A slice of Shag Point history
5 Apr 2017
The Otago Community Trust was pleased to provide a $1,200 donation to the Shag Point Residents Association in December 2015. This donation contributed to the Association’s project of publishing a book of the history of the Shag Point area, including the Shag Point Coal Mine and the history of the early mining days. Interviews with the last three remaining miners at Shag Point provided rich insight into the aspects of provincial life at the time. We love this photo of the three handsome miners who gave up their time to share this unique part of Otago’s history.
Did you know? The Shag Point Coal Mine was in its time a place of legend. The mine used to go out under the Pacific ocean and miners could hear the throb of propellers as ships passed overhead. Shag Point was where the first bituminous coal was discovered in New Zealand. Whalers used the coal to fire up their try pots. Coal was successfully mined until 1972, when flooding eventually closed the shafts.
The Otago Community Trust supports donations across a wide range of community sectors, heritage being one of these. We appreciate that Otago’s unique heritage will have positive effects for the community today as well as for future generations. Copies of the book are held at the National Archives, North Otago Museum and Palmerston Museum.
