Shantytown, New Zealand

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"Shantytown" from lookout Shantytown from lookout.jpg
"Shantytown" from lookout

Shantytown is a tourist attraction in the West Coast Region of the South Island of New Zealand. Located 10 km south of Greymouth, the town was constructed and opened on 23 January 1971 [1] and consists of 30 re-created historic buildings making up a 19th-century gold-mining town. The town is surrounded by native forest, and is one of the region's most popular attractions.

South Island southernmost and largest of the two main islands in New Zealand

The South Island, also officially named Te Waipounamu, is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand in surface area; the other being the smaller but more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, and to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean. The South Island covers 150,437 square kilometres (58,084 sq mi), making it the world's 12th-largest island. It has a temperate climate.

New Zealand Constitutional monarchy in Oceania

New Zealand is a sovereign island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. The country geographically comprises two main landmasses—the North Island, and the South Island —and around 600 smaller islands. New Zealand is situated some 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) east of Australia across the Tasman Sea and roughly 1,000 kilometres (600 mi) south of the Pacific island areas of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga. Because of its remoteness, it was one of the last lands to be settled by humans. During its long period of isolation, New Zealand developed a distinct biodiversity of animal, fungal, and plant life. The country's varied topography and its sharp mountain peaks, such as the Southern Alps, owe much to the tectonic uplift of land and volcanic eruptions. New Zealand's capital city is Wellington, while its most populous city is Auckland.

Greymouth Place in West Coast, New Zealand

Greymouth 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 13,550, which accounts for 42% of the West Coast's inhabitants. The Greymouth urban area had an estimated population of 9,700. The District Council expects growth of 1.5% per year between 2006 and 2016.

Contents

History

Born out of the desire of the Greymouth community to preserve the West Coast gold-mining history, Shantytown was started by a group of local enthusiasts forming the West Coast Historical and Mechanical Society in 1968. Most of the effort that has gone into the creation of Shantytown has been by volunteers and donated labour. Over the years, a collection of thousands of artefacts, ranging from gold-mining equipment to early settlers furniture, everyday items and clothing, as well as photographs, has been donated and collected from local people and businesses.

West Coast Historical and Mechanical Society

The West Coast Historical and Mechanical Society is based at the Shantytown Heritage Park. The society has three steam locomotives and one diesel. One loco, Kaitangata is a 0-6-0st steam locomotive built by Sharp, Stewart & Co. in 1896. It is an improved version of the 88 F class locomotives.

Victorian decorations and clothes on display Antique decorations inside historic building in Shantytown.jpg
Victorian decorations and clothes on display

The collection and wider heritage park focuses mainly on the Victorian era between the middle of the 19th century to before the Great War, but extends as far as the 1940s. Many of the items are displayed in an authentic setting in the heritage park, while the more precious and fragile items of the collection are held in temperature- and humidity-controlled storage due to the damp weather on the West Coast and are viewable by appointment. Today, Shantytown Heritage Park remains under the stewardship of a local board and continues its tradition of extensive community involvement.

Victorian era period of British history encompassing Queen Victorias reign (1837–1901)

In the history of the United Kingdom, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardian period, and its later half overlaps with the first part of the Belle Époque era of Continental Europe. In terms of moral sensibilities and political reforms, this period began with the passage of the Reform Act 1832. There was a strong religious drive for higher moral standards led by the nonconformist churches, such as the Methodist, and the Evangelical wing of the established Church of England. Britain's relations with the other Great Powers were driven by the colonial antagonism of the Great Game with Russia, climaxing during the Crimean War; a Pax Britannica of international free trade was maintained by the country's naval and industrial supremacy. Britain embarked on global imperial expansion, particularly in Asia and Africa, which made the British Empire the largest empire in history. National self-confidence peaked.

Attractions

The township comprises two main streets lined with 30 historic buildings, including a church, and the two-storey coronation hall. The buildings are mostly original and transferred or re-built on site and house recreations of shops from around the late 19th century such as a bank, hotel, butcher, shoe shop, barber, carpenter, and a blacksmith. Some of the shops sell goods, such as traditional lollies. The town also contains a hospital, train station, fire station, a Masonic Lodge, a church, and a jail.

Freemasonry group of fraternal organizations

Freemasonry or Masonry consists of fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local fraternities of stonemasons, which from the end of the fourteenth century regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities and clients. The degrees of Freemasonry retain the three grades of medieval craft guilds, those of Apprentice, Journeyman or fellow, and Master Mason. The candidate of these three degrees is progressively taught the meanings of the symbols of Freemasonry, and entrusted with grips, signs and words to signify to other members that he has been so initiated. The initiations are part allegorical morality play and part lecture. The three degrees are offered by Craft Freemasonry. Members of these organisations are known as Freemasons or Masons. There are additional degrees, which vary with locality and jurisdiction, and are usually administered by their own bodies.

A foundry showcases the craftsmanship, tools and techniques of ironwork via interactive displays and preserved historic equipment.

Foundry factory that produces metal castings

A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal into a mold, and removing the mold material after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals processed are aluminium and cast iron. However, other metals, such as bronze, brass, steel, magnesium, and zinc, are also used to produce castings in foundries. In this process, parts of desired shapes and sizes can be formed.

Ironwork

Ironwork is any weapon, artwork, utensil or architectural feature made of iron especially used for decoration. There are two main types of ironwork: wrought iron and cast iron. While the use of iron dates as far back as 4000BC, it was the Hittites who first knew how to extract it and develop weapons. Use of iron was mainly utilitarian until the Middle Ages, it became widely used for decoration in the period between the 16th and 19th century.

Adjacent to the main township, a "Chinatown" area depicts the life and living environment of Chinese immigrant gold miners who had migrated to the West Coast in the 1860s from other gold fields in New Zealand as they ran dry, as well as directly from China.

Vintage train at Shantytown station Locomotive NZR L 508 and two passenger carriages at Shantytown station.jpg
Vintage train at Shantytown station

Shantytown also contains a re-created narrow-gauge bush tram line that follows a 19th-century sawmill tram track [2] from the Shantytown train station to a stop at the Infants Creek Sawmill and a terminus 1.5 km from Shantytown for photo opportunities. Trains run throughout the day and are included in the admission. The train station is built as a 3/4 replica of original railway plans. Passengers can disembark at the Infants Creek Sawmill where a sluice gun is fired up to four times per day and tutored gold panning is available. The vintage passenger carriages are pulled by either "Gerty", an 1877 L-class steam engine from Avonside Engine Company in England, rebuilt by NZR Hillside in Petone and Newmarket in New Zealand, or by an 1896 improved F-class Kaitangata steam engine.

Sawmill facility where logs are cut into timber

A sawmill or lumber mill is a facility where logs are cut into lumber. Modern saw mills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes. The "portable" saw mill is iconic and of simple operation—the logs lay flat on a steel bed and the motorized saw cuts the log horizontally along the length of the bed, by the operator manually pushing the saw. The most basic kind of saw mill consists of a chainsaw and a customized jig, with similar horizontal operation.

The Avonside Engine Company was a locomotive manufacturer in Avon Street, St. Philip's, Bristol, England between 1864 and 1934. However the business originated with an earlier enterprise Henry Stothert and Company.

Hillside Engineering

Hillside Engineering Group is a trading division of the rail operator KiwiRail in Dunedin, New Zealand. Most of its work is related to KiwiRail, but it also does work for the marine industry in Dunedin. On 19 April 2012 KiwiRail announced it was putting Hillside on the market for sale. In November 2012 KiwiRail announced it had sold part of the business to Australian firm Bradken, and the rest would be closed.

Other attractions include having an "old time" photo in costume taken, a holographic theatre show, and a playground. Short bush walks around the area lead to a surveyors monument and lookout.

The town's inter-denominational church, built in 1866, can be booked for weddings, and there is an education centre funded by the New Zealand Ministry of Education which caters for school groups wanting hands-on history education.

Shantytown offers a cafe and souvenir shop, and is open all year round with the exception of Christmas Day. [3]

Locomotives

NameManufacturerMaker's NoYearTechnical dataComment
Kaitangata or Katie Sharp Stewart & Co. Glasgow, Scotland4270189622 ton, 10.5 x 18 inch cylinders, 160 lb boiler pressure, 36 inch diameter wheels, TE 7000 lbThis 'Improved F-Class Kaitangata' was similar to the New Zealand Railways (N.Z.R.) 'F' class. It was manufactured for the Kaitangata Coal & Railway Co. and used on their 8 km long line from the coal mine at Kaitangata to the N.Z.R. exchange sidings at Stirling. After the State Mines Department took over the mine and railway in the 1950s, the locomotive was still being used until the mine closed in 1969. In February 1971 the locomotive was donated to Shantytown. [4]
508, Gerty Avonside Engine Company, Bristol, England1206/7720 ton, 10.5 x 18 inch cylinders, 160 lb boiler pressure, 36 inch diameter wheels, TE 7000 lbThis L class locomotive is one of 10 built for the New Zealand Railways. It was sold to the Public Works Department in 1901 and renumbered 508. The locomotive worked on various construction projects in the North Island between 1903 and 1931. In 1946 the 508 was sold to the Portland Cement Co. in Whangarei and used until 1964. Tauranga Historic Village purchased it in 1974 and used it for 14 years. Shantytown purchased the support of a ‘Lottery – Environment & Heritage’ grant. After a complete overhaul it returned to work in 2002. [5] The locomotive's boiler ticket expired in 2014. [6]
Climax Climax Locomotive Works in Pennsylvania 1203191220 ton, 9 x 12 inch cylinders, 120 lb boiler pressure. 30 inch diameter wheels, TE 6000 lbOne of the best preserved examples of 25 Climaxes remaining internationally. Built for the Potate Timber Co. of Matapuna near Taumarunui and assembled in the NZ Railways Petone workshops, it was sold a few years later to Pukaweka Sawmills Limited at Mananui. Used by the North Island's logging industry, e.g. for Ellis & Burnand, who owned several sawmills in the central North Island. During the 1940s it was used at E & B’s Mangapahei mill. Subsequently used as a yard shunter in 1962. [7] In 1968 it was purchased by John Melse. In 1971 it was then leased to the society and stored until 1973 when restoration commenced. It was recomissioned in 1980. In 1988 John Melse donated it to the society. It was withdrawn from service in 2002 and has been in storage since. [8]
The Opossum1875One of the earliest New Zealand-built locomotives. [9] It is the oldest completely existing example. Built for the NZR in 1875. When it arrived it was placed into storage at Foxton. It was then sold to Butler & O'Connor, GM in 1877. It only lasted a year there until being on-sold to Public Works Department, Harbour Works. Then to the Greymouth Harbour Board in 1884 and Ogilvie's, Gladstone in 1911. Stored in Greymouth from 1958 until 1986 when it was purchased by the society. Stored until 2009 when restoration commenced for it to be placed on static display. This was complete in 2012. [8]
Heisler Heisler Locomotive Works 14941924This geared locomotive is one of the few survivors of this manufacturer. [10] Built for Midland Saw Milling, Camerons in 1924. It was then sold to New Forest Sawmills, Ngahere in 1929. Then to Unused, Kangaroo Creek in 1958. In 1966 it was placed into storage. In 1969 it was purchased by the society. Stored until 2010 when restoration commenced for it to be placed on static display. This was complete in 2012. [8]
TR 107 (TMS: TR 396) A & G Price 1761957This diesel locomotive entered NZR service in May 1957. During this time it was reclassified as WW 4733 by the Ways and Works Department at Middleton. It was later reclassified back as TR 107. Renumbered as TR 396 in 1978 and withdrawn in 2005. Purchased by the society in the same year. It was used until 2007 when withdrawn from service for a restoration. This was completed in 2008 and it now wears a green livery with "Infants Creek Tramway" written above the long hood. It has named "Rosie" in preservation. [11]
NattrassNattrass Rail Tractors Ltd. Wellington 1875This converted Fordson farm tractor was patented in November 1924 by Howard Nattrass, a car sales man. It enabled the sawmills to expand their operations into areas previously inaccessible with horse trams. [12]

See also

Coordinates: 42°32′8.6″S171°10′53.6″E / 42.535722°S 171.181556°E / -42.535722; 171.181556

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References

  1. ↑ "Officially opened in 1971 Shantytown is an incorporated society". www.shantytown.co.nz. Retrieved 2018-12-25.
  2. ↑ "S050 S051 Hokitika". www.mapspast.org.nz. Jan 1944. Retrieved 2018-12-25.
  3. ↑ "Shantytown Heritage Park" . Retrieved 2013-09-13.
  4. ↑ Kaitangata
  5. ↑ L508
  6. ↑ "New Zealand Rolling Stock Register: Steam Locomotives Register". nzrsr.co.nz. Retrieved 2014-08-12.
  7. ↑ Climax
  8. 1 2 3 "New Zealand Rolling Stock Register: Industrial Steam Locomotives Register". nzrsr.co.nz. Retrieved 2014-08-12.
  9. ↑ Opossum
  10. ↑ Heisler
  11. ↑ "New Zealand Rolling Stock Register: Diesel Locomotives Register". nzrsr.co.nz. Retrieved 2014-08-12.
  12. ↑ Natrass
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