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(Grey Library)
West Coasters 1860-2010
The Golden Grey
Mayor tony Kokshoorn

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In 1896, 65 mine workers were killed here in one single explosion because safety wasn't a priority.

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School library book: Today in New Zealand history

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Here is a website about coal link

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The photograph shows one of the first bodies to be recovered from the Brunner mine. The worst loss of life in New Zealand mining occurred at this mine on 26 March 1896. An explosion was heard at 9.30 a.m. Two men went underground to investigate and were later found unconscious from black damp, a ...

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This image from about 1900 shows the Brunner bridge across the Grey River, the railway on the south bank, and the destruction of the West Coast bush by the Brunner mining.

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https://nzhistory.govt.nz/sixty-seven-men-die-in-the-Brenner-coal-mine-on-the-west-coast

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Land hunger

In 1841 the New Zealand Company turned its attention to the north of the South Island, looking for sites for settlement. In October, William Wakefield led an advance party across Cook Strait. He chose Nelson for initial settlement, attracted by its harbour. But it soon became clear that there was not enough flat land nearby. In March 1842 the surveyor Frederick Tuckett travelled west to Golden Bay. In November, J. S. Cotterell went over a pass into the Wairau valley. His reports of its rich lands led to a violent confrontation the following year, when Ngāti Toa leaders Te Rauparaha and Te Rangihaeata resisted the survey parties.

Brunner, Heaphy, Fox and Kehu

Another possibility for land was in the south. Thomas Brunner, a young surveyor in the company, had heard reports from Māori of a huge inland plain. The draughtsman Charles Heaphy made two trips to the area around Lake Rotoiti. In February 1846 he joined Brunner, William Fox and Kehu, an experienced Māori guide, to explore further south-west. Each carried a load of 75 pounds into the 'big wood', with one of the party looking, in Heaphy's words, like 'a grotesque Atlas' and another like a 'peripatetic mushroom'. The party were the first Europeans to see Lake Rotoroa. They started down the Buller River, but turned back before reaching the coast.

Down the West Coast

Soon after returning, in March 1846, Brunner, Heaphy and Kehu set off from Farewell Spit for the Buller River on the West Coast. Carrying heavy loads, they added another Māori, Etau, to their group. But Kehu was the star. Heaphy concluded that he was 'a perfect bushman ... a good shot ... a capital manager of a canoe, a sure snarer of wild-fowl, and a superb fellow at a ford ... he is worth his weight in tobacco!' Eating weka, pāua, sea eggs and hot penguin soup, and clambering up cliffs on rata vines, the party reached the Buller and then the Taramakau River before turning back.

Explorer epicure

Charles Heaphy admitted that sometimes explorers had a slender meal, but 'more frequently they dine off pigeon, off grey and blue duck, off eel and crayfish, or, queen of wild fowl, woodhen. ... Hail to thee, weka! - tender as chicken, gamey as pheasant, gelatinous as roaster. Elia, when he wrote his essay on sucking pig, knew not of thee.'

Brunner's big journey

Although confident that a large inland plain did not exist, Brunner remained unsatisfied. He set off again in December 1846 with Kehu, another Māori guide called Pikewate, and their wives. They went down the Buller to the coast and proceeded south as far as the Paringa River. The party returned via the Grey River, where Brunner discovered coal, 'very bright and sparkling'.

When he reached Motueka, in June 1848, Brunner had been away for 550 days without hearing a word of English. He had endured bitter cold, rain and starvation. He had eaten from the bush, becoming so hungry that he was forced to eat his dog, Rover, which earned him the name Kai Kurī (dog eater). It was the most sustained feat of endurance in New Zealand exploration. Brunner had acquired, in his own words, 'the two greatest requisites for bushmen in New Zealand, viz., the capability of walking barefoot, and the proper method of cooking and eating fern root.' He had also firmly laid to rest the possibility of vast grassy acres for the Nelson province.

To the south-east

Unable to find suitable land in the west or south, Nelson stockmen looked to the south-east. After Lieutenant Governor E. J. Eyre had spied possible routes from near the summit of Tapuae-o-Uenuku in the inland Kaikōuras in 1849, sheep men tried to find a pass. In 1850, A. Impey, Captains W. M. Mitchell and Edwin Dashwood, and Frederick Weld all explored Awatere and Wairau routes. Then in 1852 Edward Lee and Edward Jollie succeeded in bringing 1,800 sheep south via the Wairau River and Jollies Pass and on to Hanmer. Weld found a shorter route three years later.

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5. - European exploration - Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand

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Land hunger In 1841 the New Zealand Company turned its attention to the north of the South Island, looking for sites for settlement. In October, William Wakefield led an advance party across Cook Strait. He chose Nelson for initial settlement, attracted by its ...

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https://nzhistory.govt.nz/sixty-seven-men-die-in-the-brunner-coal-mine-on-the-west-coast -

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The Brunner Mine disaster happened at 9:30am on Thursday 26 March 1896, when an explosion deep in the Brunner Mine, in the West Coast region of New Zealand's South island. It killed all 65 miners below ground. The Brunner Mine disaster is the worst mining disaster in New Zealand's history.

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The tragic news from the Pike River mine has put me in mind of another mining disaster on the West Coast. In 1896 sixty-five workers were killed at the Brunner mine after a methane-gas explosion. It was New Zealand's worst industrial accident.

On the morning of 26th March, 1896, an explosion ripped through the mine. The first two men who went in to investigate were overcome by 'black damp' (the miners term for a deadly mixture of nitrogen and carbon monoxide). They were found unconscious due to the lack of oxygen.

Many of the rescuers who followed were also overcome by the black damp. Men's lungs were permanently damaged, and some could never work again.

The explosion had been caused by 'fire-damp', the mostly methane gas formed as decaying plant matter becomes coal. Miners believed that the gas had accumulated because of insufficient ventilation, although an Inquiry cleared the mining company of any negligence. You can read more about what happened on Te Ara, and see a photo of it on Te Papa's Collections Online.

Sixty-five bodies were recovered from the Brunner mine. The West Coast community was devastated - as they are today.

I learnt about the Brunner Mine disaster when I travelled to the West Coast, under the auspices of National Services Te Paerangi, to facilitate a concept development workshop with Shantytown living history museum.

I was privileged to be given a tour of the Brunner Mine site by my wonderful host, Jackie Gurden. When I stood amongst the mist and read the list of names inscribed on the memorial, I felt the great sadness of that loss.

This week, those memories have come back to me. Our thoughts are with you all on the West Coast. Aroha nui.

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The Brunner mine disaster | Te Papa's Blog

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The tragic news from the Pike River mine has put me in mind of another mining disaster on the West Coast. In 1896 sixty-five workers were killed at the Brunner mine after a methane-gas explosion. It was New Zealand's worst industrial accident.

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Explore the fascinating and family-friendly historic Brunner Mine and enjoy the interactive displays.

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lachlan.c

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In 1896, 65 mine workers were killed here in one single explosion because safety wasn't a priority.

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the brunner mine was the best source of coal for a very long time

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Explore the fascinating and family-friendly historic Brunner Mine and enjoy the interactive displays.

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Coal was discovered on the West Coast by Nelson surveyor Thomas Brunner "during the most arduous of his journeys in search of more agricultural land". The coal was of extremely high quality and it did not take long before it attracted interest.

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brunner_Mine

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Explore the fascinating and family-friendly historic Brunner Mine and enjoy the interactive displays.

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brunner_Mine_disaster

https://nzhistory.govt.nz/sixty-seven-men-die-in-the-brunner-coal-mine-on-the-west-coast

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Explore the fascinating and family-friendly historic Brunner Mine and enjoy the interactive displays.

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https://earthhow.com/coal-formation/

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The Brunner Mine disaster in Brunnerton on the West Coast on 26 March 1896 was the worst mining disaster in New Zealand's history. A total of 65 miners died in the disaster, almost half of the Brunner underground work force.

What happened?

The explorer Thomas Brunner had discovered a seam of good quality coal on the banks of the Grey River in July 1847 during his 1846-48 exploration of the area. The first load of coal left the West Coast in July 1864 by ship, but it was not until a railway to Greymouth had been built in 1876 that the Brunner coal fields really began to grow. Major harbour works at Greymouth in the 1880s also helped the shipping of coal to other parts of New Zealand.

At about 9:30am on the morning of 26 March, 1896, a sound like artillery fire was heard, and smoke was seen coming out of the pithead. The area of the Brunner Mine in 1896 was over 230 acres. There was no damage to the buildings at the entrance to the mine because the explosion was so deep into the mine.

A crowd gathered while the manager and the underground engineer went down to check what had happened. When they did not return, miners from other shifts followed them, only to find the two men unconscious from black damp. The rescue party moved further into the diggings. Groups of rescuers came from Blackball, Greymouth, Westport, and other parts of the Coast as news of the disaster spread.

From 11:00am they began bringing out the bodies of the dead miners. But even as they worked, the rescuers were affected by the gas in the air and the lack of ventilation, and could only work in short shifts. Many were brought out unconscious. This misled the onlookers into thinking that some of the original miners were being brought out alive.

As groups moved deeper into the mine they found signs of a huge explosion. The railway line and trucks were twisted and smashed, and some of the bodies recovered were so badly mutilated that they had to be identified by their clothing. By 2:00pm the next day, 64 bodies had been brought out of the mine. It could be seen that those away from the point of explosion had been trying to escape and had been suffocated by the black damp. Black damp is the miners' name for a mixture of nitrogen and carbon dioxide. If there is not enough oxygen in the air, miners can suffocate. It took a further three days to locate the last body. A total of 65 miners died in the disaster, almost half of the Brunner underground work force.

How many died?

65 miners died.

Other events and outcomes

53 of the dead miners were buried on 29 March at Stillwater Cemetery, 33 in the one grave. It was estimated that the funeral procession, which stretched for half a mile, was made up of approximately 6,000 people.

Richard Seddon was then the Premier of New Zealand, and represented the people of the West Coast in Parliament. He had been visiting Hokitika at the time of the disaster and quickly made his way to Brunnerton where he was able to give promises of government support for the rescue effort.

A disaster relief fund for the miners' families was launched the day after the explosion, and money was given from all parts of New Zealand. Altogether more than £32,000 was raised for the fund.

A commission of inquiry found that the management of the mine could not be blamed, and that the explosion had been the result of human error. A charge had been placed the wrong way around, in a part of the mine where there should have been no one working.

Experienced miners believed that fire damp had accumulated and not been cleared properly by the ventilation system, and a series of explosions had been the result. Fire damp is the miner's name for a gas of mostly methane which forms as decaying plant matter turns into coal. It becomes explosive when mixed with a certain amount of air. As a result of the explosion, the ventilation system in the deeper parts of the mine was destroyed. More exit shafts would not necessarily have saved more lives.

An obelisk, or stone memorial, was erected to the miners at Stillwater Cemetery and dedicated in 1900. In 1996 a statue of a late nineteenth century miner was placed at the entrance to the Brunner Mine.

The Brunner Mine disaster was the worst mining disaster in New Zealand's history.

More information and sources

Disasters

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The Brunner Mine disaster in Brunnerton on the West Coast on 26 March 1896 was the worst mining disaster in New Zealand's history. A total of 65 miners died in the disaster, almost half of the Brunner underground work force.

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brunner_Mine_disaster

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The Brunner Mine disaster in Brunnerton on the West Coast on 26 March 1896 was the worst mining disaster in New Zealand's history. A total of 65 miners died in the disaster, almost half of the Brunner underground work force.

What happened?

The explorer Thomas Brunner had discovered a seam of good quality coal on the banks of the Grey River in July 1847 during his 1846-48 exploration of the area. The first load of coal left the West Coast in July 1864 by ship, but it was not until a railway to Greymouth had been built in 1876 that the Brunner coal fields really began to grow. Major harbour works at Greymouth in the 1880s also helped the shipping of coal to other parts of New Zealand.

At about 9:30am on the morning of 26 March, 1896, a sound like artillery fire was heard, and smoke was seen coming out of the pithead. The area of the Brunner Mine in 1896 was over 230 acres. There was no damage to the buildings at the entrance to the mine because the explosion was so deep into the mine.

A crowd gathered while the manager and the underground engineer went down to check what had happened. When they did not return, miners from other shifts followed them, only to find the two men unconscious from black damp. The rescue party moved further into the diggings. Groups of rescuers came from Blackball, Greymouth, Westport, and other parts of the Coast as news of the disaster spread.

From 11:00am they began bringing out the bodies of the dead miners. But even as they worked, the rescuers were affected by the gas in the air and the lack of ventilation, and could only work in short shifts. Many were brought out unconscious. This misled the onlookers into thinking that some of the original miners were being brought out alive.

As groups moved deeper into the mine they found signs of a huge explosion. The railway line and trucks were twisted and smashed, and some of the bodies recovered were so badly mutilated that they had to be identified by their clothing. By 2:00pm the next day, 64 bodies had been brought out of the mine. It could be seen that those away from the point of explosion had been trying to escape and had been suffocated by the black damp. Black damp is the miners' name for a mixture of nitrogen and carbon dioxide. If there is not enough oxygen in the air, miners can suffocate. It took a further three days to locate the last body. A total of 65 miners died in the disaster, almost half of the Brunner underground work force.

How many died?

65 miners died.

Other events and outcomes

53 of the dead miners were buried on 29 March at Stillwater Cemetery, 33 in the one grave. It was estimated that the funeral procession, which stretched for half a mile, was made up of approximately 6,000 people.

Richard Seddon was then the Premier of New Zealand, and represented the people of the West Coast in Parliament. He had been visiting Hokitika at the time of the disaster and quickly made his way to Brunnerton where he was able to give promises of government support for the rescue effort.

A disaster relief fund for the miners' families was launched the day after the explosion, and money was given from all parts of New Zealand. Altogether more than £32,000 was raised for the fund.

A commission of inquiry found that the management of the mine could not be blamed, and that the explosion had been the result of human error. A charge had been placed the wrong way around, in a part of the mine where there should have been no one working.

Experienced miners believed that fire damp had accumulated and not been cleared properly by the ventilation system, and a series of explosions had been the result. Fire damp is the miner's name for a gas of mostly methane which forms as decaying plant matter turns into coal. It becomes explosive when mixed with a certain amount of air. As a result of the explosion, the ventilation system in the deeper parts of the mine was destroyed. More exit shafts would not necessarily have saved more lives.

An obelisk, or stone memorial, was erected to the miners at Stillwater Cemetery and dedicated in 1900. In 1996 a statue of a late nineteenth century miner was placed at the entrance to the Brunner Mine.

The Brunner Mine disaster was the worst mining disaster in New Zealand's history.

More information and sources

Disasters

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The Brunner Mine disaster in Brunnerton on the West Coast on 26 March 1896 was the worst mining disaster in New Zealand's history. A total of 65 miners died in the disaster, almost half of the Brunner underground work force.

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link for more facts and information
I don't have a book yet
New Zealand history Information

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At 9.30 a.m. an explosion tore through the Brunner mine in Westland's Grey Valley. Two men sent underground to investigate were later found unconscious from black damp, a suffocating mixture of nitrogen and carbon dioxide.

Rescuers began bringing out bodies around 11 a.m. The noxious gases took their toll on those in the rescue parties, many of whom collapsed and had to be carried out.

The final death toll was 65 - almost half of Brunner's underground work force. This remains New Zealand's deadliest industrial accident.

Fifty-three of the victims were buried in the Stillwater cemetery, 33 of them in a single grave. The funeral procession stretched 800 metres.

The official enquiry determined that the cause was the detonating of a charge in a part of the mine where no one should have been working. However, some experienced miners claimed that firedamp - methane gas produced by coal - had accumulated and not been cleared by an ineffectual ventilation system.

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At 9.30 a.m. an explosion tore through the Brunner mine in Westland's Grey Valley. Two men sent underground to investigate were later found unconscious from black damp, a suffocating mixture of nitrogen and carbon dioxide. Rescuers began bringing out bodies around 11 a.m.

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today in new Zealand history

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The Brunner Mine disaster happened at 9:30am on Thursday 26 March 1896, when an explosion deep in the Brunner Mine, in the West Coast region of New Zealand's South island. It killed all 65 miners below ground. The Brunner Mine disaster is the worst mining disaster in New Zealand's history.

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https://blog.tepapa.govt.nz/2010/11/26/the-brunner-mine-disaster/

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Book-School Libery book Glimpse of Grey mouth and district, on page 36
Link 1-Here is a article about brunner mine it is made by Wikipedia witch has made a post about everything Link
Link 2-this one has more detail and pictures down below
coal-here is a website about coal link

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By the 1880s the underground Brunner Coal Mine was the largest producer in New Zealand and had associated works, such as a railway bridge, as well as an ever expanding settlement. There were also other industries at Brunner, including brickmaking and coke production.

A few years later, in 1896, the mine was the scene of New Zealand's deadliest industrial incident, when 65 workers died as a result of gas igniting. Despite the event, production continued, reaching its height in 1901. At its peak the mine employed around 300 men and boys. A few years later the mine closed but small scale operations continued until the 1930s.

The social impact of the Brunner Mine Disaster and other local mining tragedies is demonstrated through numerous memorials. The first memorial at Brunner was established in 1900, and on its centenary another memorial was unveiled, including the names of those who died in subsequent similar local tragedies at the Dobson (1926), Kaye and Party (1940), Strongman (1967) and Boatman's No 4 (1985) mines.

In 2007 a memorial was erected in Rungaga specifically to honour the 19 workers who died in the Strongman Mine explosion. This was New Zealand's largest underground mine at the time and, up until that point, was said to have an impeccable safety record.

In 2013 another memorial was erected in the Karoro cemetery in Greymouth. This commemorates all the dead from local mining disasters to date, including the 29 workers who perished in the Pike River Mine (2010). Coal mining continues to be economically dominant locally, with most of it being for export.

Heritage recognition

This place has been recognised by Heritage New Zealand as a:

Historic Area (List no.7051)
Brunner Coal Mining Remains Historic Area: New Zealand Heritage List/Rarangi Korero information

Category 1 historic place (List no.4996)
Brunner Industrial Site: New Zealand Heritage List/Rarangi Korero information

Category 2 historic place (List no.7399)
Suspension Bridge: New Zealand Heritage List/Rarangi Korero information
http://www.heritage.org.nz/the-list/details/7399
.

Find out more

Access

There is a carpark on State Highway 7 and visitors can cross the suspension bridge to access the main mine site on the Taylorville Road side of the river.

References

" Brunner Mine Site Walk " Department of Conservation, accessed 7 September 2015.

Simon Nathan, "West Coast places - Grey coal towns" Te Ara - Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Last modified 17 June 2015.

State Highway 7, between Dobson and Stillwater, Westland, South Island.

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Brunner Coal Mine and West Coast Mining Disasters | Engineering New Zealand

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By the 1880s the underground Brunner Coal Mine was the largest producer in New Zealand and had associated works, such as a railway bridge, as well as an ever expanding settlement. There were also other industries at Brunner, including brickmaking and coke production.

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today in new zealand history

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By the 1880s the underground Brunner Coal Mine was the largest producer in New Zealand and had associated works, such as a railway bridge, as well as an ever expanding settlement. There were also other industries at Brunner, including brickmaking and coke production.

A few years later, in 1896, the mine was the scene of New Zealand's deadliest industrial incident, when 65 workers died as a result of gas igniting. Despite the event, production continued, reaching its height in 1901. At its peak the mine employed around 300 men and boys. A few years later the mine closed but small scale operations continued until the 1930s.

The social impact of the Brunner Mine Disaster and other local mining tragedies is demonstrated through numerous memorials. The first memorial at Brunner was established in 1900, and on its centenary another memorial was unveiled, including the names of those who died in subsequent similar local tragedies at the Dobson (1926), Kaye and Party (1940), Strongman (1967) and Boatman's No 4 (1985) mines.

In 2007 a memorial was erected in Rungaga specifically to honour the 19 workers who died in the Strongman Mine explosion. This was New Zealand's largest underground mine at the time and, up until that point, was said to have an impeccable safety record.

In 2013 another memorial was erected in the Karoro cemetery in Greymouth. This commemorates all the dead from local mining disasters to date, including the 29 workers who perished in the Pike River Mine (2010). Coal mining continues to be economically dominant locally, with most of it being for export.

Heritage recognition

This place has been recognised by Heritage New Zealand as a:

Historic Area (List no.7051)
Brunner Coal Mining Remains Historic Area: New Zealand Heritage List/Rarangi Korero information

Category 1 historic place (List no.4996)
Brunner Industrial Site: New Zealand Heritage List/Rarangi Korero information

Category 2 historic place (List no.7399)
Suspension Bridge: New Zealand Heritage List/Rarangi Korero information
http://www.heritage.org.nz/the-list/details/7399
.

Find out more

Access

There is a carpark on State Highway 7 and visitors can cross the suspension bridge to access the main mine site on the Taylorville Road side of the river.

References

" Brunner Mine Site Walk " Department of Conservation, accessed 7 September 2015.

Simon Nathan, "West Coast places - Grey coal towns" Te Ara - Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Last modified 17 June 2015.

State Highway 7, between Dobson and Stillwater, Westland, South Island.

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Brunner Coal Mine and West Coast Mining Disasters | Engineering New Zealand

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By the 1880s the underground Brunner Coal Mine was the largest producer in New Zealand and had associated works, such as a railway bridge, as well as an ever expanding settlement. There were also other industries at Brunner, including brickmaking and coke production.

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this is where im going to find my facts about brunner mine i dont have a book yet but this is how far i got brunner mine Brunner Mine

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https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/west-coast/places/brunner-mine-area/

https://nzhistory.govt.nz/sixty-seven-men-die-in-the-brunner-coal-mine-on-the-west-coast

http://theconversation.com/coals-formation-is-a-window-on-an-ancient-world-54333

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The disaster happened at 9:30am on Thursday 26th of march 1896 .

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The photograph shows one of the first bodies to be recovered from the Brunner mine. The worst loss of life in New Zealand mining occurred at this mine on 26 March 1896. An explosion was heard at 9.30 a.m. Two men went underground to investigate and were later found unconscious from black damp, a ...

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today in nz history  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brunner_Mine_disaster

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The Brunner Mine was a coal mine on the West Coast of the South Island in New Zealand. Mine entrance at the Brunner Mine, ca. 1900. The Brunner Mine was ...

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The brunner mine disaster happened at 9:30 on Thursday 26 1896

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Coal was discovered on the West Coast by Nelson surveyor Thomas Brunner "during the most arduous of his journeys in search of more agricultural land". The coal was of extremely high quality and it did not take long before it attracted interest.