The Brunner Mine was a coal mine on the West Coast of the South Island in New Zealand.
8-615: The Brunner Mine was one of several mines situated on the banks of the Grey River , at an area known as "Coal Gorge" between the townships of Stillwater and Taylorville. The town of Brunner (formerly Brunnerton) is nearby. Coal was discovered on the West Coast by Nelson surveyor Thomas Brunner "during the most arduous of his journeys in search of more agricultural land". The coal was of extremely high quality and it did not take long before it attracted interest. And, of course, "The West Coast had
16-460: A pocket of methane gas is accidentally ignited and explodes. Today all that visibly remains of the mine and its related industry are the remains of the old coke ovens on the north side of the river, as well as the memorial at that location listing the names of the miners killed. The graves in Stillwater cemetery include one mass grave containing the bodies of 33 of the miners killed. The entrance to
24-623: The Arnold River , the latter of which is the outflow of Lake Brunner , the largest lake of the northwest South Island. A small hydroelectric station stands on the river 25 kilometres upstream from the mouth. The Grey River's mouth is protected by a large sandbar , Greymouth bar, which is a notorious danger to shipping. Raw sewage discharges into the Grey River after heavy rainfall. Historically, sewage and stormwater from Greymouth, Cobden and Blaketown were discharged without treatment directly into
32-469: The added attraction of gold mining and it seems that the employment opportunity offered by coal mining was in the difficult economic times not one to be turned down". In March 1896 an explosion deep in the mine killed all 65 miners inside, and was labelled the worst mining disaster in New Zealand's history. It seemed most likely that the explosion was caused by firedamp , a common hazard in coal mines, where
40-482: The mine has long been engulfed by the bush, as have any trace of the bustling industry that once existed on that spot. A loop walk with interpretive panels leads from the car park next to State Highway 7 down the valley and over the refurbished Brunner Bridge to the remnants of the Brunner Mine site and a memorial statue. A meticulously restored Q class railway coal wagon is on display near the bridge. The chimney on
48-522: The river system and surrounding area is Māwhera , with Māwheranui being distinguished from the northern branch Little Grey River / Māwheraiti. The New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage gives a translation of "broad and widespread (river mouth)" for Māwheranui . Numerous small rivers are tributaries of the Grey, and several of them also drain lakes. Notable among these are the Ahaura River and
56-634: The south bank between the road and railway line has often been associated with the Brunner Mine, but was actually part of the Tyneside Mine on the south side of the river. Grey River (New Zealand) The Grey River / Māwheranui is located in the northwest of the South Island of New Zealand. It rises 12 kilometres southwest of the Lewis Pass in Lake Christabel , one of numerous small lakes on
64-551: The western side of the Southern Alps , and runs westward for 120 kilometres before draining into the Tasman Sea at Greymouth . Thomas Brunner , who explored the area in the late 1840s, named the river in honour of Sir George Grey , who first served as Governor of New Zealand from 1845 to 1854. The Ngāi Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998 changed the official name of the river to Grey River / Māwheranui in 1998. The Māori name for
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