Mawhera Quay and the Greymouth Floodwall

Mawhera Quay took it's name from the original name for Greymouth, Mawhera Pa. The irony is the settlers wanted the land too, that belonged to the Maori of Mawhera Pa. But in an unusual timely twist, the The Public Trustee Act 1882 empowered Maori to allocate land for their own occupation and provide perpetual leases to settlers. Since then, many parts of settled Greymouth as well as some farms, are leasehold with the 'Mawhera Incorporation' being managers, and 2500 Maori descendants the shareholders.

Despite being prone to flooding, the riverside area of Mawhera was always going to be the hub of Greymouth>< Maori and Pakeha alike use the river and rivermouth for transport of people and goods, and still do. Mawhera Quay of today is bounded by the Cobden double bridges (one each for road and rail) on the west side, and the wharf and port downriver.

Floods have had a huge impact on the town of Greymouth and in 1989 huge capital expenditure sought to minimise this with the erection of a stopbank. This now provides a buffer in rising waters, of course Cobden on the North side of the river is still vulnerable. A walk along the stopbank on a good day will proved vistas in all directions, of mountains, bush, sea and town.

A 2013 memorial to the miners who have lost their lives in coal mining accidents on the West Coast was installed on the floodwall in 2013, the 46th anniversary of the Strongman Mine disaster that killed 19 men. There are also several local sculptures in place and the Left Bank Art Gallery is on Mawhera Quay too. Not far from there is a large wooden clock tower, erected here in 1992, despite the fact that the main shopping street, Mackay Street, is one block away. It houses the original 1903 town clock.

A recent boost to Mawhera Quay is that it is the start point for the West Coast Wilderness Trail, a cycle tour of increasing popularity.

Image Credits Te Papa: Big flood at Greymouth, Mawhera Quay. From the album:Untitled landscape album, circa 1880, West Coast, by James Ring, From the old pa, Greymouth, New Zealand, by James Crowe Richmond. Gift of EA Atkinson, 1935, on behalf of the artist's daughter, DK Richmond.