The Old Ghost Town, Waiuta.

The Old Ghost Town, Waiuta.

By Tess Morgan

Located just inland on the West Coast of New Zealand, lies the well known ghost town, Waiuta. Despite the broken down houses and the eerie sense, Waiuta once thrived amongst shops, mines and everyday town life.

Waiuta evolved over many great years of mining, throughout deathly health causes, and through the statistics of population.

Gold processing, Snowy Battery in Waiuta

How Waiuta Formed

Before the shops and sports teams, the town of Waiuta started when four adventurers discovered the Birthday Reef of gold on the upper sweep of the Blackwater Stream.

Closely after, they then sold the land rights to a businessman for $500 (approximately $30,000 in today’s money), more than enough for living comfortably throughout the years. After proving that the stream was more than it seemed, the first mineshaft named Blackwater Shaft opened in the year 1908, with a depth of 563m deep, finishing off with the Prohibition mineshaft years later.

Left lung with Silicosis, Right lung healthy. 


Early Deaths of Miners, Caused By Silicosis

With the many great outcomes in the mining industry, a sickness known as the deathly Silicosis caused stress among many workers each day.

The miners job is to extract the gold within mounds of quartz, by drilling a hole into the reef, then packing it with explosives to break it apart.

Although, the mining space was cramped and by working the rock apart, disastrous crystalline silica filled the air, causing the disease called Silicosis.

Silicosis, also known as Miners Phthisis is a form of lung disease transmitted by inhaling crystalline silica, a common dust found in mining environments. 

Once the crystalline silica is in the lungs, it takes the role of scar tissue, which then makes it hard for oxygen to reach this key organ.

Unfortunately, there is no found cure to Silicosis, and the disease only gets worse; leading to shortness of breath, fatigue, chest pains and even cancer. From all around the world, this disease has killed over 2000 people from 1999 to 2013. Silicosis also took a toll on the Waiuta.



Local Barbershop 

Population of Waiuta

From 1906 to the 1930’s, the population of Waiuta thrived through their shops, sports teams, and it’s sociable image. Easily accessible from SH 7 near Ikamatua, Waiuta attracted many’s attention, and the population reached the peak of 600.

Although, in the year 1951, the Blackwater Shaft collapsed from excessive extracting and could no longer be pumped for water and gas which was vital for the mining industry.

The company who owned the shaft decided it would be placing workers lives in danger to reopen, so they closed down the shaft and the town was left abandoned, as there was no more work for residents.


Just inland of the West Coast in the South Island, Waiuta still has some sturdy houses, however the bush is slowly reclaiming of what used to be the town.

The story of Waiuta is about harsh working environments, miners deaths, the popular sports teams, and the shops in what used to be a thriving community.
The Blackwater Shaft