Workmen engaged on the first tunnel on the route near Tekuha, West Coast, South Island, N.Z.1910.

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DescriptionWorkmen engaged on the first tunnel on the route near Tekuha, West Coast, South Island, N.Z.

Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections AWNS-19100113-16-05PhotographerAuckland Weekly News; Maloney, D.Date of Photo1910-01-13Map^[1]External LinkAUCKLAND LIBRARYWIKIPEDIAContributorHeather Newby

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Location (city or town)Tekuha

Category Information

Category TagRailways

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Date Created11th September 2025CommentsPam Englefield-Absolum
so much respect for these men, very hard work and at times dangerous, can’t see men today working like this or as hard.

Rob Lunn
Is that where the stalled new Coal development is planned for???

Val Shaw
My parents lived up there the Ministry of Works camp mid 30s I think.I can remember Sheldon's living there when I was young.

George Colligan
I actually dug out that tunnel in the 80s (Daylight is the correct term)

Margaret Clare Buchanan
So dangerous. A few men died building the Otira tunnel too.

George Colligan
Love that history thanks for sharing

George Gardner
I have 2 family disasters on that line, one whilst during the construction and one a year or so later by derailment. Both incidents resulted in death.

Theresa Gibson
This reads that the settlement was over on the north bank near railway?
I understood the punt was further down stream

Pete Lusk
Great photo..thanks Dan Maloney! This tunnel was removed about 20 yrs ago because the hillside above was ‘on the creep’ and the tunnel was becoming distorted. They had diggers working down from the top of the slope, that’s how I remember….

Jeffrey Harrison
The only reason the line was finshed was because of WW2 and the threat of Japanese & German raiders sunking coastal shipping. Both the Buller line and the line down the Kiakoura coast were finshed for that reason.

George Colligan
I actually dug out that tunnel in the 80s (Daylight is the correct term)

Alexander Gray
George Colligan i thought it was henry harris on hoods d9?

George Colligan
Alexander Gray it was Henry i was on the excavator and put the bench in and worked our down to rail. Henry on Collis D 9

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Workmen engaged on the first tunnel on the route near Tekuha, West Coast, South Island, N.Z.1910.

Editing is temporarily disabled