BRUNNER WAS A BUSY PLACE IN THE YEAR 1884

Greymouth Evening Star, 21 January 1948, Page 11

BRUNNER WAS A BUSY PLACE IN THE YEAR 1884

Brunner was a very lively place when Mr John Tennent, J.P., now of Greymouth, arrived there with his parents, Mr and Mrs R. Tennent in 1884. ihe family had not long arrived in New Zealand from Scotland, where Mr Tennent had qualified in a hard school for his mine manager’s certificate. After a stay-over in Dunedin, it was natural that Mr Tennent should find his way to where the coal industry was booming. “Yes, it was a real hive of industry,’’ said Mr John Tennent, recalling his earliest days in Brunner in conversation with an Evening Star representative this week. “Coal mining was, of course, the big industry and big quantities of coal were being produVed from Coal Pit Heath, the Rise and the Drunbank and also the Brunner dip. Horses were used to pull the coal over the bridge to the Brunner station, and it was quite common to see three men, with horses, awaiting their turn to cross the bridge. “Taylorville, on the north bank was a growing place, and .from the Brunner bridge right up to Candletown, the hillside was thickly dotted with homes. There were at least 25 of them, although only one or two remain today. The first mayor of Brunner was one of those living in the locality. Later, he left for Wellington and took over the Hotel Cecil there,” added Mr Tennent.

At the time of Mr Tennent’s arrival, the shaft which is now in use at the Wallsend mine was being sunk, the old shaft having been closed by an explosion. He recalls that, in those days, the mine was not very successful, owing largely to the amount of stone in the coal. He also remembers that there were a large number of accidents in the mine in those days. As a contrast, Coal Pit Heath and Brunner coal was keenly sought and they were enjoying prosperity. Tyneside had been working earlier but at that time had been idle for some time. Later, it was opened out again and was fairly successful for a period. Sawmilling was attracting a certain amount of interest in Taylorville, where the flat country was heavily timbered. A number of people, however, “drifted” down to Dobson, which had a population of between 250 and 300 people, catered for by three hotels. In Brunner itself there was a population of about 1500. Brickworks and Coke Ovens The brickworks and coke ovens at Brunner were at their height and Mr Tennent recalls that one of the employees, John Scott, lifted a number of prizes at exhibitions in Melbourne and elsewhere for the quality of the articles turned out at Brunner. Prizes were also won for. retorts and firebricks. “One of the sights of Brunner at night was the flames belching from the coke ovens and the brickworks chimneys,” said Mi' Tennent. The district w’as well provided with schools in Mr Tennent’s schooldays, with fully staffed buildings at Taylorville, Dobson and Richardson (now known as Stillwater). The Stillwater school was built about 1888 and with its opening, Mr Tennent remembers, the children of the district were “zoned.” Those living north of the Brunner station had to go to Richardson; those to the south to Dobson and those on the north side of the river to the Taylorville school. Brunner residents were also well catered for by shops. Among some of the well known premises were those of Mi’ McFarland (general store and bakery), Mr Hilderbrand (butchery); Mr Joseph Taylor (store and general merchandise); Langridge and Masters (store —which began at Taylorville and later absorbed Mr Taylor’s business and also branched out at Wallsend); Mr Denhard (bakery at

Wallsend); Mr M. McDonnell (general store—a business still continued by his son, Mr E. McDonnell, at Greymouth); Mr E. Maxwell, who later became well-known in the Cosmopolitan Hotel, Greymouth, had a hotel at Wallsend. Early Boot Factory In’ those days Brunner also had a boot factory—Gibson’s Brunner boot factory, situated just on top of the hill before the dip down to the Brunner station. Mr W. Parkinson, who later opened a business in Greymouth, established a dispensary in Brunner in 1883 and whenever’ a doctor could not be obtained, Mr Parkinson was the general factotum. One of his sidelines was the extraction of teeth, at 2s 6d each. At Dobson there was a ferry across the river, to obviate the long walk around to Taylorville via the Brunner bridge. The ferrymen, who Were known to all, were Pat Rogers and Charlie Flowers. The last named also conducted an accommodation house at Dobson. The Wallsend-Taylorville suspension bridge was built in the ’Bo’s by a man named Fisher and at the time there was considerable comment on. the fact that the bridge was just about the same length as the depth of the Wallsend mine, shaft. Rocky Island in the 1880’s was just as popular with the younger generauon as a swimming place as it is today and Mr Tennent recalls that many Brunner children learned to swim there. The island was then well covered with vegetation, but with people moving about on it. the growth was soon killed out. Another “big event? for the childrent of those days was the passing of the mail, coaches to and from Reefton and the Grey Valley diggings, especially when the downward coaches were accompanied by a mounted constable, complete with obvious revolver pouch. That was always a sure sign that gold consignments were being brought in. All heavy traffic passed through Brunner as well and many were the wagon loads which rumbled ’ through the townships. j Early Stillwater | There were a number of people liv- ; ing at Richardson (Stillwater) at the time and it had assumed considerable importance as the headquarters of the Midland railway. It was a won-

derful day for the district when the then Minister of Public Works (Mr Richardson, after whom the place was temporarily named) turned the first sod of the railway. The line from Stillwater was pushed on towards Reefton and there was another cele- , bration on August 11, 1889 when the ! first passengers were carried between I Brunner and Ngahere. Once the line 'reached Ngahere it was pushed on I fairly rapidly, linking up all the way with the coaches as the gaps were filled. Parts of Stillwater, on the flat near • the creek, were badly hit by the famous Jubilee flood of 1887, and Mr Tennent remembers that a hotel, situated where the backed up water of the creek could reach it, had water pouring out of the windows of the upper storey i Maritime Strike Apart, of course, from the mine disaster, the biggest blow that the district received in the early days was the big maritime strike of 1890, which spread to the mines. With the strike, ; the boom burst and houses which had ! cost £3OO were sold for £25 or £3o—- — as Mr Tennent put it, people were glad to get a few pounds to get away. An unforgettable event in connection with the strike was the arrival of the free labour brought in to work the mines. . In the interests of public safety, the police swore in a lot of the union officials as special constables and as such they had to stand by and see the “imports” arrive and take up quarters in the bunkhouses which had been built for them. Feelings ran high and there were many fights during the period, extending even to the schoolgrounds. • As a general rule, however, Brunner was a law-abiding community in those days. ,Mr Tennent recalls that pilfering was almost unknown and the residents could leave their houses with the doors wide open with impunity. In contrast to the “boom” in the mining towns, Greymouth itself was at a fairly low ebb in the 80’s and old Brunner residents will remember that they were always welcome when they came into town on a shopping expedition. It was said that when the train from Brunner arrived, Greymouth businessmen were on their doorsteps waiting to welcome the people from the mining town.