REWANUI COAL SITE DEVASTATED - LANDSLIDE DESTROYS BUILDINGS. SEPTEMBER 1988.

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DescriptionKeith Butler buried by the debris.
Huge holding tank washed 4Km's down 7 mile creek.
On the 13th September 1988 the Greymouth area experienced phenomenal rainfall. The first person to arrive at Rewanui the following day found a scene of incredible devastation. Tons of earth and debris from the direction of Davy Creek had swept through, ripping the large bath house from its foundations, tearing away the backshunt bridge and filling the bed of Seven Mile Creek. There was no sign of Keith Butler who was the Rewanui caretaker.
It appeared as if a slip had fallen into Davy Creek, forming a temporary dam which had filled and then broken away with incredible force. Searches around the site and a subsequent excavation of the bath house site failed to find him. His mother recalling how he had often said he wanted to be burried at Rewanui, found some solace in that. "I believe his wish was granted," she said. "He was buried with his treasures." Date of Photo1988Map^[1]ContributorTony Kokshoorn

Shown in this image

Location (city or town)REWANUI PersonKeith ButlerOrganisation (eg business)REWANUI COAL MINE

Category Information

Category TagCoal Mining

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Date Created12th July 2026

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