The gold rush in Lyell began in 1862 when Māori prospectors found gold in Lyell Creek, a tributary of the Buller River.[2][3] In 1869 two Italian miners, Antonio Zala and Giorgio Zanetti, discovered gold in quartz veins in the Lyell Creek area. The mine in this quartz reef was worked from 1872 until 1912.[4] Gold in quartz reefs was successfully mined in only two places on the West Coast: Lyell and Reefton.[5]
The settlement grew quickly with a population of about 100 in 1863, despite the area being inaccessible, difficult to work and prone to flooding.[3] In the 1870s Lyell had a main street, Cliff St, with banks, newspaper offices and hotels. The population grew to more than 2000 in the late 1880s.[6] By 1901 the population was 90 with 40 children at the school and in 1905 the Alpine Extended Gold Mining Co Ltd still employed 60 people.[3]
Local newspapers were published during the height of settlement: the Lyell Argus and Matakitaki Advertiser from 1873 to 1882 and the Lyell Times and Central Buller Gazette from 1881 to 1898. The newspaper office and other buildings in Cliff St were destroyed by a fire in 1896.[6]
One of the miners who worked at Lyell in the 1880s and 1890s was the Irish woman Bridget Goodwin, known as Biddy.[3] The Italian miners later turned to dairy farming in the Lyell area.[7]
A small settlement at Lyell continued until the 1960s.[4] The ghost town is now a campsite maintained by the Department of Conservation. None of the original buildings remain but a track from the campsite leads to a cemetery and an old stamping battery. A dray road that was built at the time of the gold working towards the Lyell Saddle is now the start of the Old Ghost Road, a mountain biking and walking trail, 85 km (53 mi) in length, that finishes at Seddonville.[8]
Lyell Cemetery. March 2021
References
^Reed, A. W. (1979). The Reed dictionary of New Zealand place names (2002 ed.). Auckland [N.Z.]: Reed. pp. 273–274. ISBN0-7900-0761-4. OCLC 49290681.
^Russell, Steph (2011). "Lyell". The Prow. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
^ abcdRogers, Anna (2005). Illustrated history of the West Coast. Auckland: Reed Books. pp. 43, 58, 100. ISBN0-7900-1022-4. OCLC 65521433.
^ abNathan, Simon (2009). "West Coast places – Buller valley". Te Ara. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
^Nathan, Simon (2009). "West Coast places - Reefton". teara.govt.nz. Retrieved 8 April 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
^ ab"Lyell Times and Central Buller Gazette". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
^Copland, Tessa (2015). "Italians – Immigration 1860–1880". Te Ara. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
Media related to Lyell, New Zealand at Wikimedia Commons
Lyell Walks Information on historic walking/cycling trails from the Department of Conservation, NZ.
Further reading
Brown, M.C., 1987. Lyell : the golden past. Murchison, N.Z.: Murchison District Historical & Museum Society.
Latham, D., 1992. The golden reefs : an account of the great days of quartz-mining at Reefton, Waiuta & the Lyell. 2nd ed., Nelson, N.Z.: Nikau Press.
February 21, 2023
lyell, zealand, lyell, site, historic, gold, mining, town, buller, gorge, south, island, zealand, lies, state, highway, northeast, inangahua, lyelllyell, circa, 1910lyellcoordinates, 79694, 04833, 79694, 04833, coordinates, 79694, 04833, 79694, 04833countrynew. Lyell is the site of a historic gold mining town in the Buller Gorge in the South Island of New Zealand It lies on State Highway 6 18 km 11 mi northeast of Inangahua LyellLyell in circa 1910LyellCoordinates 41 47 49 S 172 2 54 E 41 79694 S 172 04833 E 41 79694 172 04833 Coordinates 41 47 49 S 172 2 54 E 41 79694 S 172 04833 E 41 79694 172 04833CountryNew ZealandRegionWest CoastDistrictBuller DistrictElectoratesWest Coast TasmanTe Tai TongaPopulation 2006 Total0Lyell was named by the geologist Julius von Haast after the British geologist Charles Lyell a friend of Sir George Grey whose writings had influenced Charles Darwin 1 The gold rush in Lyell began in 1862 when Maori prospectors found gold in Lyell Creek a tributary of the Buller River 2 3 In 1869 two Italian miners Antonio Zala and Giorgio Zanetti discovered gold in quartz veins in the Lyell Creek area The mine in this quartz reef was worked from 1872 until 1912 4 Gold in quartz reefs was successfully mined in only two places on the West Coast Lyell and Reefton 5 The settlement grew quickly with a population of about 100 in 1863 despite the area being inaccessible difficult to work and prone to flooding 3 In the 1870s Lyell had a main street Cliff St with banks newspaper offices and hotels The population grew to more than 2000 in the late 1880s 6 By 1901 the population was 90 with 40 children at the school and in 1905 the Alpine Extended Gold Mining Co Ltd still employed 60 people 3 Local newspapers were published during the height of settlement the Lyell Argus and Matakitaki Advertiser from 1873 to 1882 and the Lyell Times and Central Buller Gazette from 1881 to 1898 The newspaper office and other buildings in Cliff St were destroyed by a fire in 1896 6 One of the miners who worked at Lyell in the 1880s and 1890s was the Irish woman Bridget Goodwin known as Biddy 3 The Italian miners later turned to dairy farming in the Lyell area 7 A small settlement at Lyell continued until the 1960s 4 The ghost town is now a campsite maintained by the Department of Conservation None of the original buildings remain but a track from the campsite leads to a cemetery and an old stamping battery A dray road that was built at the time of the gold working towards the Lyell Saddle is now the start of the Old Ghost Road a mountain biking and walking trail 85 km 53 mi in length that finishes at Seddonville 8 Lyell Cemetery March 2021References Edit Reed A W 1979 The Reed dictionary of New Zealand place names 2002 ed Auckland N Z Reed pp 273 274 ISBN 0 7900 0761 4 OCLC 49290681 Russell Steph 2011 Lyell The Prow Retrieved 16 October 2018 a b c d Rogers Anna 2005 Illustrated history of the West Coast Auckland Reed Books pp 43 58 100 ISBN 0 7900 1022 4 OCLC 65521433 a b Nathan Simon 2009 West Coast places Buller valley Te Ara Retrieved 11 September 2020 Nathan Simon 2009 West Coast places Reefton teara govt nz Retrieved 8 April 2021 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint url status link a b Lyell Times and Central Buller Gazette paperspast natlib govt nz Retrieved 11 September 2020 Copland Tessa 2015 Italians Immigration 1860 1880 Te Ara Retrieved 11 September 2020 The Old Ghost Road Department of Conservation Retrieved 16 October 2018 External links Edit Media related to Lyell New Zealand at Wikimedia Commons Lyell Walks Information on historic walking cycling trails from the Department of Conservation NZ Further reading EditBrown M C 1987 Lyell the golden past Murchison N Z Murchison District Historical amp Museum Society Latham D 1992 The golden reefs an account of the great days of quartz mining at Reefton Waiuta amp the Lyell 2nd ed Nelson N Z Nikau Press Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Lyell New Zealand amp oldid 1016757297, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
