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Greymouth Evening Star, 11 February 1947, Page 2

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BLACKBALL CREEK DREDGE 40 YEARS’ ASSOCIATION WITH INDUSTRY INTERESTING HISTORY The Blackball Creek gold dredge which, under different names and in different localities, has been associated with the industry on the West Coast for the • past 40 years, has apparently reached the end of its career. The Blackball Creek Gold Dredging Company has made application to go into voluntary liquidation and the employees of the dredge, with the exception of a small number engaged on the dismantling of the dredge, have been paid off. The present owners of the dredge, the Blackball Creek Company, are the only ones to have operated it at a profit during its career on the West Coast. It was originally purchased in Australia during the dredging boom on the West Coast in the early 1900’s, and was reassembled on the Ahaura river. This venture was not a success and it was later shifted to Maori Gully, where again it failed to yield profitable returns. After a period of idleness it was again shifted, 15 years ago, to German Gully (near Nelson Creek) to work an area for the Brian Boru Gold Dredging Company. This company had a relatively brief career, gold returns falling a long way below expectations, and once again the dredge came on the market.

Early in 1937, the Blackball Creek Company was floated, to work an area in the creek below the terrace on which the town of Blackball stands and the dredge was purchased from the Brian Boru Company. It was shifted to Blackball and since May, 1937, has produced about £40,000 worth of gold a year. The paid-up capital, mostly subscribed by Greymouth residents, was £lB,OOO and the dredge has returned 180 percent. to the shareholders in the form of dividends.

Recently, the dredge has been working in relatively poor ground and faced with heavy maintenance expenditure, the company decided to discontinue operations, and to make application for permission to go into voluntary liquidation. The employees, with the exception of those required to dismantle the plant, have already been paid off. The dredge employed 13 men, mainly residents of Blackball, and the annual wages bill was between £4OOO and £5OOO. The dredge was electrically operated and its closing down removes a substantia] consumer from the Grey Electric Power Board’s industrial load.