Mangarakau Area Tramways

INTRODUCTION

Mangarakau was a remote and difficult area to settle, yet significant industries were established here and thrived for a number of years, including farming, flax milling, logging, and coal mining. As it was that only road access to communities even further south, it also boasted a Post and Telegraph office for a while. Things did not really get under way until the area was visited by Mr Prouse with an aim to set up business there. While much of his focus was a little further south at Patarau, both saw and flax milling soon migrated to Mangarakau as well, because the Whanganui Inlet provided safe anchorage for boats where timber and fibre could be loaded. Every wharf in those days was fitted with light rails for use as a tramway as they were generally not suitable for horse and cart loadings let alone traction engines or trucks.

Mangamangarakau Sawmill

This was supposedly the first sawmill in the area and was situated on the small headland beside the Mangamangarakau stream on the south east corner of the inlet (and the north east corner of the Mangarakaua Swamp). Little further information has been found but an undated photograph has been published in Carol Dawber's Book North of Kahurangi West of Golden Bay on Pg122

It was not until Prouse and Saunders established a larger mill at the present Mangarakau village that the milling industry really got established. The Mangarakau mill was contracted to supply 2 million Board Feet of timber for the Taitapu Estate Gold mine (refer to the Golden Ridge Tramway Area) but only 1.2 million was actually milled. Conditions were tough with isolation, high transport costs and high royalty payments eventually leading to the mill closing down around 1920

Mangarakau Flax Mill

Flax milling was one of the earlier industries to be established here but all as small operations that relied on adequate export prices to enable them to survive. Transport was always the big obstacle with little to no formed roads in the early days and plenty of swamp. A large flax mill was established once a tramway was provided to carry the sawn timber from the sawmill at Patarau, that ran past Mangarakau to Pah Point where product could be loaded onto coastal traders. There is no indication that tramways were used in harvesting the flax, but there was a formal arrangement for shared use of the tramway from Mangarakau to Pah Point, a distance of some 7km, much of it just running on the mud flats. The flaxmill machinery was transferred to Mangarakau in 1913 from Patarau where it had been in use since 1903, having been the first mill there. It was powered by as 12HP Brittania steam engine that had be brought to site from Levin and used local coal.

Mangarakau Coal Mine

Coal had been mine in small quantities around the northern end of Whanganui inlet since very early times (1866) but the most promising seams were still rather thin with the dip quickly going under the sea posing real drainage issues. It wasn't till two coal seam were discovered at Mangarakau (known as Prouse's seam) that a viable mine was established to supply coal to Prouse & Saunder's sawmill and flax mill. Mining ceased when the local need for coal dried up.

Wynne & Son's Coal Mine

With coal seams of 9 feet and 5 feet thick, a new mine was opened up south of Mangarakau village in 1940 and and operated by George Wynne and his son Aiden. Aiden continued to operate the mine till 1953 when it was taken over by a cooperative of miners. Then tragedy struck in January 1958 straight after the Christmas/New Year shutdown. Three of the miners triggered a gas explosion some 2km underground. They were killed instantly and a 4th miner going in to investigate suffered sever gas poisoning. While the mine did reopen in 1961 under new ownership, it formally closed in 1965.

For further details refer to the STUFF article at https://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/opinion/75118796/nelsons-own-pike-river-disaster