny Patrick’s Denniston Rose and Heart Of Coal.
Ted McCreath
I once worked for a man whose parents shifted from Denniston to Nightcaps in Southland. He told me that 'Denniston Rose' was almost an autobiography of his cousin from Westport. I wonder...........
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West Coast New Zealand History (10th Jun 2021). Denniston - the early years.. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 5th Apr 2026 09:33, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/2961