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BLACKBALL
Blackball was named for the Black Ball Shipping Line, which leased land in the area to mine for coal. It was formerly known as Joliffetown and Moonlight Gully, it began life as a small gold settlement towards the end of 1865 but its development was impeded by the pull of the major goldfield a few miles up the Grey Valley at Moonlight. There the gold was purer and the prospects brighter.
The local hotel 'Formerly the Blackball Hilton' was founded in 1910, as the Dominion Hotel, renaming itself to the "Blackball Hilton" after the mine manager, Mr Hilton, after whom the town's main street is also named. It was forced to change its name after objections from the international Hilton hotel chain.
It was the development of the coalfield in 1893 that began Blackball's growth, until it reached its peak of around 1200 people in 1928.
The town came to national prominence in 1908 during a three month strike, when all the coal miners illegally withdrew their labour, in support of a half hour lunch break, which was the right of every other miner in the country. Ironically during the court case the judge adjourned the
Formerley The Blackball Hilton
Local hostelry 'Formerly the Blackball Hilton' was founded in 1910, as the Dominion Hotel, renaming itself after the mine manager, after whom the town's main street is also named. It was forced to change its name after objections from the international hotel chain of the same name.court for and hour and a half's lunch break. The miners were eventually successful.
This success signalled to New Zealand workers the benefit of collective action and the Red Feds were formed. From then evolved the Federation of Labour and the New Zealand Labour party. Auntie Helen's Mob)
Communist party headquarters moved to Blackball from Wellington in the twenties, so militant was the atmosphere. But as the twenties drew to a close the depression deepened and the political power of the miners waned and the party left town.
Returning to the mine after Christmas, at the beginning of 1931, the miners were confronted with the manager's directive that only some of the workers were needed. Unionists decided that it was all to share the work, or none. For six months they held firm. Then suddenly in June, Bill Balderstone, who with his wife, Annie, had been at the forefront of the town's socialist politics, declared he was turning capitalist.
All hell broke out in Blackball and 30 police were needed day and night to protect the 'scabs', their wives and children as they went to work, to school or shopping.
Work was finished at the
Blackball
Just waiting for a new owner.!! first Blackball mine although the Balderstone mine, the Blackball Creek Coal Co., worked until 1956. Miners took to the hills in search of gold.
The second coal mine was opened in 1939. It was never profitable. Water was an enormous problem. Boots with hole nails lasted only a week so great was the sulphuric acid content of the water. But the mine continued until 1964. Then some miners retired and some transferred to Dobson.
Blackball was expected to die. Many people left getting a pittance for their homes. Blackball was a shadow of its former self.
Those who stayed behind witnessed an influx of alternative lifestylers and holidaymakers. This new wave enabled the school, shop, the doctor's visits and community organisations, like St Johns and the Fire brigade to continue. Today we have a diverse community, a picturesque school and number of small businesses and many sporting and cultural clubs. The Roa mine has re-opened too. Many people commute from our plateau to Greymouth for work
We stopped outside the the "Formerly Blackball Hilton" Hotel and took the bikes off the back of the 4WD as we intended to cycle our way around the town. Not
Blackball
Old Mine Equipment before a coffee though in the grand old hotel, we had arrived early and were the only ones in the hotel, the open fire was going and the girl making the coffee's was new, her lack of speed gave us heaps of time to look through some of the old publications and research material on display. A great coffee and we were all charged up and ready to go exploring on our bikes.
There still is lots of ruins of the mineing era, especially up Roa Road, we explored one area on our bikes and that is where most of the photographs are from. Just out of the main mine area was a large delapidated concrete building, this was the bath house. I suppose your husband turning up home after a long day down a coal mine all covered in black coaldust was frowned upon by the wives of the Blackball Miners.
As I mentioned earlier Blackball started out as a Gold town there is very little evidence of this left, however a couple of tunnels still exist under the sports fields, locals told us that once you get to the fields head towards the rugby gold posts
Blackball
Can just see this one in the "Property Press", Location, Location, a doer-upper, suitable for a handyman and then a large pine tree on the edge of the bank.
Sure enough 100 meters or so down the bank was a tunnell, we hadn't taken torches and as it was pitch black inside we didn't venture any further, the sight of the sleleton bones beside us made the visit all the more scarey.
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Margaret Hart
non-member comment
Family connection
This web site is very interesting. The Bill Balderstone you talk about is my granddad.My father and uncles also worked in the mine at Blackball. I have lots of happy memories from my childhood staying in Blackball at my grandparents