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Story: Coal and coal mining

Loading coal

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Loading coal

At the Greymouth wharves, coal from the Brunner mine was loaded directly into waiting colliers. The growth of the mine was largely made possible by transport improvements – a rail link to Greymouth in 1876 and a bridge across the Grey River in 1877.

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Alexander Turnbull Library, New Zealand Free Lance Collection (PAColl-0785)

Reference: PAColl-8602-01

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, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/7425/loading-coal (accessed 10 June 2026).

Story by Alan Sherwood and Jock Phillips, published 2 March 2009.