Alison Sofield, Volunteer Collections
At the Puhipuhi Mines, just inland from Helena Bay, a jumble of WW2 industrial era equipment is hidden amongst the regenerating native vegetation. The ruined machinery, overgrown roads and railway tracks and tumble-down buildings are testimony to all the hard work and money invested in the operation.
The Puhipuhi Mercury Mines, which operated from 1907 to 1947 were a notable failed experiment in New Zealand’s industrial history.
Interest in the area was aroused when a hunting expedition accidentally discovered some interesting quartz in a creek. When the rocks were analyzed back in Whangarei by a local chemist, they were found to contain silver and gold deposits.
The area at that time was owned by Māori and the tribe were friendly to the settlers in Whangarei, who had ventured into their tribal lands. However, local Māori were well aware of the value of the Puhipuhi region, and they subsequently sold large tracts of the land to the Crown. The original hunting party returned to search for more ore samples to confirm their original findings.
The “Northern Advocate” on the 16th May 1891, printed an article describing the “Puhi Puhi Silver Field, situated in a great Kauri forest.”
The bonanza began, roads were constructed, hundreds of miners descended on the area, and buildings such as a store and the famous Comstock Hotel, boasting of ten rooms, were erected. However, all this progress was slowed when difficulties began to arise, when those employed to crush the ore and extract the silver, lacked the basic knowledge to effectively retrieve the precious metal. With these early failures to capitalize on the wealth in the ground, confidence began to wane, men were laid off, investors began to question their support of the mining venture. Worse was to follow, the price of silver dropped worldwide, and machinery began to break down. The wet winters when the earth turned to mud as well as the remoteness of the area all combined to make life difficult for the miners and their backers. The fortunes of those attempting to extract minerals waxed and waned over the next few years.
Interest in what other minerals could be found in the area eg. mercury, antimony, iron and even oil was being touted by so called experts, visiting from mining areas in Australia and America. Cinnebar, an ore containing mercury had been discovered and a new wave of enthusiasm gripped the mining community. Several new mine sites were set up, hopeful of producing large quantities of mercury. However, the company eventually went bankrupt when mercury mining became too expensive due to the fact that one ton of cinnabar only yielded one to three kg of mercury.
Puhipuhi's history of boom and bust is a fascinating one. There is no doubt that the whole area has a rich and varied geology, much has been recorded and written about. Whangarei Museum holds a number of interesting artefacts and documents related to these mining ventures which will form the basis of a fresh display opening this summer.
