Mary Smith outside her 'West Coast' Hotel, Charleston.1872.

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DescriptionMary Smith was born in England as Mary McGee, arrived in Westland around 1859 and appears to have been widowed or abandoned soon after her only child Thomas Harrington ‘Waimea’ Smith was born at the goldfield settlement of Waimea north of Hokitika.
Mary Smith opened her first hotel at Broomielaw Creek, near Charleston, in 1869 and the following year moved to the West Coast Hotel at Charleston where she lived for the rest of her life, becoming a successful hotel keeper and property owner and sending her son to Dunedin High School. She died at Charleston in 1912 at the age of 80.
Date of Photo1870Map^[1]ContributorMaye Dunn

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Location (city or town)CharlestonPersonMary Smith Last edited by: Tracey Butler

Organisation (eg business)'West Coast' HotelEventMary Smith outside her 'West Coast' Hotel, Charleston.1870.

Category Information

Category TagHotels Last edited by: Tracey Butler

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CommentsBevan Pringle
Love the photo I had hotel there in 1985

Glenn Johnston
I think that she was the hotel proprietoress "Dirty Mary's Creek" aka "Mary's Dirty Creek and Mary's Creek" was named after. She complained about the mining making the water dirty and the miners started calling the creek "Mary's Dirty Creek" which morphed in to Dirty Mary's Creek. I think the maps just have it shown as Mary's Creek these days but I remember when it was marked Dirty Mary's Creek.

Marlene Coleman
The real Mary Smith was born in England as Mary McGee, arrived in Westland around
1859 and appears to have been widowed or abandoned soon after her only child Thomas
Harrington ‘Waimea’ Smith was born at the goldfield settlement of Waimea north of Hokitika.
Mary Smith opened her first hotel at Broomielaw Creek, near Charleston, in 1869 and the following year moved to the West Coast Hotel at Charleston where she lived for the rest of her life, becoming a successful hotel keeper and property owner and sending her son to Dunedin High School. She died at Charleston in 1912 at the age of 80.

Glenn Johnston
Marlene Coleman A quick critique! She would not have arrived in Westland in 1859. It must have been a later date.

Marlene Coleman
Glenn Johnston this was taken from a thesis on nz poets & writers writing about the Coast. This section was from the excerpt about "Mary Smiths Hotel". The author maybe wrong about the date although he does say "around 1859".

Marlene Coleman
Maybe Broomielaw Creek was where Dirty Marys Creek is now?

Pete Doncliff
Marlene Coleman Bromielaw Creek is just south of Charleston.....it is signposted

Pete Doncliff
I think the name "Dirty Mary's" should be reinstated for historical reasons....it was only changed in the "80s after a local lady complained to the then Roads Board that the word "Dirty" had other connotations, which of course it didnt.....

Anne Milligan
Pete Doncliff how did it get that name Pete?

Anne Milligan
Pete Doncliff just read an early post about the creek, so have the answer.

Pete Doncliff
Anne Milligan it was named after Mary Boyle, an extremely clean person who did her washing in the creek, but could never get it clean enough with the sludge from the tailings coming down the creek....they called it Dirty Marys just to annoy herMarlene Coleman
Theres a book called "Mary Smiths Hotel".

Theresa Gibson
Lyn N Moe an amazing story. Read and re read. The atmosphere is still there.
Glenn Johnston
It is unlikely that Mary Smith arrived on the West Coast in in 1859! It would almost certainly have been in the 1860's, perhaps late 1864 or 1865?

Gregory Ross
Glenn Johnston my initial thought too Glenn, because gold was not discovered until around 1860 - 62, but maybe she was part of a sealing station, or some other settlement or project (e.g. missionary?) not to do with gold.....

Clare Pierson
Glenn Johnston NZ Govt BDM has a record of Thomas Smith born to Mary Smith in 1867.

Glenn Johnston
Clare Pierson Useful info, thanks!

Lyn N Moe
The second page says 1872 six years after Charleston had come into being as a city of gold.

Clare Pierson
The Greymouth Evening Star of 4 June 1902 has Mary as licensee of the West Coast Hotel, Charlestown where there were two other hotels as well.

Lyn N Moe
Clare Pierson Thats interesting Clare, good work.

Clare Pierson
Lyn N Moe there is also death notice for her in 1912. It does not provide any extra information though.

Lyn N Moe
Clare Pierson 1912 was also the date she died in the book, you have been busy Clare.

Clare Pierson
Lyn N Moe I find West Coast history interesting!

Mary Moffitt
There were a lot of people looking for gold long before the rushes occurred. I am increasingly amazed to see the numbers arriving on ships in earlier times than that - and just as settlers in many cases.

Maree Lewis
Primitive, by today's standards. What hard work it must have been for this poor soul!

Maggie Weston
The previously named Dirty Mary’s Creek nearCharleston was apparently named after a fastidiously clean woman called Mary (as I was told). Would there be an association here?

Suzanne McGeady
Theres also a Dirty Mary’s Creek and Bridge just off Maimai Road.

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