Greymouth facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Greymouth Māwhera (Māori)
Greymouth Clock Tower
Country	New Zealand
Region	West Coast
District	Grey District
Ward	Central
Named for	Sir George Grey, governor of New Zealand
Population  (June 2023)
• Total	8,340
Time zone	Greenwich Mean Time + 12
• Summer (DST)	Greenwich Mean Time + 13
Postcode(s)	7805
Local iwi	Ngāi Tahu

Greymouth (Māori: Māwhera) is the largest town in the West Coast region in the South Island of New Zealand, and the seat of the Grey District Council. The population of the whole Grey District is 14,250, which accounts for 43% of the West Coast's inhabitants. The Greymouth urban area had an estimated population of 8,340 (June 2023). A large proportion of the District, 65%, is part of the Conservation Estate owned and managed by the Department of Conservation making Greymouth a natural centre for walkers and trampers.

Location

Aoraki / Mount Cook and other mountains from Greymouth's beach

The town is located at the mouth of the Grey River, on a narrow coastal plain close to the foot of the Southern Alps. In clear weather, Aoraki / Mount Cook can be clearly seen to the south from near the town. The mouth of the river divides the town into three areas: Blaketown, close to the river's mouth on the south bank; Karoro, to the southeast, separated from Blaketown by a series of small estuarine lakes; and Cobden, formerly a separate town, on the river's north bank.

Greymouth is on State Highway 6, which connects it with Hokitika in the south and Westport in the north. It also stands at the terminus of State Highway 7, which runs through Dobson and Reefton, eventually reaching North Canterbury and its junction with State Highway 1 at Waipara, 55 kilometres (34 mi) north of Christchurch, via Lewis Pass. Highway 73 is accessed 20 kilometres (12 mi) south of Greymouth, which is the most direct route to or from Christchurch. The town is also the western terminus of the Midland line from Christchurch. Large coal trains often operate from Greymouth on this line to Christchurch. The famous TranzAlpine train also terminates at Greymouth. The Greymouth Airport is only 1.9 kilometres (1.2 mi) south of the centre of the town.

Climate

Köppen-Geiger climate classification system classifies its climate as oceanic (Cfb). Greymouth receives mean annual rainfall high by New Zealand standards and this rainfall is distributed relatively evenly throughout the year. This is due to its position receiving marine westerlies throughout the year that often do not rise above the Southern Alps. As a result of this, it creates a rain shadow effect that sees east coast locations having far sunnier and warmer summers. This extreme marine influence also shelters the Greymouth area from hot summer days and cold winter nights.

History

Māori had lived in Greymouth for considerable time before European settlement, and called the area Māwhera (for 'wide spread river mouth', still an alternative name for the Grey River). The first European to visit the site of what is now Greymouth was Thomas Brunner in 1846. Brunner discovered coal in the Grey valley, and several places in the region (notably the town of Brunner and Lake Brunner) bear his name. Brunner himself named the Grey River after prominent 19th century New Zealand politician Sir George Grey. Together with gold, coal mining was a major impetus in the town's early European history.

From 1853 until the abolition of provinces in 1876, Greymouth was first part of Canterbury Province (the West Coast part of the Province was known as West Canterbury) and then part of an independent Westland Province. However Cobden, on the north (or right) bank of the Grey River was a part of Nelson Province from 1853 to 1876. At one point in this period Greymouth tried to join Nelson Province but this movement was ultimately unsuccessful. John Rochfort undertook the original survey of the site of the township in 1865.

Greymouth in 1924

Fisherman statue on the seawall

Greymouth has a history of coal and gold mining. When the mining industry started to decline, forestry became a new staple industry. Fishing has long been important to the town, despite the fact that the entrance to the Grey River has two notoriously dangerous sandbars; an inner and outer bar. Greymouth was regularly flooded by the Grey River. Since the 1860s, the town had been under water almost two dozen times. When the town was flooded twice in 1988, the mayor of Greymouth, Barry Dallas, embarked on an ambitious project to build a flood protection wall. Since its completion, river flooding has not affected the town again.

Greymouth also has an historic World War II gun emplacement at Cobden. The Grey District Council destroyed part of this site, without consultation, in 2007 to make way for a sewer line.

On 10 March 2005, a major tornado, which started as a waterspout, made landfall in Blaketown, a suburb of Greymouth. It quickly moved through the town passing just south of the main town centre. The tornado was one of the largest reported in recent history in the West Coast region and caused millions of dollars in damage and injured several people.

On 19 November 2010, there was an explosion at the Pike River Mine, trapping 29 miners. Attempts to rescue the trapped miners were repeatedly delayed due to high levels of methane gas until a second explosion on 24 November was believed to dash all hope of survival for the miners.

Suburbs

• Cobden
• Greymouth
• Blaketown
• Karoro
• South Beach
• Paroa
• Rutherglen
• Gladstone
• Camerons

Economy

Greymouth was founded during the West Coast gold rush of the 1860s, but for 150 years after this its economy was based on coal mining and native timber forestry. These brought prosperity to the town which at one point had 47 hotels (today it has only six). In 2020 most of the coal mines have now closed yet at there were once ten coal mines in the Brunner Field. Brunner (1861–1935), Tyneside (1876–1954), Wallsend (1894–1932), Coal Pit Heath (1877–1893), Coolgardie (1894–1932), Pig and Whistle (1900–1944), South Brunner (1906–1907), St Kilda (1907–1921), North Brunner (1908–1920), Dobson (1920–1968). The 10 mines produced over 8 million tonnes of coal. The coal reserves in the district including - measured, indicated, and inferred total 164 million tonnes. Fishing has long been important to the town, despite the fact that the entrance to the Grey River has two notoriously dangerous sandbars; an inner and outer bar.

Beginning in the 1960s, forestry and coal mining began to decline on the West Coast. The planned opening of the Pike River Mine in early 2008 spurred new investments in upgrading port facilities at the town. The opening of the new mine, as well as the planned Spring Creek mine, was called the biggest investment happening in the area for a hundred years; coal barges travelling to and from reshipment facilities in Taranaki would have carried containerised cargo to the town and saved the port from closure. On 19 November 2010, there was an explosion at the Pike River Mine, trapping 29 miners. Attempts to rescue the trapped miners were repeatedly delayed due to high levels of methane gas, until a second explosion on 24 November dashed all hope of survival for the miners. Pike River Coal went into receivership in the wake of the disaster and was purchased by Solid Energy, which closed the Spring Creek Mine in 2012 with the loss of 220 jobs and went into voluntary administration in August 2015.

After the decline in coal mining and forestry, the West Coast economy has become increasingly dependent on ecotourism. Thousands of coal mining jobs had declined to just 60, and hundreds of tourism jobs had replaced them. During Greymouth's boom years, much of the centre of town was built up in brick Art Deco building on leased land in the Mawhera Reserve. This land was administered for many years by the Department of Maori Affairs, but was returned to the control of the iwi in 1976. At that time Mawhera Inc's total assets were worth $2m, but had grown to $123m by 2018. Mawhera Inc is now the town's largest landlord, with 1600 shareholders. After regulations were tightened following the 2010 Canterbury earthquake, many of Greymouth's heritage buildings were found to be unsafe, and the combination of earthquake-strengthening costs and being on lease land makes many of them uneconomic to restore and occupy.

Greymouth is also known for its pounamu ("greenstone", a form of jade) carving industry which goes back to Māori origins. The town's local brewery, Monteith's, has produced beer since 1868 which is now sold nationwide.

Demographics

Greymouth, comprising the statistical areas of Cobden, Blaketown, Greymouth Central, King Park, Marsden, Karoro and Rutherglen-Camerons, had a population of 7,962 at the 2018 New Zealand census, a decrease of 156 people (−1.9%) since the 2013 census, and a decrease of 267 people (−3.2%) since the 2006 census. There were 3,345 households. There were 3,933 males and 4,038 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.97 males per female, with 1,398 people (17.6%) aged under 15 years, 1,356 (17.0%) aged 15 to 29, 3,573 (44.9%) aged 30 to 64, and 1,641 (20.6%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 90.9% European/Pākehā, 10.6% Māori, 1.5% Pacific peoples, 3.8% Asian, and 2.1% other ethnicities (totals add to more than 100% since people could identify with multiple ethnicities).

The proportion of people born overseas was 11.5%, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people objected to giving their religion, 51.3% had no religion, 37.5% were Christian, 0.7% were Hindu, 0.4% were Muslim, 0.2% were Buddhist and 2.0% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 765 (11.7%) people had a bachelor or higher degree, and 1,839 (28.0%) people had no formal qualifications. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 3,144 (47.9%) people were employed full-time, 1,023 (15.6%) were part-time, and 198 (3.0%) were unemployed.

Rural area

The statistical area of Greymouth Rural, which covers 340 square kilometres between Greymouth and Lake Brunner, had a population of 693 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 30 people (4.5%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 129 people (22.9%) since the 2006 census. There were 285 households. There were 363 males and 330 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.1 males per female. The median age was 47.1 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 114 people (16.5%) aged under 15 years, 105 (15.2%) aged 15 to 29, 369 (53.2%) aged 30 to 64, and 108 (15.6%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 94.4% European/Pākehā, 10.4% Māori, 0.4% Pacific peoples, 0.9% Asian, and 2.2% other ethnicities (totals add to more than 100% since people could identify with multiple ethnicities).

The proportion of people born overseas was 9.5%, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people objected to giving their religion, 59.3% had no religion, 30.7% were Christian, 0.4% were Hindu, 0.4% were Buddhist and 2.2% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 69 (11.9%) people had a bachelor or higher degree, and 144 (24.9%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $32,100, compared with $31,800 nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 315 (54.4%) people were employed full-time, 90 (15.5%) were part-time, and 21 (3.6%) were unemployed.

Education

Greymouth has several state primary schools offering education up to year 8, and Greymouth High School providing secondary education. There are also state-integrated Catholic primary and secondary schools.

Tai Poutini Polytechnic has its head office based in Greymouth. It also has campuses in Auckland, Christchurch, Hokitika, Reefton, Wanaka and Westport.

Notable buildings

• Bank of New Zealand (1 Tainui Street), now home of the Leftbank Art Gallery
• Revington's Hotel (45–49 Tainui Street), now demolished
• Grey Harbour Board building (1884)
• Regent Theatre (1937)
• The Greymouth Railway Station is included in an historic precinct, which also incorporates the signal box, the former Government buildings, former State Insurance office.

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  The former Greymouth Government buildings

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  Greymouth Courthouse building

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  Left Bank Art Gallery, in the old Bank of New Zealand building

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  History House museum, the former Grey County Chambers

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  Hannah's building

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  Greymouth Royal Hotel

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  Dispatch & Garlick Foundry

Images for kids

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  Aoraki / Mount Cook and other mountains from Greymouth's beach

• 

  Fog being pushed down the Grey Valley by the Barber

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  1905 Greymouth Flood

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  Coal Creek Falls

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  View from Point Elizabeth Walkway

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  Grey River / Māwheranui

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  Shipwreck of the Abel Tasman, Cobden Beach, Greymouth

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  Left Bank Art Gallery, interior

See also

In Spanish: Greymouth para niños