Open/Close Toolbox
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 New Zealand License
Format: Collection
Linked To
Collection
Copyright
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 New Zealand LicenseThis licence lets you remix, tweak, and build upon our work noncommercially and although your new works must also acknowledge us and be noncommercial, you do not have to license the derivative works on the same terms.
Menu
Gold Mining in Ellesmere
Description
NameGold Mining
DescriptionGold was discovered in Ellesmere, though never in quantities comparable to Otago or the West Coast.
'Hoppy' Smith was one of the first to find gold but failed to claim the government bounty due to insufficient quantities.
In August 1896, gold-washing activities began on the Ninety-Mile Beach near Taumutu, with up to eleven men working the black sand.
William Hall Zouch and Conolly proposed the "Taumutu and Southbridge Goldmining Company" to exploit these deposits on a larger scale.
A "Golden King Amalgamator" was imported from the USA to mechanize the process, but the gold recovered remained unprofitable.
Despite this, intermittent prospecting continued over the years.
In 1922, the Golden Sands Mining Company proposed dredging the beach from the Rakaia mouth to Cooper's Lagoon, but faced opposition from local landholders and was ultimately defeated by unfavorable government analysis of sand samples.
During the 1930s Depression, unemployed individuals turned to gold washing at Taumutu as an alternative to the dole, with up to thirty men involved at times. However, no fortunes were made.
As of 1964, interest in Kaitorete's mineral content persisted, with an Auckland prospector applying for mineral rights over 15.8 acres of the area.
DescriptionGold was discovered in Ellesmere, though never in quantities comparable to Otago or the West Coast. 'Hoppy' Smith was one of the first to find gold but failed to claim the government bounty due to insufficient quantities.
In August 1896, gold-washing activities began on the Ninety-Mile Beach near Taumutu, with up to eleven men working the black sand.
William Hall Zouch and Conolly proposed the "Taumutu and Southbridge Goldmining Company" to exploit these deposits on a larger scale.
A "Golden King Amalgamator" was imported from the USA to mechanize the process, but the gold recovered remained unprofitable.
Despite this, intermittent prospecting continued over the years.
In 1922, the Golden Sands Mining Company proposed dredging the beach from the Rakaia mouth to Cooper's Lagoon, but faced opposition from local landholders and was ultimately defeated by unfavorable government analysis of sand samples.
During the 1930s Depression, unemployed individuals turned to gold washing at Taumutu as an alternative to the dole, with up to thirty men involved at times. However, no fortunes were made.
As of 1964, interest in Kaitorete's mineral content persisted, with an Auckland prospector applying for mineral rights over 15.8 acres of the area.
Connections
CollectionIndustry and Commerce in EllesmereOrganisationEllesmere Historical SocietyMore InformationRead more about the proposed Taumutu and Southbridge gold mining company in 1896Read more about the Taumutu and Southbridge gold mining company in 1896
OrganisationEllesmere Historical SocietyMore InformationRead more about the proposed Taumutu and Southbridge gold mining company in 1896Read more about the Taumutu and Southbridge gold mining company in 1896Attribution
Researched ByG W Graham & L J B ChappleEdited byMike Noonan
Edited byMike NoonanGold Mining in Ellesmere. Selwyn Stories, accessed 27/05/2026, https://selwynstories.selwynlibraries.co.nz/nodes/view/6571