FIRST DISCOVERIES OF GOLD UN N.Z.

Ohinemuri Gazette, Volume XVI, Issue 2101, 7 September 1906, Page 2

FIRST DISCOVERIES OF GOLD UN N.Z.

EXPLORATION IN THE MIDDLE

ISLAND

MR JAMES MACKAY'S ACCOUNT

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Having ■tfeen requested to give ray version of the early discoveries of gold in New Zealand, I will to the best of ray ability endeavour to do so correctly. The first I heard about gold was from Mr James Spittal, one of the New Zealand Company's survey chainmen, who was working for my father at Nelson in 1847. He stated that when they were laying off the 150 acre sections at Aorere Valley, Massacre Bay, in 1843, one of the men picked up from the river bed a small piece of gold about the size of a French bean. Aorere was the original name of Collingwood. The discoveries in California had not then set the world agog about gold, and nothing more was thought of it. Massacre Bay (now called Golden Bay) was not a desirable place to live in at that time, owing to its inaccessibility, and its ..only inhabitants being Maoris

Next in order, about 1852, Mr Charles Ring arrived at Auckland from the Oalifornian gold diggings, and-■ proceeded to Cororaandel, where he erected a sawmill. In October, 1852, he discovered gold in the Kapanga Stream at Coromandel and other places in that neighbourhood. On this discovery being published, a considerable number of people proceeded to Coromandel to search for gold. On the 30fch November, 1852, Colonel Wynyard, the Lieutenant-Govern-or, found it necessary to enter into an arrangement with the Natives to allow prospecting on their lands between Cape Colville aud Kauaeranga (now known as Shortland, Thames, Thearrangement madiwas as follows : — Paymeut for und-^r 500"men, £(300; from 500 to 1000 men, £900; from 1000 to 1500 men, £1200; from 1500 to 2000 men, £1500 At one time it was estimated there were 3000 persons on the Seid, but as they confined their operations to searching for alluvial gold only, and it not being found in payable quantities, the diggings were deserted; reef mining also not being thought of in those days. Another factor which hastened the abandonment of Coromandel was the fame of the Australian diggings (gold had been discovered by Mr Hargreaves on the banks of the Summer Hill Creek, near Bathurst, in 1851) "and in 1853 there was an exodus of people from New Zealand to the reported Eldorado of Australia. The operations at Coromandel were confined to the localities in the near neighbourhood of the township only, and, as far as I am aware, no prospecting was done between Manaia, south of Coromandel, _ and Kauaeranga, the southern boundary of Governor Wynyard's agreement

Having disposed of the North Island, 1 will next deal with the Middle Island discoveries.

In order to* understand this question it will be necessary to allude to some of the early explorations of the north west, and western portions of the Middle Island. In 1845 Messrs Thomas Brunner, and Charles Heaphy. two of the New Zealand Company's surveyors, travelled from West Wanganui, on foot down the West Coast, as far as Grey River, returning to Nelson by the same route. They reported that the country was very rough and of no value for settlement; and that there were no rivers into which vessels could enter. Th c New Zealand Company were at their wits end to find sufficient land to meet their engagements with the persons who had purchased lands from them in England, and who had arrived in considerable numbers at Nelson. A New Zealand Company's land order cost £300, and the holder of it was entitled to one town section of one acre, one suburban section of 50 acres and one rural section of 150 acres The lands of the two first classes were surveyed and allotted

to the : settlers and the absentee purchavsers. Some of the 150 acre sections were surveyed at Aorere and Takaka, Massacre Bay (so called from tho killing of some of : Abel Tasnoan's sailors -'.'..there). Surveys- on a large scale of other parti of the rural sections had been commenced at Wairau (now Marl : borough) but were interrupted by the chiefs, Te Rauparaha and Rangihaeata, and the Wairau : massacre ensued; Subsequently ! that part of the country was abandoned for the time being. Messrs Fox (agent for the New Zealand Company at Nelson) Brunner, and Heaphy next explored the Rotoiti Lake country, Rotorua River and Lake, and the Tiraumea (Mangles) River, which are all tributaries of the Upper Buller (Kawatiri) River, but they did not discover any valuable country. Mr Brunner next started with two Maoris, and followed the Buller River down from the junction of the. Mangles to the sea. He was accompanied by two Maoris, and on one occasion when in the desolate" black birch country (which contains " very little edible matter,' either vegetable or otherwise) they were reduced to such a state of starvation as to be compelled to sacrifice their dog to save their own lives. Brunner and his party travelled up the Grey River, and proceeded to the Reefton saddle overlooking the Inangahua branch of the Buller. ]To be Continued. |