Story: West Coast region

Hokitika port, 1867

Hokitika port, 1867

The river port of Hokitika was closest to the goldfields, so it was the favoured place for miners to arrive from Australia and elsewhere in New Zealand. This view, from September 1867, shows many ships anchored beside the town. Arrival at Hokitika was hazardous, and there were many shipwrecks. Gradually Greymouth became the favoured port of entry. In the early 2000s the rivermouth was shallow, and it was hard to imagine that ships were once tied up next to the town.

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West Coast Historical Museum
Reference: #270

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How to cite this page:

Simon Nathan, 'West Coast region - European arrival and settlement', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/21092/hokitika-port-1867 (accessed 27 April 2024)

Story by Simon Nathan, updated 1 Sep 2016