Puponga Area Tramways
Introduction
The following brief summaries of the three coal mines in the Puponga area provide an introduction to each of the mines. Links within the text (and in the summary table below that) can take you to pages for the individual mines where a more comprehensive story can be presented.
PUPONGA COAL MINE
Puponga has a long history of coal mining, but coal had been mine at nearby Ferntown and Pakawau for many years prior to the discovery of a substantial seam of good coal at Puponga by Joseph Taylor and his two sons in 1895. Taylor was a trained geologist but also served the district as an Anglican pastor, and while developing the Puponga Coal Mine was met with innumerable struggles, he finally achieved his goal of owning an operational mine by March 1898. With limited funds, development was haphazard and required the construction of a substantial tramway and wharf, with coal being shipped mainly to Nelson and Wellington. Development progressed however, and soon a better tramway and wharf were required to cater for larger ships with longer loading times at the very shallow mudflats of Golden Bay. A small steam locomotive (Donald) was acquire din 1901 and Joseph Taylor continued to control mine development till 1902 when the Supreme Court found him guilty of falsifying the company books and he had to serve a two year prison term. Development of the mine then followed a different path than that planned by Taylor with an even larger wharf and better tramline constructed. Development continued till a very extensive tramway network had been developed with distinct operational phases as the control of the mine changed hands. Mining ceased at Puponga in 1943 and a new mine was opened on the other side of the hill at Wharariki. This was a small scale operation lasting little more than 5 years, when a syndicate decided to drain the Puponga Mine and recommence coal extraction.
CAPE COAL MINE
With a successful coal mine in operation at Puponga, the North Cape Coal Company was formed to set up on an adjoining site in 1902. This venture while generally successful, lasted less than 20 years as it was extensively damaged by the 1929 Murchison earthquake and closed the following year. It too required a tramway to reach deep water, initially running over the mudflats so could only be operated at low tide. A proper wharf was built to even deeper water in 1914.
WHARARIKI COAL MINE
The Wharariki Coal Mine was a small venture tapping a 5 ft seam of coal exposed on the seaward side of the hill from the Puponga Mine. Most of the equipment was salvaged from the closed Pupoga Mine. Coal was only produced for about five years between 1947 and 1953 when the seam started to thin out and equipment failures meant parts of the mine could no longer be pumped dry. A tramway served the main adit with coal being trucked out of the area.
Data Table
| No | Company | Gauge | Length | Motive Power | Start Year | End Year | Output |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Puponga Coal Co | 2'-0" | 5km plus | Steam Locomotives (1 then 2) | 1899 | 1943 | 425,042 Tons |
| 2 | Puponga Coal Co | 2'-0" | 5km plus | Truck | 1953 | 1974 | 145,522 Tons |
| 3 | North Cape Coal Co | 2'-0" | 3km plus | Fordson Rail Tractor | 1911 | 1929 | 120,637 Tons |
| 4 | Wharariki Coal Co | 2'-0" | c.150m | Truck | 1947 | 1953 | 3,279 Tons |
References
The most comprehensive history of mining in the Puoponga area can be found in the book Coal Mines of Puponga by Peter Dyer, River Press 2003.
The early history of the Puponga Mine is covered in the book Mine Alone the biography of Joseph Taylor by R. D. Mercer, Butterfly Creek Books 2007.
Additional material can be found in
Ferntown to Farewell Spit by Carol Dawber & Cheryl Win, River Press 2003.
Golden Bay 100 years of Local Government by J.N.W. Newport, Golden Bay County Council 1975