Wednesday, July 5, 2017

Thames (NZ): Karaka (Una) Hill 150 years Then & Now

Not many sleeps now until the 150th Commemoration of the Thames Goldfield. The landscape changed overnight as miners hunted for gold. The land cleared for mining, but every bit of timber was also needed for housing. Boats were kept busy bringing supplies from Auckland and beyond.
 Then & Now: The Una Hill from Mining Days to Present Day

Many claims were dotted over both sides of the Karaka (Una) Hill, with important batteries such as Bull's, which was located not far from the house in the 2017 photograph above.
Below are some maps showing the claims in the area. The first from the 1868 Mining Illustrated Map, and the lower from Downey's book on the Thames Goldfields.