Waiuta

Waiuta Road, Top Road, Prohibition Road, Side Road, Bottom Road, New Road, Incubator Alley, Shinbone Alley, WAIUTA

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Waiuta in the upper Grey Valley contains the evocative remains of the last and longest-lived of the gold mining towns established on the West Coast, built around what became one of New Zealand’s most successful quartz mines that operated between 1906 and 1951. It comprises the remains of both the gold mining operations and town for what was, at that time, the South Island's largest gold mine, Blackwater Mines Limited, exploiting one of the world’s most regular and persistent gold reefs. In its heyday, the town had a highly social population of over 600 people, with shops, school, two churches, police station, post office, hospital, hotel and sports facilities. Mining activities and daily life were captured in a series of extraordinary photographs by resident miner-photographer, Joseph (Jos.) Divis. What survives today is a tantalising reminder of Waiuta’s thriving past lives and livelihoods, including: the remains of the town, the Blackwater Mines South Shaft and associated features; impressive industrial remains of the Snowy River Battery site to the south; and the later developed Blackwater Mines North (Prohibition) Shaft and associated gold extracting ball mill to the north of the town. Waiuta has high aesthetic, archaeological, cultural, historical, social and technological significance. Waiuta grew from 1906 after a gold-bearing quartz reef was discovered a year earlier. After changing hands in quick succession, in 1907 Blackwater Mines Limited, a subsidiary of London-based Consolidated Goldfields, was formed to run the claim. Although the company had planned a township some distance from the mine, people preferred to live close to their work, so the town sprang up around the new shaft. A few settled in the Snowy River valley some 900 metres to the south where the stamper battery and processing plant was built in 1907-8 to process the ore brought out from the mine to recover the gold. From 1909, a separate existing claim to the north – the Prohibition lease – was progressed with vision but limited success, initially and controversially operating separately from Consolidated Goldfields. Waiuta is a vast area located on a flat valley of a tributary of Snowy River, inland from Ikamatua, accessed by a 17 kilometre winding road east from State Highway 7. There are three main parts to Waiuta. At the centre is the site of the old town which contains roads and tracks, six standing buildings and numerous building remains dotted about the place, as well as the original Blackwater Mine Shaft and associated features. The second main area, to the south of the former town site (accessed down a steep path and steps), is the Snowy River Battery site with its impressive stepped concrete foundations and rusted tanks. To the north of the town is the third main area, Prohibition Hill, with the concrete foundation remains of the last developed of Waiuta’s mining operations. The mine was successful in producing a lot of gold and the town grew rapidly. By 1909 it had between 300 to 400 people, and by 1936 it had grown to around 600, most of whom worked at the mine. Mining operations were modified and extended over time. The Prohibition lease and its plant on the hill above the township was purchased by Consolidated Goldfields of New Zealand in the 1920s. By 1938, the Prohibition shaft became Waiuta’s main shaft and, for its time, New Zealand’s deepest mine shaft. The Snowy River Battery processing operations were superseded by a state-of-the-art ball mill at the Prohibition site but, critically, the original South Shaft remained in operation for pumping and ventilation. However, in July 1951 the South Shaft collapsed, instantly shutting down all mining operations. The company closed the mine and within a few weeks almost everyone had left the town and most of the buildings had been removed by the end of that year. Only a handful of residents remained living at Waiuta but the place was not forgotten. By the late 1970s and early 1980s interested individuals were recording information, including numerous oral and social histories, and it became a place of early ‘heritage recreation’ and conservation efforts by the New Zealand Forest Service. Waiuta is now managed by the Department of Conservation and is a popular visitor site. A highly engaged and organised volunteer group, Friends of Waiuta, also helps to maintain the place and keep its history alive.

Waiuta, West Coast. Ruins of associated bowling green pavilion on top of flattened mullock heap, Waiuta. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 Image courtesy of www.flickr.com | Shellie Evans | 01/11/2016 | Shellie Evans – flyingkiwigirl
Waiuta, West Coast. The brick-lined steel boiler chimney in front of the concrete winding plant foundations and the fenced off Blackwater mineshaft which was 563m deep before it collapsed. Image courtesy of www.flickr.com | Shellie Evans | 09/11/2016 | Shellie Evans – flyingkiwigirl
Waiuta, West Coast. The 'lock-up' can be seen in the photo board, to the right of the Police Station. Image courtesy of www.flickr.com | Shellie Evans | 09/11/2016 | Shellie Evans – flyingkiwigirl
Waiuta, West Coast. The barbershop is the sole surviving commercial building in the town. Image courtesy of www.flickr.com | Shellie Evans – flyingkiwigirl | 09/11/2016 | Shellie Evans
Waiuta, West Coast. c.1930s Township and the south shaft. The bowling club and green can be seen forground right, and on the left can be seen the tower and buildings associated with the Blackwater Mine's south shaft. Ref: PAColl-4796-15 | Joseph Divis | Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand

Location

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List Entry Information

Overview

Detailed List Entry

Status

Listed

List Entry Status

Historic Place Category 1

Access

Able to Visit

List Number

9835

Date Entered

7th July 2021

Date of Effect

7th July 2021

City/District Council

Buller District

Region

West Coast Region

Extent of List Entry

Extent includes the land described as Crown Land (under action) Town of Waiuta (RTs NL1D/354, NL1D/255 and NL1D/265), Secs 2 and 4 Blk XIII Waitahu SD, Secs 6-7 Blk XIII Waitahu SD (RT NL9A/489), Sec 8 Blk XIII Waitahu SD, Secs 2A,2-33 Town of Waiuta, Sec 34 Town of Waiuta (RT NL6A/166), Secs 35-41 Town of Waiuta, Sec 42 Town of Waiuta (NZ Gazette 1979, p. 1397), Sec 43 Town of Waiuta, Pt Sec 44 and Pt Sec 46 Town of Waiuta (RT NL1D/354), Pt Sec 44 Town of Waiuta, Sec 45 Town of Waiuta, Pt Sec 46 Town of Waiuta, Sec 47 Town of Waiuta, Sec 48 Town of Waiuta (RT NL2D/809), Secs 49-51 Town of Waiuta (NZ Gazette 1984, p. 560), Lot 1 DP 18537 (RT NL73/88), Nelson Land District, and part of the land described as Sec 5 Blk XIII Waitahu SD (NZ Gazette 1981, p.1420) and Pt Crown Forest Land Blk IV Mawheraiti SD (NZ Gazette 2020, 4720), Sec 1 SO 14989 (NZ Gazette 2002, p. 602), Legal Road and Legal River, Nelson Land District, and the buildings and structures, including remains of below-ground mine shafts and drives, associated with Waiuta thereon, and the ‘class of chattels’ comprising all objects associated with the Waiuta era of mining within the boundary.Within the boundary of this historic place there are structures that do not contribute to the values of the place and are therefore excluded. These include interpretation and wayfinder signs, barrier fences and public toilets. (Refer to Map of Extent in Appendix 1 of the List entry report for further information).

Legal description

Crown Land (under action) Town of Waiuta (RTs NL1D/354, NL1D/255 and NL1D/265), Secs 2 and 4 Blk XIII Waitahu SD, Secs 6-7 Blk XIII Waitahu SD (RT NL9A/489), Sec 8 Blk XIII Waitahu SD, Secs 2A,2-33 Town of Waiuta, Sec 34 Town of Waiuta (RT NL6A/166), Secs 35-41 Town of Waiuta, Sec 42 Town of Waiuta (NZ Gazette 1979, p. 1397), Sec 43 Town of Waiuta, Pt Sec 44 and Pt Sec 46 Town of Waiuta (RT NL1D/354), Pt Sec 44 Town of Waiuta, Sec 45 Town of Waiuta, Pt Sec 46 Crown Land (under action) Town of Waiuta (RTs NL1D/354, NL1D/255 and NL1D/265), Secs 2 and 4 Blk XIII Waitahu SD, Secs 6-7 Blk XIII Waitahu SD (RT NL9A/489), Sec 8 Blk XIII Waitahu SD, Secs 2A,2-33 Town of Waiuta, Sec 34 Town of Waiuta (RT NL6A/166), Secs 35-41 Town of Waiuta, Sec 42 Town of Waiuta (NZ Gazette 1979, p. 1397), Sec 43 Town of Waiuta, Pt Sec 44 and Pt Sec 46 Town of Waiuta (RT NL1D/354), Pt Sec 44 Town of Waiuta, Sec 45 Town of Waiuta, Pt Sec 46 Town of Waiuta, Sec 47 Town of Waiuta, Sec 48 Town of Waiuta (RT NL2D/809), Secs 49-51 Town of Waiuta (NZ Gazette 1984, p. 560), Lot 1 DP 18537 (RT NL73/88), Sec 5 Blk XIII Waitahu SD (NZ Gazette 1981, p. 1420) and Pt Crown Forest Land Blk IV Mawheraiti SD (NZ Gazette 2020, 4720), Sec 1 SO 14989 (NZ Gazette 2002, p. 602), Legal Road and Legal River, Nelson Land District.

Location Description

Town and Blackwater Mines (South) Shaft Police Station (Former) - GPS E1503060, N5316958 (±5m) (NZTM)] Post Office Foundation (Visitor interpretation site) - GPS E1503130, N5316974 (±4m) Rimu Cottage – GPS E1503092, N5316721 (±5m – recorded at gate) Cottage/Barbershop – GPS E1503079, N5316721 (±5m) Joseph Divis Cottage – GPS E1502667, N5316780 (±5m) Gill’s Cottage – GPS E1502437, N5316944 Concrete cellar - E1502450, N5317134 (±5m) Blackwater Mines South Shaft – E1503032, N5316851 Snowy River Battery Site GPS information (NZTM): E2413013, N5877613 Blackwater Mines North (Prohibition) Shaft GPS information (NZTM) – E2413328, N587915611 GPS information (NZTM) – E2413328, N587915611

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