The Rise and Fall of New Zealand's Most Powerful Gold Town: Waihi

The Rise and Fall of New Zealand's Most Powerful Gold Town: Waihi In 1911, Waihi had 6,436 people, more than Hamilton. Waihi wasn't just a mining town — it was a golden city, where warm mine water ran down Seddon Street. Around 5.6 million ounces of gold from one hill. But on 12 November 1912, strike-breakers and police stormed the miners' hall. Fred Evans died the next day. In June 1952 the Martha closed, with 372 men still working. The pumphouse was stripped and left to ruin. Today, the pit sits among houses, and the pumphouse stands 300 metres from its first site. On 18 December 2025, a mine beneath Coromandel Forest Park was approved. This is the story of a town built on its own fortune — and what a moved pumphouse says about trusting ground. This is not just the story of Waihi. It's the story of a debt paid in land. #Waihi #MarthaMine #LostNewZealand #NZHistory #RiseAndFall #NewZealand