History+of+Denniston

BEEN AND GONE__**
 * __DENNISTON

In a race against time volunteers set up the 'Friends of the Hill' charitable trust and are trying to preserve as much as possible of the true West Coast Heritage. It has a small museum with restored relics of the past and a wealth of documentation.**
 * Julius Haast and James Burnett first discovered coal at the plateau of the Papahaua Range in 1860. A detailed survey in 1862 established millions of tonnes of extractable coal. It took Robert Denniston to spark an interest in mining this resource and building of the 'Incline' started in 1878. In 1880 the first consignment went down [|the Denniston Incline], fondly referred to by the locals as: 'the Eight's Wonder of the World'. Rapid development culminated in the establishment of a number of settlements with a total population of about 1500 people during the time of peak productivity of the mines . The decline in mining on the Plateau started during the Great Depression in the 30's and ended when it was decided to concentrate on the Stockton open cast mining operation in 1995. Today there are just 7 houses left.


 * __The Camp__**
 * Robert Denniston was not forgotten for his efforts to sell the idea of bringing coal down from the clouds. The burgeoning township was named in his honour. It all began in 1871 when the first survey camp was established and a few workers pitched, or rather perched, a tent on a narrow cliff top flat which would forever after be known as the Camp. This was a full 2 years before the first coal was brought down to Westport by pack horse. Until 1880 there was no township as such. When development of the colliery was almost complete the Westport Coal Company diverted labour from its works to start an extensive building programme.

As late as early 1882 the living conditions were still described as appalling. There were 8 houses and a number of huts, unlined and draughty. There was no running water, no sanitation, no roads or social life. In the same year rapid changes took place with the building of a [|school], library, hotel, post master's office and the establishment of medical services through bi-weekly visits of a Westport medical practitioner. By 1886, 485 people lived at the hill top settlement. Cottages straggled along the Tramline at the Camp, around the ridge and to the more recently developed centre of the settlement. It was also in the school rooms at the Camp that the first religious services were conducted by the Salvation Army.**

Between 24 and 30 houses were built. The name was in honour of the senior mine manager at the time: Mr. Sandy Marshall. Because most of the houses were being occupied by British emigrant miners the settlement soon became known as Pommy Town.**
 * __MARSHALLVALE__**
 * In 1924 the Westport Coal Co. embarked on a house building program.

__**BURNETT'S FACE**__ The name alludes to the face of coal, outcropping on the sides of the gully. James Burnett first surveyed this coal seam in 1863 which is why it bears his name.** Post Office services as well as telephone and banking services were available in one of the general stores. While Denniston had churches for all denominations, Burnett's Face had only a multi-denominational mission house.**
 * Settlement at Burnett's Face started in 1886, the last resident leaving in 1956.
 * In 1901 the official population was 212 and the settlement took great pride in its self sufficiency. There were 2 hotels, a bakery, 3 general stores, a butchery, a fancy goods shop and a public school.


 * __COALBROOKDALE__**
 * Coalbrookdale was named by Julius Haast after a mining village in Shropshire, England. It is said that it was there that the industrial revolution started for mining in England.It was also there that the first Ironbridge was made, again a name duplicated on the Plateau.

With the mining company providing free transport for building materials from Conn's Creek and the miners wanting to live as near to their place of work as possible, houses sprang up wherever space allowed.

Part of the Coalbrookdale settlement was known as Poverty Point. This was where the single men lived in manuka and canvas shelters because of the scarcity of building materials. Most of all however because the mine entrance was just across the road, saving a long walk to work in sometimes atrocious weather conditions.**


 * __GENERAL INFORMATION__**
 * The Denniston incline was built in 1879, and runs down approximately 1.8 km of bush clad mountain side. It was a cable operated incline which connected the Wellington Company's private coal mine line to the NZR rail head at Conn's Creek. The coal was then transferred to the Westport Port and shipped to destinations unknown. The incline operated until 1967.**