Crushington, New Zealand facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Crushington
Inanagahua River at Crushington
Crushington Location in West Coast
Country	New Zealand
Region	West Coast
District	Buller District
Electorates	West Coast-Tasman Te Tai Tonga

Crushington is a small town located next to the Inangahua River in the West Coast region of New Zealand. It is about three kilometres inland from Reefton. You can find it on the Lewis Pass road, also known as State Highway 7. This road connects the West Coast with the northern part of Canterbury.

Why is it Called Crushington?

Crushington got its name because of the loud noise that used to fill the air. The town was first settled because of a gold mine called the Globe Mine. Miners dug for quartz, which is a type of rock that often contains gold.

To get the gold out, the quartz rock had to be crushed into tiny pieces. This was done by a huge machine with twenty heavy "stamps" that pounded the rock. These stamps were powered by a water wheel. The constant pounding sound gave the town its unique name.

The Loudest Town Ever?

Imagine living in a place where there was always a loud noise, day and night! For many years, the crushing machine at the Globe Mine worked non-stop. People who lived in Crushington became so used to the noise that they hardly noticed it.

There's a famous story about what happened when the mine finally closed down. When the crushing machine stopped working at midnight, the sudden silence was so strange that the children of Crushington couldn't sleep! They were so used to the loud pounding that the quiet felt unusual.

A Famous Athlete from Crushington

Crushington is also known as the birthplace of a very famous athlete named John Edward "Jack" Lovelock. He was born in this small town and went on to become a world-class runner.

Jack Lovelock achieved great success in his running career. He won a gold medal at the 1936 Berlin Olympics in the 1500-meter race. This made him a national hero in New Zealand.

A memorial dedicated to Jack Lovelock.