Scene on the Maungatua Range, West Taieri (1883)

New Zealand was already living ‘off the sheeps’ back’ by the 1880s, wool providing the single most important export earner. Sheep numbered almost 13 million in 1881, or some 26 animals to every New Zealander. (Today there are approximately 20 sheep per person.) The man in the engraving, presumably checking over some of his newly- shorn sheep, enjoyed few comforts in the simple hut in the background.

Mosgiel Woollen Factory (1875)

The first woollen mill in New Zealand commenced operations in 1871, being promoted by A. J. Burns, a son of the Rev. Thomas Burns, one of the leaders of the Otago settlement of 1848. In November 1873 a joint-stock company was formed to purchase the plant and property of Messrs A. J. Burns & Co., and from that time on traded as the Mosgiel Woollen Factory. In 1875 the mill employed some 80 persons and produced such goods as tweeds, blanketing, plaiding, plaids, shawls, hosiery and knitting yarns.

Otago Graving Dock (1870)

The dock at Port Chalmers, shown here under construction, was officially opened in March 1872. With a length of 91 metres (300 feet) and a width of 12.5 metres (41 feet) on the floor, it was able at the time of its completion to dock the largest vessel visiti New Zealand waters, but by the 1880s was too small, and was subsequently replaced by a larger dock.

Lyttelton Graving Dock (1881)

Commenced in 1879 and completed in 1882, the Lyttelton Graving Dock was 137 metres (450 feet) in length, and thus capable of servicing many of the newer and larger steamers that were then coming into service.

Gentlemen Diggers (1868)

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These are the Gentlemen Diggers who pronounce the Thames Gold Field a “ duffer.”

According to the Auckland Punch cartoon, anyone who denied the richness of the Province’s own goldfield had obviously never ventured out- side the bar of any of Thames’s numerous hotels.

Gold Battery on the Tararu Creek (1885)

With the development of quartz mining on the Thames-Coromandel) goldfield from the late 1860s, numerous batteries were set up to crush the ore in order to extract the gold. Each battery usually served several mines, charging a percentage of the returns for the service. The Tararu Creek battery situated a little north of the town of Thames, was run by water power; others used steam engines to run their machinery.

Life on Te Aroha Goldfield (1883)

Systematic mining of the Te Aroha quartz goldfield began in 1882 after the Government purchase of large areas of land. Previously, although the presence of gold had been established, the Maoris prevented its exploitation. The field however, proved a disappointment and was never the scene of major strikes of gold.

Hydraulic Mining at Gabriel’s Gully (1884)

By the 1880s Gabriel’s Gully was no longer the scene of feverish activity by individual miners as had been the case twenty years previously. Now mining was generally undertaken by companies, for only they could command the capital necessary to provide the equipment needed for ‘hydraulicing’ or as it is now termed, sluicing.

Scraping Gum (1888)

After digging all day, work was not finished for those who worked on the gumfields of North Auckland. In the evening the kauri gum was scraped clean of dirt and other rubbish with that indispensable item of every digger’s kit — the jack-knife. The ‘gummies’ shown had obviously been more successful than many, and one can only conjecture whether they ‘melted’ the cheque received for their hard work over the bar of the nearest ‘hotel’. Intemperance was a problem on the gumlands for many years.