CARDIFF COAL-MINE

Greymouth Evening Star, 8 December 1939, Page 5

CARDIFF COAL-MINE

REOPENING PROPOSAL. The proposed reopening in the near future 4 of the Cardiff coal-mine, in the Seddonville district, presages an increase in coal-mining activities in one of the oldest coal districts in the South Island. Seddonville. which .is 29 miles north of Westport by rail, was many years ago one of the central mining areas of the Buller district, and at one lime its coal-bearing areas were in part worked by the State. The first State mine at Seddonville, which was the forerunner of the present State mines in the Grey district, closed down many years ago. and the township in recent years has been only a shadow of its earlier size.

Until a few years ago there were two large hotels in the district, but as rhe population gradually dwindled to its present size of just more than 300. trade lessened proportionately, and fairly recently the license of one of the hotels was allowed to lapse, and the building, a big wooden structure which once accommodated scores of miners, was sold for its demolition value.

On several recent visits to tin- West Coast of the Minister for Mines (Mr. Webb) attempts have been made by local deputations to reopen old workings in Seddonville. and it is understood that, working in a small way. the old Cardiff colliery is shortly to begin work again.

More than 40 years ago Seddonville, as an early mining centre, was one of the homes of the earliest type industrial unionism, typified then by the Knights of Labour, forerunner by many years of the present Labour Party.