THE MALVERN HILLS.

Press, Volume XIX, Issue 2818, 14 May 1872, Page 2

THE MALVERN HILLS.

A large block of coal from these hills on the property of M. B. Hart, Esq., weighing 1 ton 3 cwt. 2 qrs., was yesterday presented to the Museum, having been brought down to town by Mr Mcllraith. It is from a locality known as Surveyor's Gully, the seam in which was discovered in 1852 by Robinson Clough, a shepherd in the employment of Messrs. Deans, on the Homebush station. At the request of Mr Godley, Mr Cridland reported under date Of January 19, 1852, that three seams were visible in the bed of the river, the first being lift, wide, the second Bft., and the third Oft., and he also gave it as his opinion that the quality of the coal was far superior to any discovered in New Zealand, and would bear favorabje comparison with the best Australian coal. Coming down to a later period, Dr. Haast, in his preliminary geological report of the Malvern Hills, issued last year, speaks of this locality in the following WO rds —"The seams appear to be most largely developed in the Surveyor's gully, where I discovered a seam more than six feet thick, overlaid by a seam of more than three feet, separated only by about two feet six inches of shales, thus offering about three yards thickness of excellent brown coal for extraction."

Mr Hart in making the presentation to Dγ Haast, on behalf of the Museum, expressed the great pleasure it gave him in thus being able practically to testify to the enormous mineral wealth contained in the Malvern Hills, and hoped that ere long the Government would see their way clear to open up a direct communication between Christchurch and the coal mines, thus utilising the vast lcsourees therein contained, and keeping in the colonj the large sum of money annually sent out for coals.

The block measures 7ft. by 3ft. across, and is 2ft. deep. In addition to this, there is also fireclay of superior quality and ironstone, which latter will be tested.

We certainly must express surprise at the apathy shown by the Government in opening up the communication with so valuable a mineral deposit, the more so when it is recollected that the increasing steamer trade would profitably absorb all that could be delivered, to say nothing of home consumption. . We hope that some steps will be taken either by the Government or private enterprise, to give province the benefit of so important a possession as that of a coalfield almost boundless in extent, and one which had it been possessed by any other colony would long ere this have been utilised.