Author(s): Lyndon Fraser

West Coast | Secondhand

Second hand.

From the 1860s, the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island was the scene of two major gold strikes, attracting hopefuls from all over the world. Suddenly, where there had been native bush and wide rivers, towns with 400 pubs and accommodation houses had appeared. Amongst the hopefuls were Irish miners, many of whom stayed on after the goldrushes as part of a community with its own distinctive character. This is the first academic study on the history of those Irish - where they came from, who they were, how many women came and what they did.

First published May 2007. Illustrated with monochrome images and map.

VG.