Story: Coal and coal mining

Governor at Brunner

Governor at Brunner

In this 1875 photograph the governor, Lord Normanby, visits the Brunner mine. In the 1870s and 1880s coal became important to colonists’ hopes for a prosperous industrial future. The Brunner mine, which began operations in 1864, was a major focus for such ambitions in these years, and by the late 1880s it was producing one-third of the country’s coal.

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Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference: 1/2-018519; F

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

Alan Sherwood and Jock Phillips, 'Coal and coal mining - The 19th century', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/7424/governor-at-brunner (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Alan Sherwood and Jock Phillips, published 12 Jun 2006, reviewed & revised 14 Apr 2021