Reefton
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Reefton is a small town in the
West Coast West Coast or west coast may refer to: Geography Australia * Western Australia *Regions of South Australia#Weather forecasting, West Coast of South Australia * West Coast, Tasmania **West Coast Range, mountain range in the region Canada * Britis ...
region of New Zealand, some 80 km northeast of
Greymouth Greymouth () (Māori: ''Māwhera'') is the largest town in the West Coast region in the South Island of New Zealand, and the seat of the Grey District Council. The population of the whole Grey District is , which accounts for % of the West Coas ...
, in the Inangahua River valley.
Ahaura Ahaura is a town in the West Coast region of New Zealand's South Island, sited where the Ahaura River flows into the Grey River. State Highway 7 and the Stillwater–Ngākawau railway line pass through the town. Greymouth is to the south-w ...
is 44 km south-west of Reefton,
Inangahua Junction Inangahua is a small settlement in the northwest of New Zealand's South Island. It consists of three settled areas: Inangahua Junction at the confluence of the Inangahua and Buller Rivers, north of Reefton and southeast of Westport; Inagahua L ...
is 34 km to the north,
Maruia Maruia is a locality in the West Coast region of New Zealand. The Shenandoah Highway (State Highway 65) passes through it. Murchison is 65 km north, the Lewis Pass is 39 km to the south-east, and Reefton is 63 km west by road. ...
is 63 km to the east, and the
Lewis Pass Lewis Pass (el. 907 m.) is a mountain pass in the South Island of New Zealand. The northernmost of the three main passes across the Southern Alps, it is higher than the Haast Pass, and slightly lower than Arthur's Pass. State Highway 7 traver ...
is 66 km to the south-east. In 1888, it was the first town in New Zealand and the Southern Hemisphere to be lit by electricity, generated by the
Reefton Power Station Reefton Power Station supplied electricity to the very prosperous gold mining town of Reefton in New Zealand and was the first power station to supply municipal electricity in the Southern Hemisphere.New Zealand Historical Atlas'' – McKin ...
. Reefton was a thriving gold mining town in the late 19th century, and gold mining lasted from the 1870s to the 1950s. Its economy is based on tourism, forestry, coal mining and farming. Reefton is home to the Inangahua County Library.


Name

The rich veins of gold found in a
quartz Quartz is a hard, crystalline mineral composed of silica (silicon dioxide). The atoms are linked in a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon-oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall chemical form ...
reef near the town led to its name, originally spelled "Reef Town". Two nicknames in use soon after it was founded were "Rest Town" and "Quartzopolis". The main street, Broadway, was named after West Coast magistrate Charles Broad. The nearby Wealth of Nations mine was named after Adam Smith's book because the gold been discovered by another Adam Smith (no relation).


History

* 1866 – Alluvial gold discovered in the Īnangahua Valley * 1870 – Quartz reefs discovered at Reefton * 1872 –
Reefton Hospital Reefton Hospital is a hospital in Reefton on the West Coast of New Zealand. It was founded in 1872 and remains in operation. Reefton Hospital was established in 1872 and still stands on its original site in Broadway, Reefton. In 1872 Reefton h ...
opened * 1886 –
Reefton School of Mines The School of Mines in Reefton, New Zealand (1887–1970) was one of a number of mining schools set up to teach the science of mining during the 19th century gold rush. Like the Thames School of Mines it is a Heritage New Zealand Category 1 liste ...
opened * 1888 – Town electricity supply commenced * 1892 – Railway line opened * 1908 – Rail line to Cronadun opened * 1912 – Mine workers locked out * 1967 – Rail passenger services ceased


Gold mining

Alluvial gold was first discovered near the town in 1866; the major discovery of gold in quartz reefs was made in 1870 and gold was being extracted by 1872. Mining from quartz reefs only took place at Reefton and Lyell. An earlier settlement, known as Ross Town, had been established on the opposite bank of the Inangahua River around 1870, but most businesses shifted across the river in 1871 to be nearer the quartz mining. There were mines at nearby locations such as
Waiuta Waiuta is the location of a historic mining town on the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It is now abandoned and considered a ghost town. Located 58 km north of Greymouth and 21 km south of Reefton in Ikamatua, New Zealand ...
and Blacks Point. There was a downturn in the industry in the 1880s due to lack of money to develop deeper mines. Consolidated Goldfields New Zealand formed in 1896 and ran several mines. Technology was modernised and the
Reefton School of Mines The School of Mines in Reefton, New Zealand (1887–1970) was one of a number of mining schools set up to teach the science of mining during the 19th century gold rush. Like the Thames School of Mines it is a Heritage New Zealand Category 1 liste ...
opened in 1887 to apply more scientific knowledge to mining. Gold mining at Reefton ceased in 1951.


Electricity

In 1888 Reefton became the first town in New Zealand and the Southern Hemisphere to receive electricity, the work of Walter Prince, and its streets were lit by commercial electricity generated by the
Reefton Power Station Reefton Power Station supplied electricity to the very prosperous gold mining town of Reefton in New Zealand and was the first power station to supply municipal electricity in the Southern Hemisphere.New Zealand Historical Atlas'' – McKin ...
. The power station was demolished in 1961 but the Reefton Power House Charitable Trust Inc has raised $4.5 million for a restructure project, and work started on buildings and a water race in 2019.


Geography


Climate

Located in the Inangahua Valley at an altitude of 194m, Reefton falls under the Köppen-Geiger climate classification of Cfb (Oceanic). At an average temperature of 15.9 °C, February is the warmest month. July is the coldest month, at 6.8 °C. Reefton's average annual temperature is 11.4 °C. On average, snowfall occurs on 1.4 days annually, and an average of 22.1 days per year will exceed 26.7 °C (80 °F). During an average winter, Reefton can expect to see 47 days of frost.


Demographics

Reefton had a population of 927 at the
2018 New Zealand census Eighteen or 18 may refer to: * 18 (number), the natural number following 17 and preceding 19 * one of the years 18 BC, AD 18, 1918, 2018 Film, television and entertainment * ''18'' (film), a 1993 Taiwanese experimental film based on the sho ...
, a decrease of 129 people (-12.2%) since the 2013 census, and a decrease of 54 people (-5.5%) since the
2006 census 6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. It is a composite number and the smallest perfect number. In mathematics Six is the smallest positive integer which is neither a square number nor a prime number; it is the second small ...
. There were 447 households. There were 471 males and 456 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.03 males per female. The median age was 51.9 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 132 people (14.2%) aged under 15 years, 120 (12.9%) aged 15 to 29, 453 (48.9%) aged 30 to 64, and 222 (23.9%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 90.0% European/Pākehā, 13.3% Māori, 1.0% Pacific peoples, 2.9% Asian, and 2.6% other ethnicities (totals add to more than 100% since people could identify with multiple ethnicities). The proportion of people born overseas was 11.3%, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people objected to giving their religion, 53.1% had no religion, 32.0% were Christian, 0.3% were Muslim and 1.9% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 63 (7.9%) people had a bachelor or higher degree, and 246 (30.9%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $22,900, compared with $31,800 nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 306 (38.5%) people were employed full-time, 117 (14.7%) were part-time, and 24 (3.0%) were unemployed.


Economy

Gold mining recommenced in 2007 when Oceana Gold opened a new mine. In 2013 it employed 260 people. The mine closed in 2016 and Oceana Gold has undertaken an environmental rehabilitation programme at the site. A new gold mine is planned to open in 2024, it is expected to employ 100 people. Other industries in the town are coal mining, forestry, tourism and servicing the farming industry.


Transport

Reefton is located at the intersection of State Highway 7 and State Highway 69.


Rail

Reefton is located on the Stillwater–Westport Line
railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
, which diverges from the Midland Line in Stillwater. On 29 February 1892, the line was opened to Reefton, but it terminated on the southern bank of the Inangahua River opposite the town. Early in the 20th century, a bridge was built across the river and the present-day station established in Reefton. The line was opened beyond Reefton to
Cronadun Cronadun is a small village located in the West Coast region of New Zealand's South Island. It is situated on the east bank of the Inangahua River, near its junction with Boatmans Creek. SH 69 and the Stillwater–Westport Line railway pass ...
in 1908, but it was not until 5 December 1943 that the line officially became a through route to Westport, though trains had been operating the length of the line since July 1942. On 3 August 1936, a
railcar A railcar (not to be confused with a railway car) is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coach (carriage, car), with a drive ...
passenger service began operating in the morning between
Hokitika Hokitika is a town in the West Coast region of New Zealand's South Island, south of Greymouth, and close to the mouth of the Hokitika River. It is the seat and largest town in the Westland District. The town's estimated population is as of ...
and Reefton utilising small Leyland diesel railcars, but low patronage meant this service ceased to operate all the way to Reefton in August 1938. In the early 1940s, much larger Vulcan railcars were introduced to New Zealand and they provided two services to Reefton: one local service from Greymouth that terminated in Reefton, and a service that ran between Westport and Stillwater to connect with the West Coast Express. In 1967, all passenger services through Reefton ceased. Today, the primary traffic on the railway is coal, with multiple coal trains operating daily.


Education

The first state school in Reefton was founded in 1878, and there were once 24 schools in the area. Reefton Area School is a composite (years 1–13) school with a roll of as of It was formed by the merger of Reefton School and Inangahua College (earlier called Reefton District High School) in 2004. Sacred Heart School is a full primary (years 1–8) school with a roll of . It is a state integrated Catholic school. Both schools are coeducational.


Broadcast and print media

The first newspaper to be printed in Reefton was the ''Inangahua Herald and New Zealand Miner'', which began as a twice-weekly paper in February 1872, its joint owner being
Joseph Ivess Joseph Ivess (8 February 1844 – 4 September 1919) was a member of the New Zealand House of Representatives. He had an association with a large number of newspapers. Early life and Australia Joseph Ivess was born in Askeaton, County Limerick ...
, who went on to found many other newspapers. It was appearing three times a week by 1874 and became a daily in 1894. Its owner and editor from 1909 was Maud L. G. Beresford Wilkinson. Its main rival, the ''
Inangahua Times Inangahua is a small settlement in the northwest of New Zealand's South Island. It consists of three settled areas: Inangahua Junction at the confluence of the Inangahua and Buller Rivers, north of Reefton and southeast of Westport; Inagahua Lan ...
'', was established by William Joseph Potts in 1875. Potts was editor of Ahaura's ''Grey Valley Times'' in 1873, and in 1874 he started the short-lived ''Reefton Courier and Inangahua Advertiser'' which survived only to the end of the year, and was the predecessor of the ''Times''. The ''Times'' initially appeared three times a week, but by 1891 was a daily. Potts owned the ''Times'' until his death in 1901, and his wife Mary Potts was editor from 1897 to 1905. For a short time Reefton, with a population of just 2000 and a circulation area of 4648, was home to three competing daily papers: the third, the ''Reefton Guardian,'' was first published in 1888, and was bought out by the ''Inangahua Times'' in 1894. All three papers were served for more than fifty years by the compositor, editor, and publisher James Noble, who started at the ''Guardian'' and eventually became editor and publisher of the ''Times''. The ''Herald'' succumbed to the Depression in 1936 and merged with the ''Times'' in 1936. After James Noble the ''Times'' was run by Ernest Nicholson until it ceased publication on 6 June 1942, a casualty of war shortages. It was revived in 1946 by Reefton's Presbyterian minister Rev. C. R. (Bob) Sprackett as the ''Inangahua-Murchison Times'', printed in Greymouth, which survived as a weekly until 1956. Locally received radio stations include repeaters of both
The Hits The Hits was a music video channel broadcast in the United Kingdom and Ireland, owned by Box Television. On 15 August 2008 it was rebranded as 4Music. Overview and availability The channel showcased a range of pop centred on chart hits and cur ...
from
Greymouth Greymouth () (Māori: ''Māwhera'') is the largest town in the West Coast region in the South Island of New Zealand, and the seat of the Grey District Council. The population of the whole Grey District is , which accounts for % of the West Coas ...
and Coast FM from Westport. The ''
Greymouth Star The ''Greymouth Star'', formerly the ''Greymouth Evening Star'', is a daily newspaper published in Greymouth and circulated on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island from Westport to Haast. History The ''Greymouth Evening Star'' was on ...
'' newspaper is also received daily in the town.


Notable people

*
Marty Banks Martin Banks (born 19 September 1989) is a New Zealand rugby union player who plays for in the Bunnings NPC and the in Super Rugby. His position is First five-eighth and occasionally Fullback. Career Banks was playing for the Takapuna Rug ...
– rugby union player, born and grew up in Reefton * Amy Castle – museum curator and entomologist, born in Reefton * Elisabeth Croll – anthropologist, born in Reefton *
Phill Jones Phillip Charles George Jones (born 25 January 1974) is a New Zealand former professional basketball player. He played in Finland, Italy and Australia, but is best known for his 22 seasons with the Nelson Giants in the New Zealand National Bask ...
– basketball player, grew up in Reefton * Melanie Nolan – labour and gender historian, born in Reefton * Edward Smyrk – cricketer, born in Reefton


Gallery

File:TWC Reefton • Stewart Nimmo • MRD 35.jpg, Broadway File:Reefton Court House 002.JPG, Reefton Court House File:Reefton Oddfellows Hall 002.JPG, Reefton Oddfellows Hall File:Reefton Tearooms.JPG, Broadway Tearooms & Bakery File:Reefton Roman Catholic Church 002.JPG, Reefton Roman Catholic Church File:Old Knox Church, Reefton Front.jpg, Old Knox Church File:Blacks Point Museum MRD 03.jpg, Blacks Point Museum File:Reefton Masonic Building 001.JPG, Reefton Masonic building File:2. Reefton Distilling Co + Model A.jpg, Reefton Distilling Co. File:Reefton_School_of_Mines.JPG,
Reefton School of Mines The School of Mines in Reefton, New Zealand (1887–1970) was one of a number of mining schools set up to teach the science of mining during the 19th century gold rush. Like the Thames School of Mines it is a Heritage New Zealand Category 1 liste ...
File:Reefton Oddfellows Hall interior MRD 03.jpg File:Reefton Oddfellows Hall interior MRD 01.jpg File:Reefton Oddfellows Hall interior MRD 02.jpg, Roll of members


References


External links


Reefton i-SITE Visitor Centre

Department of Conservation
– Reefton short walks
Reefton Area School
{{Authority control Buller District Populated places in the West Coast, New Zealand West Coast Gold Rush *