Brook Street Coal Prospeting Association

In 1894 there was renewed interest in the coal measures adjacent to Nelson. This was probably prompted by increases in the cost of coal shipped to Nelson from Golden Bay and even from as far afield as New South Wales. In August 1894 several citizens living in Brook Street took the initiative and established The Brook Street Coal Prospecting Association to prospect a farm, owned by James Wilson Newport, on the east side of The Brook downstream of the reservoir (this was the circular basin just behind the present caretaker's house, the present dam was not yet built). £ 100 in £ 1 shares was subscribed and at a meeting on 10 September 1894 a 50 year lease over 200 acres of Newport's land was negotiated. If a company to mine coal was subsequently registered, Newport was to receive five fully paid up shares for every 100 issued. A royalty of sixpence per ton for every ton over 100 tons mined, with a maximum of £50 a year, was to be paid.

Directors of the association were John A. McArtney (Chairman), A. D. Blick. W. Miller, C. Park, and the secretary was F. A. Bamford (in January 1895 Blick and Miller were replaced by P. Martin and F. Atkinson). The association appointed a miner John Kissell to take charge of the prospecting. No time was wasted because on the 11 September a drive was started into the hillside on Cummings (now Cummins) spur, 30ft below page 8the old workings of many years earlier (Cummins Creek is the first creek to enter The Brook downstream of the waterworks reserve, Bullock and Cummins Spur are to the north and south of the creek respectively). The workings must have proved quite a point of interest because Bamford was to advertise that no one would be allowed in the drive without a written permit and that dogs worrying Newport's sheep were liable to be destroyed.

After the drive reached about 42ft a crosscut was started in an attempt to meet the old workings. However by late October the air in the new workings had steadily deteriorated and safety lamps were ordered. Several other drives and two shallow shafts were put in by the association in the area between Cummins to Bullock Spurs and although indications of coal were found in some of them it was decided, on the advice of Kissell who was now mine manager, to keep on with the main drive. Some hard, good quality coal was obtained from a 2.5ft seam in this drive. Of the 3 tons extracted 1 ton was used on 30 October 1894 in Messrs Griffin and Sons mill and proved so satisfactory that six days later two dray loads were purchased.

By the end of 1894 the association had all but expended its capital with £61 2s 6d paid in wages (mostly to Kissell and Williams), £11 15s for timber and £4 2s for mining requisites. An attempt to raise further capital by issuing another 100 £ 1 shares, nominally paid up to 10s per share (in five calls of 2s each) were not very successful. At a meeting on 30 January 1895 only 42 shareholders had paid the calls due on their shares and the miners were advised hat prospecting would cease. However the miners entered into an agreement with the association to continue working for no pay but would receive any monies obtained from the sale of coal for which orders for 10 tons, at 15s per ton, were on hand. This arrangement ceased nine weeks later when the Inspector of Mines declared the drive unsafe. Because of unstable ground conditions and despite being well timbered, it was proving impossible to keep the drive opened. A further drive in Cummings Spur 130ft up the valley was abandoned after 110ft. At a meeting on 29 April 1895 it was agreed to sell the materials and tools and an offer from Newport was accepted; any balance was to go to Kissell and Williams. A vote of thanks to Bamford, who had received no remuneration at all, was given.