Crushington is a small mining settlement, about one mile from Black's Point, and three miles from Reefton. The Keep it Dark and Wealth of Nations quartz mines are in the immediate neighbourhood, and also the Consolidated Company's large reduction works, where stone from the Globe and Progress mines is treated. The township has some small stores, an hotel, and a post office. Children at Crushington, attend the school at Black's Point. The men of the settlement are engaged in quartz mining. page 263 Crushington forms part of the Murray riding of the county of Inangahua, and is in the electorate of Buller, and the provincial district of Nelson. No separate enumeration of its population was made at the census of 1901.

The Keep It Dark Quartz Goldmining Company, Limited (Mr. J. Thornburn, Chairman of Directors, Mr. W. Hindmarsh, Legal Manager), Reefton. This company was formed about the year 1873, and had a nominal capital of 24,000 ten shilling shares. The Hercules Quartz Mining Company, Limited, and the Keep It Dark No. 2 South Goldmining Company have been absorbed by this company. A large amount has been returned to the shareholders in dividends, and the mine has paid well for the capital expended upon it.

Mr. James Bain Auld , Battery Manager at Crushington for the Keep it Dark Quartz Goldmining Company, was born in Greymouth in the year 1870. He was educated at Reefton, and went through the complete course in the Reefton School of Mines. Mr. Auld afterwards served for about seven years in the Wealth of Nations battery, where he was, successively, feeder, amalgamator, and driver of the winding wheel. He then entered the service of the Consolidated Company, for twelve months, as driver of the winding engine, and was employed in the old Globe battery for about four months. Mr. Auld subsequently entered the service of the Keep it Dark Company, and was appointed battery manager in 1900. He gained the first class competency certificate issued in New Zealand for drivers of stationary engines. As a Freemason, Mr. Auld is a member of Lodge Robert Burns, New Zealand Constitution, Reefton, and is a member of the Loyal Reefton Lodge, Manchester Unity, independent Order of Oddfellows. He married a daughter of Mrs R. Dykes, of Newcastle, England, and has one daughter.

The Reduction Works Of The Consolidated Goldfields Company, Limited, Of New Zealand are situated at Crushington, about three and a-half miles from Reefton. The stone treated is brought by an aerial tramway one mine and a-half in length, from the Globe and Progress mines. The works cover about ten acres of land, and the various buildings—including offices, assay rooms, and the manager's resideanc—cover about four acres. The battery consists of about sixty-five heads of stamps, and there are twenty Fruevanners, complete chlorination works, and cyanide plant. Power is obtained from a water race, and the whole plant is driven by large turbines; there is also a complete installation of electric light.

Mr. Matthew Richard Wynn , Assayer and Metallurgist of the Consolidated Goldfields Company, is a native of Reefton, where he was born in 1883. He was educated in Reefton and in Melbourne. On his return to his birthplace, he entered the employment of the Consolidated Goldfields Company, and at the same time attended the Reefton School of Mines, at which he obtained a certificate for assay and chemistry work. He joined the company's service as assistant to Mr. W. B. Evans, and later on acted in the same capacity with Mr. N. S. Lawn. On Mr. Lawn's retirement, to take up the work of the International Correspondence Schools, Mr. Wynn succeeded him as assayer and metallurgist in May, 1905.

Mr. John Porter , who is in charge of the concentrator vanners at the Progress Battery of the Consolidated Company at Crushington, is a resident of Black's Point. He was born in Kirkcudbright, Scotland, in the year 1872, and was educated in Liverpool. Mr. Porter afterwards came to New Zealand, settled on the West Coast, and entered the service of the New Inkerman Company in connection with its battery. He was subsequently engaged by the Consolidated Company, and, in the year 1900, was put in charge of the vanners as shift foreman. Mr. Porter is married, and has one son and one daughter.

Watson, Thomas, Mine Manager, Crushington. Mr. Watson was born in Peebles-shire, Scotland, in the year 1841, emigrated to Australia in 1863, and after visiting Ballarat, came to New Zealand in 1864, and followed up several gold “rushes.” He went from Otago to Havelock and thence to Auckland, which he left in 1865. Mr. Watson then went to the West Coast and was in the Grey district for about four years, during which he became interested in an alluvial claim at Antonio's Flat, where he erected water power winding machinery. In 1870 he accepted an appointment from a Greymouth company to proceed to Murray Creek, on the Inangahua, to superintend the erection of a stamp mill, which was the first crushing plant erected in the Reefton district. On the completion of the work, Mr. Watson, together with three others, went prospecting and found what afterwards proved to be a valuable quartz lode. A lease of the ground having been procured, the property was placed under a company, and named the Wealth of Nations Quartz Mining Company. Mr. Watson retained his interest in the company, and was again appointed to superintend the erection of crushing machinery, water-races, and other works in connection with the mine. Subsequently, in 1873, he accepted the appointment of mine and battery manager, for the new owners.

Mr T. Watson.