Originally captured on 16mm black & white film, this silent amateur movie depicts mining activities in the 1930s.
Intertitles:
“Workmen descending shaft in cage.”
“Stampers crushing quartz.”
“Cyanide Tanks.”
“Roasting concentrates in furnace.”
“Modern methods of Winning Gold. DREDGING”
Footage of construction and operation of large scale [floating] dredge. Numerous extracted tree stumps across wet land.
Intertitle: “THE COAL INDUSTRY”
Miners carrying out their breathing apparatus drill exercises. Men operate a drill and mining equipment.
Intertitle: “Curtis & Party’s Mine on the Sea Coast”.
Steep hillside and a cliff face; coal wagon makes its journey along the tracks from the mine. Coal trucks pulled by cable traverse along tracks.
Intertitle: “Negotiating REWANUI Incline”.
A steam train pulling wagons of coal makes it way up the incline. A man drives a horse-drawn train of coal trucks along tracks.
Intertitle: “Activities at Mawera Quay Loading Coal.” Coal is craned on to boats at Mawhera Quay in Greymouth. A steam ship enters the mouth of the Grey river from the Tasman Sea.