Seddonville , named after the Premier of the colony, occupies a central position in the Mokihinui valley. It forms part of the Karamea riding of the county of Buller, and is in the electoral district of Motueka and the provincial district of Nelson. At the census of 1901, the population of the valley was returned at 331, and this number, doubtless, included the residents of Seddonville, St. Helen's and Mokihinui Mine. The valley is surrounded by bush-covered hills, and the township occupies a site on the south bank of the Mokihinui river. It is a distinctly sylvan little place, and the adjacent bushclad hills are remarkably beautiful. A few miles to the south-east is Mount Glasgow, 4,687 feet high. Several sawmills are at work in the vicinity, but the staple industry is coal mining. The Westport-Carcliff Company opened a mine at the settlement, and the mine was taken over by the Government in October, 1901. There has been some gold digging in the district, but the reefs have not proved very remunerative. Seddonville has a Masonic Lodge, a branch of the Knights of Labour, and a Lodge of the Order of Good Templars. The public school is centrally situated, and there is a Presbyterian church in the township, which has a post office and telephone bureau, and a police station, with a resident officer. The railway extension to Seddonville was completed in 1898, and for the first two years there was a resident stationtnaster, who also acted as postmaster. Seddonville has a resident medical man.

The Seddonville Post Office is conducted at the store of Mr. J. A. Clark. Mails are received and despatched by every train, and there has been telephonic communication since the year 1896.

The Seddonville Public School was originally known under the name of Coal Creek. The building was removed from the old site between Seddonville and Mokihinui Mine to the township of Seddonville in January, 1905. It stands on a section of two acres of land, and has been renovated and enlarged; it contains two classrooms, two porches, and a cloak room, and has accommodation for about 120 children. There are ninety-five names on the roll, and the average attendance is eighty-five.

Mr. Samuel William Street , who has been headmaster of the Seddonville public school since the year 1902, was born in Nelson in 1877. He was educated at Bridge Street school and the Bishop's School at Nelson, and became a pupil teacher in the Boys' Central school in that city. Mr. Street was subsequently appointed to the charge of Kongahu school, Karamea, where he remained for two years, and was then appointed to the charge of the Summerlea school. He was appointed to his present position in the year 1902. Mr. Street holds a D2 certificate, and has been secretary of the local cricket, football, and sports clubs.

Bruesewitz, photo.
Mr. S. W. Street.

Mr. Thomas Lander , sometime headmaster of the Coal Creek school— afterwards removed to Seddonville— was born in Charleston in 1872, was educated locally, served as a probationer, and was sent ultimately to Nelson, where he was for a time one of the assistant teachers at the Central school. In 1896, he took charge of the Central school at Takaka, near Nelson, where he remained until he was appointed to Coal Creek, in 1898. Mr. Lander died some time ago.

The Late Mr. T. Lander.

Coleman, George, Draper and Clothier, Seddonville. This business was established in 1893 by the late Mr. David Mitchell, who came out to Victoria in 1852, and was on the Bendigo goldfields for over nine years. In 1861, he crossed to New Zealand, where he followed up the Otago diggings with indifferent luck. Five years later, he removed to the Coast, and worked as a miner for over twenty years. Since Mr. Mitchell's death, in 1903, the business has been carried on by the surviving partner, Mr. George Coleman.

Empire Hotel (Thomas Muckle, proprietor), Seddonville. This busiwas established by the late Mr. W. C. Catchpole. The building is of wood and iron, and contains eighteen rooms, including ten bedrooms, three sittingrooms, and a dining-room capable of seating twenty-four guests.

Mr. Thomas Muckle has been proprietor of the Empire Hotel since the year 1903. He married the widow of the late Mr. W. C. Catchpole, the former proprietor of the hotel, in 1902.

Clark, James Atkinson, General Storekeeper, Clark's Store, Seddonville. This business was established by Mr. Clark in the year 1892. The building is of wood and iron, and contains a store, post office and a fiveroomed residence. Mr. Clark is further referred to as the postmaster at Seddonville.

The State Coal Mine at Seddonville was originally known as the Westport-Cardiff mine. The WestportCardiff Company abandoned the claim, and the State re-opened the mine in October, 1901. The area of the original mine is about 400 acres, to which the land, known as the Cave area, has been added. The mine is worked on the board and pillar system, and there is said to be plenty of coal. A drive of fifty-eight chains, or about half amile in extent, was put into the hill, and coal was struck at twenty-five chains, and there the first workings were opened out. Beyond this seam, there is a fault extending over fourteen chains, but there again coal has been struck and opened out. At the first seam, twenty chains of workings have been opened up; and although the coal at the western side is soft, it is hard, at the second strike, past the fault. The seam at that point averages from fifteen to sixteen feet in thickness, and is brought to the surface by the endless rope system, one hundred horse-power being employed for the purpose. When in full work, the mine employs 120 men, and 500 tons a day can be loaded on the trucks. The whole of the blacksmithing and carpentering work required is done at the mine.