Thursday, February 2nd, 2023 - Reefton and Blackball

 Although there is a model (re-created) mining town very close to Greymouth, Nadine and I followed the recommendation of a friend and travelled an hour and a half to visit a couple of real mining towns - Reefton and Blackball.

An Old Mining Shack on Main Street, Reefton

The larger, and more developed of the two towns, was Reefton, which had a history of both coal and gold mining. The name of the town derives from a 'reef' of quartz near the town that held the gold that was mined between the 1870's and the 1950's.

The Bearded Mining Company on Broadway, Reefton

We thought it rather peculiar to call a mining company, 'The Bearded Mining Company', but we soon saw why.

One of the 'Bearded Miners' of Reefton

We were greeted by two men, who manage this reconstructed, traditional cedar slab hut, typical of the 1870's huts used by the miners. It is a Rotary project, created in the 1990's to allow visitors to see 'the way things were'. He explained that the gold, although it started as alluvial mining, was a full underground operation, digging into the quartz seam that held the precious metal. 

Gold Flakes in a Quartz Rock

He showed us the type of quartz that was mined, and it was easy to see the fragments of gold in it. He said this was low grade - had more value as a specimen than for the gold it held. He said he found it in an old slag heap, but won't tell interested persons where it was.

The Second 'Bearded Miner' we Met

The other man at this 'living museum' was much more retiring - he held back under the porch and wasn't volunteering any information. I sat beside him and asked if he had been a miner. He said 'no', his Dad wouldn't let him. My follow-up question, of course, was 'Why not?' His response floored me - he said 'Because he was carried home on a plank!' Clearly Dad had either died, or was disabled from his work in the mine. That shut me up and I had no more questions!

One of the stores in Reefton

The main street was charming, with little baskets of flowers hanging from the overhangs, brightening up the space. 

Yet Another Bearded Man! Reefton Sports Store

Lo and behold, when we entered that store, we found yet another bearded man! It must be the 'thing' in this town. He told us that he had recently cut it, as he works for the emergency service (local ambulance) in addition to this job and had to cut his beard back to be able to wear a mask for the ambulance job.

Example of the Underground Mine in Reefton

There was an excellent Visitor Information Center there, which had a 'model' of a mining tunnel. We learned also that Reefton was the first town in New Zealand and the Southern Hemisphere, to have electricity, when the Reefton Electric Light and Power Company built a hydroelectric plant in 1888. It ran from sunset to sunrise, providing light for the town.

Knitting Group at the Visitor's Center

I was thrilled to find a knitting group in action in the Visitor's Center. They said they meet here once a week from 10 am 'til 2 pm. We had a nice chat and agreed that sitting with other women offers a wonderful community experience.

The Town Was Nestled in the Hills
(Note the Gas Price is per liter - so multiply by 3.8 to get price per gallon!)

There is still an operating coal mine nearby, but our visit did not include that, so can't tell you much about it. I understand it is about 5 miles north east and is an open pit mine, so most likely not a pretty site!

The 'Grandest' Building we Saw

As was the case with Greymouth, things were unpretentious. Whatever wealth was created here, did not appear to have been put back into the town with any grand buildings.

This Was the Finest Looking Hotel

This hotel had an 'old world' charm. There are two others in town, but this was the nicest looking in my opinion.

Covered Sidewalk, Reefton

Overall, we found the town charming and were pleased we'd visited.

'Formerly the Blackball Hilton' Hotel

The next little town we visited is a very small town, with a big history. One of the most well known stories relates to this establishment - the 'Formerly the Blackball Hilton Hotel'. Weird name, huh?! It was built in 1910 and happily existed as is for many years, until the Hilton chain of hotels got excited about the use of 'their' name and sued them in the 1990's to make them stop using it. When you consider that the first Hilton hotel opened in 1925, it seems like a bit of moxy on the part of the multinational company.

An Easy Fix!

I loved to see the owner's response - they just slapped the word 'Formerly' to the left of the sign on their upstairs porch, and so now the full name is 'Formerly the Blackball Hilton Hotel'!

Blackball Museum of Working Class History

Next to the hotel was a most interesting outdoor museum, detailing the history of the birth of the Labor Movement here in New Zealand. Although the town began initially as a result of gold mining in the area, coal mining also began in the 1880's. The workers were all employed by the mining company, which owned the entire community. Even if people built their own house, they were required to pay rent to the company.

The Old Blackball Post Office

The houses that still remain are simple, like this old post office. Although the 'company' was owned by British financiers, the town was run by local and loyal agents. Most of the workers came from Britain, Ireland or Australia. They found the climate cold and damp and working conditions far worse than they were accustomed to. They were a long way from home - the voyage taking around 100 days to make by ship! Boys as young as nine were employed to do some of the 'safer' jobs and the miners had to set up their own accident fund and finance the town's doctor. They were forced to work long hours when demand for coal was high, or laid off completely, with no other means of income when demand was low.

'Without Our Brain and Muscle, Not a Single Wheel Can .....(Turn?)'

 It's no surprise that 'disgruntled was the word of the day and it all came to a head in 1908. The spark that lit the fire was the issue of the 15-minute lunch or crib. (Can you imagine being down in a dark mine all day, working with your body the entire time and only having a 15-minute break to have your meal!)

It was on Monday, 27th January, 1908 that the mine manager stood over one of the miners with a watch in his hand and demanded that he return to work when 15 minutes was up. The miner had not yet finished his pie and refused to return to work. He and another miner were fined, but after that every one began taking 30 minutes, so in February, they sacked the original fellow and six others.

This Cartoonist Did Not Have Sympathy for the Strikers!

To cut a long story short, there were many attempts at arbitration, but finally the miners went on strike and were out for three months. At the end, the mining company yielded to their demands and the event puts Blackball on the map as being the birthplace of the New Zealand Labor movement.

Business For Sale

The town is now a shadow of its former self. The mines closed in the 1960's and the town would have died, except that it was discovered by hippies. It seems there was a bit of mismatch between them and the locals, and some buildings were torn down to prevent the hippies from squatting in them. 

Blackball Public Toilets

However, one of the signs told us that were it not for the hippies, the town would not exist today. There are a few stores, including a salami-maker, a cafe and the hotel, with a smattering of houses.

Public Trash Can Cover

We really enjoyed our visit to both these little towns - the experience provided us with a very real look into the suffering of those who built the world as we know it today. I read that retirees have also discovered Blackball and find the affordability of the housing here attractive. I hope it helps this feisty little town stay alive.