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History and culture In its time Denniston was one of the most isolated and difficult mining towns to live in the country. The current road was not built until 1902, with the first access being either up a steep pack track or in a coal wagon up the Incline.
The fact that former inhabitants remember it fondly, and that people still choose to live there, speaks volumes for its past social values and enduring mystique.
Premium coal mined from a lonely landscape in the clouds For many decades Denniston was New Zealand's largest producing coal mine, yielding a premium quality coal from underground mines. The coal was loaded into railway wagons and lowered by cable down an extremely steep incline railway: a remarkable feat of engineering.
The miners and their families endured a life 'living on the edge', exposed to the elements on a barren windswept plateau. The isolation and difficult living conditions forged a close-knit community.
As the demand for coal declined the operation at Denniston was gradually reduced. In 1967 the railway closed and production declined. In 1995 Coalcorp (now Solid Energy) ceased mining at Denniston. Private coal mining continues on the plateau.
Today Denniston's significance is reflected by its status as a Category 1 Historic Place.
Conservation work at Denniston DOC recognises the importance of Denniston, highlighting it as one of the important historic places it looks after on the West Coast. The New Zealand Historic Places Trust also recognises the significance of the place having registered a Denniston Historic Area, the Incline and Banbury arch as places of national significance.
These relics are under constant threat from natural decay, the reclamation of the site by vegetation and the impact of negligent visitors. DOC and local interest group, Friends of the Hill work closely together to lessen the impacts of these threats ensure the history of Denniston is preserved for all to appreciate.
Friends of the Hill run an excellent museum with photos, static displays and other information in the old School manual training building at Denniston. Read more about Friends of the Hill (external site).
Denniston interpretation panels Excellent interpretation panels are a wonderful feature at the Denniston Coalmining Historic Area, where you can read stories and research about the area. This information is also available as an ebook – see A journey through Denniston.
Denniston Heritage Charitable Trust The Denniston Heritage Charitable Trust was set up to support the conservation and enhancement of Denniston. Its members represent DOC, Friends of the Hill, Solid Energy, Buller District Council and Development West Coast.
The Trust is developing an underground mine experience. When complete visitors will be offered an insight into the daily life of miners as they take a train ride through the original 1880s mine.
Denniston today Once home to over 1500 people, today Denniston is a ghost town.
The rocky plateau offers magnificent views of coastal plains and ocean. Even when shrouded in mist the dramatic landscape is still breathtaking.
A visit allows you to appreciate the tough working and living conditions endured by miners and their familes in this desolate 19th century industrial environment.
There are a number of relics and great heritage sites to explore, particularly the railway incline and the township.
You can walk up the same tracks that residents used rather than risking their lives riding on the incline wagons. The Coalbrookedale walk which passes the country's best remaining example of a mine fanhouse is a highlight.
Getting there Denniston is 18 km northeast of Westport. From Westport, follow SH67 north for 15 km. Turn right at Waimangaroa onto the road to Denniston.
There are several fictional accounts of Denniston which are very evocative of 'life on the hill':
Pattrick, Jenny. (2003) The Denniston Rose and her second book Heart of Coal (Black Swan). Price, Felicity. (2001) Dancing in the Wilderness (Hazard Press).
A short film is available on www.teara.govt.nz/en/video/7429/the-denniston-incline. This film from the National Film Unit shows the Denniston incline cable railway in action in 1967, just before it closed down. North of Brunner on the plateau at Denniston, 600 metres above sea level, there were high-quality coal deposits, and mining these was made possible by the construction of the incline in 1879. This ‘eighth wonder of the world’ brought coal down from the plateau, with a fall of 518 metres in a track distance of 1,670 metres. There were two inclines – the upper and lower – and the railway trucks were exchanged at the middle brake. The system worked on a counterbalance so that the full wagons coming downhill pulled the empty ones back up. The system was conceived by R. B. Denniston, the manager of the mine, after whom the settlement was named. Between 1879 and 1967 the incline brought down more than 13 million tonnes of coal.