1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
Gold mining at Whitford and Maraetai in the 19th and 20th centuries
Alan La Roche
An account of gold discoveries and gold mining activities in the Howick, Maraetai and Whitford areas during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Describes in particular a gold mine sunk by George and William Trice near Whitford in 1868. Lists remnants of mines which still exist in the area today. Mentions the filming of The Birth of New Zealand at Howick in 1921, an early New Zealand film which includes gold mining scenes.
About the author
Alan La Roche MBE, BDS, was the honorary director of Howick Historical Village from its opening in 1980 until 2007. His numerous publications include The History of Howick and Pakuranga (1991), An Introduction to the Howick Historical Village (1997), So Delightful a Parish: The Revd Vicesimus Lush at Howick, 1850-1865 (2002), and as co-author, The Royal New Zealand Fencibles, 1847-1952 (1997). In 2006 Alan was appointed by the Howick and Districts Historical Society as Howick Historian, and he is currently working on another major history of the area.
More information
Introduction
As a student, I was fortunate to tour the South Island with the Dean of the Otago University School of Mines, who was inspecting mining operations and giving advice to gold miners, especially in the Central Otago and Westland areas. This gave me some understanding of gold mining and gold miners.
The rocks of the South Auckland area are not generally regarded as gold-bearing. However, there are some similarities between the rocks of the Hunua Ranges and the Whitford area and of the gold-rich Coromandel Peninsula. Small pockets of gold may therefore be found in the region.
Certainly, over the years many people have been willing to try to find out. A number of gold mines have been recorded locally, at Clevedon, at Maraetai Beach and, most particularly, at Whitford. Some mining activity may continue to the present day. Several years ago, I visited Captain Edwin (‘Ed’) Cauldrey’s private gold mine at Maraetai Beach. Captain Cauldrey claimed that Whitford-Maraetai had the same geology as the Thames-Coromandel area. “There is tons of gold in there” he said, “and the best reef is beneath the pine forest”.
Captain Cauldrey made me swear not to reveal his mine’s location. He died in 1985, but the mine is still there today, and is prized by its current owners. Captain Cauldrey told me of three other mines in the area operated by families as hobbies, but who also did not want their activities publicised.
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9