New Zealand is still in mourning from the Pike River Mine disaster just two years ago when twenty nine miners and contractors lost their lives, and sadly for the families concerned, their bodies have still to be recovered. Our country’s worst mining disaster took place back in 1896 with the loss of sixty seven lives. The area around the old Brunner workings has been turned into a memorial and visitor centre with information panels, and the Brunner suspension bridge, built in the 1860s was refurbished and reopened in 2004.
Thomas Brunner discovered seams of coal in the area in 1848, and by the 1860s the production of firebricks and coke began in Brunnertown. The remains of the twelve “Beehive” coke ovens have been roofed over to help in their preservation. The British beehive design was a favourite for coke production, and suited the strongly swelling Brunner coal. The coke was bagged and sent by rail across the bridge and onto the ports of Greymouth. By 1891 this was the largest coal mining settlement in New Zealand, and had a population of well over 2000 people.
In 1896 Brunner was the scene of the country’s worst mining disaster when a gas explosion killed the 67 men and boys working underground. Workers from other West Coast mines hurried to help in the recovery process, but sadly not a single miner survived. The Royal Commission found that after the initial explosion, the abundant dust lying around caused a series of coal dust explosions which intensified and quickly swept through a large part of the workings.
Although the last coal was brought out from the mine in 1906, the coke ovens and brickworks were kept in production till the 1930s, using coal from the St Kilda mine further up the river.
Coal has been a big part of this region’s prosperity in earlier years, and coal mining has always been a very dangerous way to make a living. This open air historic reserve and memorial is a tribute to all those miners who have lost their lives while working in this industry.
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