Puponga

A small town here once provided homes for coal miners. There was a wharf here and a railway to a mine. The community archive tells us: "Coal was discovered and worked at Puponga, in Golden Bay, by Joseph Taylor in the late 1890's. The Puponga Coal and Gold Mining Company Ltd was formed during 1900. A coal train was operated from 1902 to the 1930's and a wharf, school and township developed about the mine. The mine peaked production with 28,000 tons of coal and employed 70 men in the 1910's. The mine later closed but was reopened in 1953 by Owen Collieries until 1974. In all in operated in 2 periods from 1899-1974."