Millerton, New Zealand
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Millerton is a small settlement in the northwestern South Island of New Zealand in the West Coast region. It is in the Papahaua Ranges, around 25 kilometres north east of Westport, on SH67 from Westport to Karamea.
The history of Millerton bears some resemblance to that of Denniston, being a town that lived from and for the coal that was mined in the Ranges. As Denniston, Millerton is now almost without population, sometimes classified as a ghost town [1].
Despite its elevation of 127 m [2] being considerably lower than that of Denniston (494 m [3]), the grade between the coastline and Millerton still meant that the coal was difficult to get down to the railway. The Westport Coal Company built the Millerton Incline in 1891 and the Millerton Mine began production in 1896. Mining at Millerton ended in the late 1960s, similar again to Denniston [4]. The incline consisted of two parallel tracks on which the lorries ran. Remnants of tracks, trucks, bath house and other installations are still visible.
With the Denniston and the smaller Millerton mining operations having stopped, the nearby Stockton coalfield is continuing the tradition of the West Coast coal.
[edit] Tourism
Few tourists seem to venture further up the west coast north of Westport and with the narrow, steep and winding road, even fewer of them visit Denniston and the smaller Millerton site. Nevertheless, the local community offers maps which show the various objects that are still visible. The road to Millerton has spectacular views across the coast and the rain forest. Some short walkways connect the roads with historic and scenic places.
