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Story: Southland places

Shale works

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Shale works

This large works operated at Ōrepuki from 1899 to the start of 1903, extracting oil from shale (fine-grained rock formed from clay).

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Southland Museum and Art Gallery

Reference: 2004.936.1212

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How to cite this page

David Grant, Southland places – Riverton / Aparima, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/20206/shale-works (accessed 11 June 2026).

Story by David Grant, published 2 March 2009, updated 25 May 2015.