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Story: Rock, limestone and clay

Quarries

Quarries

Auckland’s largest quarry, on Mt Wellington, has mined the lava flows of this volcanic mountain’s cone. More than 30 million tonnes of basalt have been blasted, dug up and crushed to form aggregate. Basalt has been used in the construction of many Auckland buildings and roads, but has resulted in the destruction of this and other volcanic cones.

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GNS Science

Reference: CN18938/12

by Lloyd Homer

Permission of GNS Science must be obtained before any use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Carl Walrond, Rock, limestone and clay – Aggregate, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/5215/quarries (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Carl Walrond, published 2 March 2009.

Comments

Brian Thornally
10 May 2012
Samuel Thornalley was born at Friskney, Lincolnshire, in 1835. He emigrated to Auckland in 1859, motivated by the lack of work and low wages for farm workers in England. He sailed from London on 8 May and arrived in Auckland at 02.00 on 18 August 1859, after 101 days at sea. The ship was the "Joseph Fletcher", 672 tons, under Captain John Pook. The huge quantity of cargo was itenmised and the names of the passengers were published in the "Daily Southern Cross", though Samuel's name was mis-spelled as 'Thomally'. He set himself up as a carter, carrying gravel from the Mount Eden quarries. On 23 October 1860, at St. Matthew's Church, Samuel married Amelia Bailey, who had arrived about six weeks earlier, from Desford, Leicestershire. They soon started a family. In spite of pleas from his brother Joseph to return to England, Samuel stayed and was killed in a quarry accident on 28 June 1881, leaving Amelia with seven children. She married twice more before her death in 1909. She and Samuel are buried in Symonds Street Cemetery in Auckland. The Coroner, Dr Thomas Moore Philson, held an 'Inqusition' at the Eden Vine Hotel, on the next day. All witnesses and the Constable declared how unsafe the pits were. To extract the material, the men had to hack at a vertical face of scoria. The jury concluded that Samuel met his death when a mass of gravel fell on him from the top of the pit "accidentally, casually and by misfortune ... and was suffocated". Dr Philson added to his report (throughout which he mis-spelled Samuel's name as 'Thornley'): "Rider to Verdict: That the Domain Board appoint an Inspector for the whole of the gravel pits in Mount Eden and also that each Lessor or owner be compelled to keep a man in their respective pits to see to the safety of the carters getting scoria therefrom." He sent this document to the Under Secretary and it was passed to the Chairman of the Domain Board on 7 July 1881. On 20 July, the Hon. Sec. of the Board wrote to the Minister of Justice in Wellington stating that "the Board are in communication with the Colonial Secretary so that arrangements may be made whereby future like accidents shall be prevented." So, perhaps Samuel Thornalley's death was not in vain.