Brunner is a town in the northwest of New Zealand's South Island, with a population of somewhat under 1,000 people. It is located 12 kilometres to the east of Greymouth, on the south bank of the Grey River. The town is on the Midland Line railway, near its junction with the Stillwater - Westport Line (SWL) in neighbouring Stillwater. Passenger trains ceased running along the SWL to Reefton and Westport in 1967, but the TranzAlpine runs the length of the Midland Line from Christchurch to Greymouth and it continues to stop in Brunner. Historically connected with the industry of coal mining, the town was the site of a major disaster in 1896, when an explosion killed 65 miners. Other important industries in the town have included forestry. The town, formerly called Brunnerton, was named for the explorer Thomas Brunner, who discovered coal here.
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| Christchurch • Rolleston • Darfield • Springfield • Cass • Arthur's Pass • Otira • Jacksons • Moana • Brunner • Greymouth |
References
- Reed, A. W. (2002). The Reed Dictionary of New Zealand Place Names. Auckland: Reed Books. ISBN 0-7900-0761-4.
External links
- New Zealand Disasters: Burner Mine, 26 March 1896
- Brunner, Encyclopedia of New Zealand.
