Thames NZ: Genealogy & History Resources: Thames (NZ): Take a second look in Colour

The Moanataiari Creek Valley
The view for today is of the Moanataiari Valley. Personally special as it was home to my Great Great Grandparents Clement and Barbara Cornes and their family. In total they had thirteen children - three passed away early and are interred at Shortland Cemetery, Thames.

Clement Augustus Cornes was at various times a miner, mine manager and mine owner. Around 1868, Cornes was working the Just-in-Time Claim, Moanataiari Creek. By the 1875 Electoral Roll, Clement and his brother Alfred (and their families) resided at the Golden Calf Claim, which was to the south of the previously mentioned claim.

1875 Thames Electoral Roll

Source: Ancestry.au., Thames Library Edition

Moanataiari Creek, Thames (c1869)

Source: 'Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 7-A16668'

PHOTO Description
Looking along Moanataiari Creek, Thames, showing gold mining activity. The rail line going off to the left is going up to the Victoria Battery. This is the original rail line that Tookey put in from the beach to the battery and sold to the government when they began building the extension proper of the Moanataiari Tramway up the upper part of the valley to Punga Flat in 1869. One of the buildings in the distance is the (Grand) Junction Hotel. The track going up the valley to the left is to Eureka Hill.

A Second Look in Colour

What Do You See?

People walking along the tramline heading to Grahamstown or beyond. Perhaps going over the hills to Eureka or Waiotahi Creek School.
Devastation! The landscape dominated by mining, adits, tree stumps and wooden buildings perched on the valley wall.
A lone tree, but a memory of how the land was before the hunt for gold took over.
Piles of cut timber far left - is someone building a new hut, or for use in a nearby mine?

Above: The children and women are immaculately dressed, while the men take a break.

Below: A miner is seated on the right, beside a small hut.

Principal Buildings at the Moanataiari Creek Settlement

Previously I confess I hadn't taken a great deal of notice of the buildings at the far right of the original photo. I was surprised to see the description which stated that one of the buildings was the (Grand) Junction Hotel. In the past I wrongly assumed the buildings were soley mining related. Look at the photograph snips below and follow the tramway up to the buildings. Not a place for the less fit!

The steam driven Victoria Battery is nestled at the base of the hill, the battery's large chimney visible above the roofs.

In the Thames Directory 1870, three businesses operated up the Moanataiari Creek: A general store (Mr T E Bush), Grand Junction Store (Mr R B Mason), and the Junction Hotel (Mr R S Browne).

Above & Below: Various snips of the full colourised photo labelled 'Moanataiari Creek'.

The Grand Junction Hotel & Store - Which is Which?

The dilemma is which building is the Grand Junction Hotel? My money is on the 'larger' building, as accommodation would have been a core part of the hotel's business. We do know that a store was located directly adjacent to the hotel (more on that later) and that both were by the Victoria Battery.

In the colourised view it appears there is a lamp outside the larger building, a requirement for hotels of this era. Does the writing say hotel or Store? (see enlargement below)

The Grand Junction Hotel

Hotels on the goldfield often took their name in relation to the nearest mine, so we would assume that the Grand Junction Hotel was named after the nearby Grand Junction Claim.

The hotel opened c1868 and closed 1880. Known Publicans were: Matthew Vaughan (1868-69); R S Browne (1870); Sarah Jane Vaughan (1871); Louis Segar (1871-72); Elizabeth Isaacs (1872); George Burdett (1874-75); William Hetherington (1875-76); Samuel Barrett (1876): and Michael Driscoll (1878-80).

Maori War veteran Mr Matthew Vaughan, built and operated the hotel . He married his barmaid in 1869, who subsequently left him for another man. Around 1869, Vaughan moved onto other hotels at the Thames while a string of new publicans graced this hotel up the Moanataiari Creek.

The Grand Junction Hotel was used as a meeting place by the residents of the Moanataiari Creek. In 1871 for instance they gathered there to discuss the matter of town boundaries.

THAMES GUARDIAN AND MINING RECORD, 19 AUGUST 1872

Early in the morning 23 March 1874, there was a fire which burnt the Grand Junction Hotel and Bennett’s adjoining store to the ground. The fire reportedly started by a spark from one of the engine furnaces in the area. Its not clear when the new hotel was built, but Publican George Burdett was in residence by 7 February 1875, when the sad news was published that his one year old son George had died at the Grand Junction Hotel.

DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS, 24 MARCH 1874

For many years the owner of the hotel was Ehrenfried Bros, who owned the majority of the hotels in the town. It was therefore the norm that hotels leased. Each hotel had a publican who was required to gain a license from the local licensing board.

Another common use for a hotel on the goldfield was to act as a 'morgue' for the recently deceased. The person's body held at the hotel until the police arrived and / or an inquest was held. This was the case in October 1878, when there was a fatal accident at the Moanataiari Mine. Tributer Thomas Pugh was crushed to death by several tonnes of earth - his body was taken to the Grand Junction Hotel until the police arrived. The late Mr Pugh was then conveyed to his residence in Pollen Street awaiting an inquest and interment. Thames Advertiser 4 October 1878.

In January 1880, there was another fire at the hotel leased at that time by Michael Driscoll. That appears to be the end of the Grand Junction Hotel!

Grand Junction Store

The store was owned by Mr Richard B Mason (c1870), and then operated by Mr T A Bennett (c1872-1880). There were two major fires at the store (outlined above) in 1874 and 1880. There are no details found (as yet) for the store trading after the last devastating event.

THAMES GUARDIAN AND MINING RECORD, 26 JANUARY 1872

Comparative Photographs

There is another photograph of the Victoria Battery and the view up the Moanataiari Gully which compares the landscape changes. Then there is another one of the 'same' view. Both are below, notice anything?

Photo 1 (Left): Showing the Moanatairi Gully near Dauntless Mine, Thames Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 3681-45

Photo 2 (Right): "Showing the Victoria Battery at the Moanataiari Creek , Thames near the Dauntless Goldmine" Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections 4-3678

Did you spot the difference? A flipped image...the correct one on the right? This matches the landscape landmarks in our photo of the day at the beginning of the article. [Auckland library have been notified regarding the images]

Take the Challenge:

Do you know the names of any of the mines / claims in the Moanataiari Valley area.

Check out The Thames Illustrated Mining Map (part below) for some clues.

Did you say: Auckland Consolidated, Belfast, Caledonia, Duke of Edinburgh, Galatea, Golden Calf, Grand Junction, Hazel Bank, Just in Time, Kellys, Morning Star, Otago, Pai Marire, Redan, Tookeys, or Young American? And many more!