What would the history of Thames be with out this amazing period of history, when the discovery of gold saw Thames become a boom town (CITY!!) in 1860s-1870s New Zealand.
A summary of resources are available here.
Here is one example from the 1873 Chapmans Directory of Mines & Mine Managers/Secretary
MINING COMPANY Firstname Surname Extra Info
Albion: Charles TOTHILL Auckland
Alburnia: W N GARLAND Auckland
All Nations: Charles TOTHILL Auckland
American Eagle: E T WILDMAN
Aurora: J MOWBRAY
Ballarat & Rising Sun: W SULLY
Bank of New Zealand: E T WILDMAN
Bee Hive: H H WRIGHT
Bellmount: D PHILP
Bird-in-Hand (Limited): J H SALMON
Black Angel (Limited): D PHILP
Bright Smile: W SULLY
Brunswick: W SULLY
Cable: John BURGESS
Caledonian: Charles TOTHILL Auckland
Calypso: E T WILDMAN
Celt: D G McDONNELL
Central Italy: D PHILP
Christchurch: R M MITCHELL
City of Aberdeen: E T WILDMAN
City of Dunedin: J H SALMON
City of London (Limited): H N GARLAND
City of Edinburgh: D PHILP
Clarmont: W CARPENTER
Coliban (Limited): R G McDONNELL Secretary
Colonial (Limited): S HICKSON Secretary
Commercial: GM & QCC T HORSBRUGH
Comstock: T L WHITE Auckland
Crown Prince: J W PREECE Auckland
Cure (Limited): R HORNE Auckland
Cyclops: T HORSBRUGH
Dauntless & Sink to Rise: R McDONALD SCOTT
Dividend (Limited): Owen JONES Secretary, Auckland
Dixon's No 1: T L WHITE Auckland
Don Pedro (Limited): H N GARLAND Auckland
Durham Ox: D PHILP
Eldorado: F A WHITE Auckland
Flora McDonald: H C GILLESPIE
George Stephenson: C FLETCHER
Goldfinch: G LINDSAY
Golden Phoenix: W CARPENTER
Golden Crown: S E RICHARDS
Golden Age: R SOMERVILLE Auckland
Golden Calf: R McDONALD SCOTT
Golden Ring: E T WILDMAN
Golden Spur: T HORSBRUGH
Hand and Band: T HORSBRUGH
Herald (Limited): E A WHITE Auckland
Higland Chief: J H SALMON
Imperial Crown (Limited); Charles TOTHILL Auckland
Inverness: T L WHITE Auckland
Islay: E T WILDMAN
Italian: T HORSBRUGH
John O' Groats: F A WHITE Auckland
Junction: R SOMERVILLE Auckland
Kurunui: Charles TOTHILL Auckland
Kurunui Hill Tunnel Co: Charles TOTHILL Auckland
Lincoln Castle: George MAULE
Lion: E T WILDMAN
Long Drive: G M & Co Charles TOTHILL Auckland
Long Tunnel: R G McDONNELL
Lowland Lass: W PERCIVAL
Loyalty: G P HILTON
Mary Ann: D PHILP
Middle Star: G W JONES Auckland
Moanataiari: F A WHITE Auckland
Moanataiari Union: F A WHITE Auckland
Morning Star: John RAFFERTY
Morning Light: F C DEAN
Multum-in-Parvo: J F CLARKE Auckland
Ne-Plus-Ultra: George SLATER Auckland
Nebraska: R G McDONNELL
Nevada: R McDONALD SCOTT
New Caledonia: F WOODWARD
Nolan's Candlelight: W ROWE
Nonpareil: F WOODWARD
North Devon (Limited): F A WHITE Auckland
Number One: R M MITCHELL
Occidental: John MOWBRAY Auckland
Oriental: R G McDONNELL
Otago: J S McKELLAR Auckland
Phoenix: F WOODWARD
Pickwick: J A CHAPMAN
Point Russell (Linited): R SOMERVILLE Auckland
Pride of the Moanatairi: F J PIESSE
Pride of York: James SPRY
Prince Imperial (Limited): J S McKELLAR Auckland
Quebec: R HORNE Auckland
Queen of the May: D PHILP
Queen of the Thames (Limited): F J WARDELL Secretary
Red White and Blue: R McDONALD SCOTT
Red Queen: H N GARLAND
Red Jacket: W B HEATH
Rose and Shamrock (Limited): R SOMMERVILLE Sec, Auckland
Ruby R G McDONNELL
Shamrock (limited): H N GARLAND Secretary, Auckland
Shotover No 1: T L WHITE Auckland
Sir Walter Scott (Limited): F A WHITE Auckland
Smiling Beauty: D PHILP
Sons of Freedom: T L WHITE Auckland
Sunbeam: R McDONALD SCOTT
Thames (Limited): R SOMMERVILLE Auckland
Tookey (Limited): C TOTHILL Auckland
Twenty Third of June: W CARPENTER
Una: F F DAY
Unicorn W DOWDEN
Virginia City: R M MITCHELL
Waitemata: HUDSON
Waiotahi (Limited): F A WHITE Auckland
Watchman: R G McDONNELL
West Coast (Limited): D PHILP
White Rose: R HORNE Auckland
Wild Missouri: Charles TOTHILL Auckland
Windsor Castle (Limited): W PERCIVEL Auckland
Young Queen: E T WILDMAN
For further information on how successful the mines were and a more complete list, the best resources are:
Gold Mines of the Hauraki District by J F Downey. reprints of this book are available from Cadsonbury Publications Christchurch.
History of The River Thames NZ by A M Isdale
Mining Maps by Mr Isdale can be purchased at The School of Mines, Thames
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| View of mining activity at Thames (looking south from Moanatairi area) |
