Waihi Attractions
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The once flourishing gold-miners' settlement of Waihi (pop. 4,500) lies in the southern foothills of the Coromandel Range, near the Bay of Plenty. Gold was found here in 1878, and the gold mine on Martha Hill, which was worked until 1952, was the most productive in the whole of New Zealand. Its deepest shaft goes down 550m and there are no fewer than 160km of galleries and tunnels. In 1912 there were serious clashes between the miners and the mine owners, one consequence of which was the foundation of the New Zealand Labor Party.
When the Martha Mine closed in 1952, because it was no longer economic to work, there were fears for the future of the town.
When the Martha Mine closed in 1952, because it was no longer economic to work, there were fears for the future of the town.
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