The wrecks in Bluff’s watery graveyard
Southland’s ship graveyard is at Green Point in Bluff Harbour. A walkway follows the coast to the graveyard, which has at least 14 small ships – including the Kekeno, Dispatch, Hirere, Savaii and Sir William Wallace.
This photo shows the graveyard as it was in 2006. Several of the wrecks have collapsed since then, and two more have been added – Miro and Rita. The three pictured here, from left to right are: Dispatch, Hirere and Savaii in the foreground.
Orepuki’s platinum ‘rush’
Gold panners at Orepuki were aware of a silvery contaminant in the final wash that could not be separated from the fine gold.
It was platinum, heavier than gold and, at that time, of little value.
Little notice was taken of the discovery until it began to turn up in larger quantities in the tailings of the hydraulic sluicing in the Round Hill field. In 1909, there was a rush – New Zealand’s only platinum rush – inspired by a rumour of great mineral wealth awaiting those diligent enough to pursue it. We all know how these things work.
‘‘Soprano’’, writing to the children’s page in the Otago Witness on August 28, 1909, summed up the local news: ‘‘Orepuki is stirred up everywhere on account of the smelting works. People are all after black sand and platinum. Men are pegging off claims on the beach also. Our cow died about a month ago.’’
Excitement died as quickly as the cow when it was realised there was not a great deal of the stuff and the minuscule flakes were hard to pan from the black sand.
A smelter was built in Orepuki but it failed to make money. In 1926, there was a revival of interest, and a company called New Zealand Platinum Ltd was formed but it too went belly-up.
In 1937, when the imperial state crown was rebuilt as a new symbol of Empire, it included ‘‘gold from Canada and Australia, diamonds from Africa, emeralds, sapphires and diamonds from India, rubies from Burma, aquamarines from Ceylon and platinum from New Zealand’’ – the latter no doubt from New Zealand’s only platinum claims on the beach at Orepuki.
So without Orepuki’s contribution, there would have been no crown and no coronation of Her Majesty. Orepuki thus saved New Zealand from anarchy or becoming a republic.
In 1909, there was a rush, New Zealand’s only platinum rush, inspired by a rumour of great mineral wealth awaiting those diligent enough to pursue it.
Western Front tragedy
An incident with a Southland connection – termed Murder On The Western Front – took place on March 3, 1918, in a camp in France, close to the Belgian town of Ypres.
A 22-year-old private from Riverton, a member of the Otago Battalion, had spent several months on the bloody Western Front.
On being informed that he was to return to the frontline, he shot two of his officers – Captain Roland Hill, MC, from Dunedin, and Lieutenant Duncan McLean, MM, from Lady Barkly, near Winton – then shot himself through the head.
His comrades reported that he was in his normal mind earlier that morning and a court of inquiry found that his wounds were selfinflicted. He was buried at the Hazebrouck Communal Cemetery two days later. The two officers were buried at Hondeghem Cemetery.