Events In History
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28 April 199514 die at Cave Creek
Fourteen people standing on a viewing platform at Cave Creek in Paparoa National Park on the West Coast died when it suddenly collapsed and fell into the creek-bed below. Read more...
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8 January 1863Haast begins West Coast expedition
In January 1863, geologist Julius von Haast led an expedition in search of an overland route from the east to the west coast of the South Island. Read more...
Articles
Pike River mine disaster
On the afternoon of 19 November 2010, an explosion ripped through the remote Pike River mine on the West Coast of the South Island, killing 29 men.
- Page 1 - Pike River mine disasterOn the afternoon of 19 November 2010, an explosion ripped through the remote Pike River mine on the West Coast of the South Island, killing 29
Viceregal visiting
'To be invisible is to be forgotten,' constitutional theorist Walter Bagehot (1826–77) warned. For the King or Queen's New Zealand representative, the Governor-General, that meant hitting the road
- Page 4 - Some say yes; some say noLike his predecessors, Sir Denis Blundell (1972–7) travelled widely throughout New
1947 Greymouth beer boycott
What would it take for West Coasters to boycott their beloved beer? Greymouth hotel-keepers found out in 1947, when an organised attempt to raise the price of beer sparked one of the most effective consumer boycotts ever seen in New Zealand.
- Page 2 - Pub cultureBetween 1919 and 1967 all public hotels in New Zealand officially closed at 6 p.m., but these hours were only nominally observed on the West Coast.
Regional rugby
The passion and parochialism of provincial rugby helped give the game a special place in New Zealand’s social and sporting history. Read brief histories, highlights and quirky facts about each of New Zealand's 26 regional rugby teams.
- Page 23 - West Coast rugbyHistory and highlights of rugby in the West Coast