Wairaki Mine, Ohai, Southland District, Southland Region, New Zealandi
| Regional Level Types | |
|---|---|
| Wairaki Mine | Mine |
| Ohai | - not defined - |
| Southland District | District |
| Southland Region | Region |
| New Zealand | Country |
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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
45° 55' 26'' South , 167° 57' 26'' East
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Type:
Köppen climate type:
Abandoned coal mine.
Wairaki was one of the original mines opened as an underground mine in 1915. Locations were found for Wairaki mines No 1 to 6, opened and closed over the years, all to varying extents just north of the Ohai townsite. Wairaki 1 was the furthest east, then heading west No. 3, No. 2, No. 6 all bordering the south of Morley Stream, and No. 4 bordering the north of the stream. No. 5 could not be located. All the locations are within one kilometre east-west of each other.
The Mindat co-ordinates show the approximate position of Wairaki No. 2, which is the middle mine out of the six.
A number of miners where killed by underground falls of coal over the years including Patrick Hunt 1926, Robert J. Dixon (54) 1929, Thomas Dixon (34) 1931, Peter Johnstone (50), and Thomas Thomsen (38) 1937, Leo Walsh (26) 1944, and Robert Kingi-Potiki (28)in 2002, the last victim at the Wairaki No. 4 Mine.
In 1940, the local Ohai school had to close and be shifted when it began sinking into the underground Wairaki workings beneath it.
The New Zealand government through State Coal purchased the mine in 1945. The Wairaki Mine closed in 1971, after a major underground fire. A mine under this name re-opened in 1981, initially as a mechanised underground mine, and then open cut as Wairaki No. 16 (?) (Fitzgerald, 1998- possibly No. 6, it is also the only source found who spell the mine Wairakei). This mine closed again in 1986 but continued under this name as an open cut until 2003.
Mining continued still under the Mines Department control, but with a new name of Solid Energy, and as the Ohai Mine after this date.
In 2014, Solid Energy unearthed a rusting steam locomotive from renewed open pit digging at the old Wairaki No. 1 underground mine. The locomotive was built in 1907, used at the Nightcaps coal mine from 1916, then the Black Lion coal mine from 1924 into the early 1930's, before being dumped and buried in the 1940's.
Rock Types Recorded
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Alphabetical List Tree DiagramList of minerals for each chemical element
Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality
Australian Plate
- Murihiku TerraneAccretionary Complex
New Zealand
- South IslandIsland
- Southern AlpsMountain Range
Pacific PlateTectonic Plate
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