The diggers' story : accounts of the West Coast gold rushes.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction -- An adventurous career -- The Australian invasion -- A sailor's story -- Adventures by flood and field -- A pioneer's birthday story -- Reminiscences of early West Coast days -- First gold discovery at Greenstone -- The rough and tumble of Coast life -- Early days of the gold diggings -- An early voyage -- Wakamarina to the Coast -- Hokitika as it was -- Across the Southern Alps -- Romance and adventure -- A glutton for fight -- A wandering pioneer -- Typical tales and characteristic incidents -- The pioneer -- Beside the cradle of Westland -- Ups and downs -- The experiences of a doctor's wife -- Warden Price at Okarito -- Reminscences of Richard Seddon -- Letter from Mrs. Seddon -- An athlete's yarn -- Post and telegraphic records -- Raffling a dead horse -- Opening of the Reefton Court -- McParland's billies -- A Westport practical joke -- Dredging days -- Dr. Black and "Wullie" -- The Teremakau and its rats -- Early dredging days -- Selling billy cans -- Billy Williams -- He can't spell at all! -- Pioneers' reminiscences -- The future of Westland -- List of text boxes: Goldfields' women -- Maori gold-miners -- The Fenians -- The Burgess-Kelly Gang -- The gold escort -- Early Hokitika-a colonist's experiences -- Mrs Rachael Nahr, Westport -- Old gold-miners -- Westfield Goldfield Jubilee, 1864-1914.

These fascinating 'tales and reminiscences of the Golden Coast direct from Westland's earliest pioneers' were originally compiled by Carl Pfaff for The Diggers' Story, first published in 1914 to mark the 50th anniversary of the gold rushes that transformed this remote part of New Zealand. Long out of print, the book has been thoughtfully edited and expanded for today's readers by Hokitika Museum director Julia Bradshaw. This new edition of The Diggers' Story features additional stories and information, and is enlivened by more than 160 black and white images and 32 pages of exquisite colour illustrations, many of them previously unpublished. This compelling , richly illustrated record of the gold rushes will be essential reading for anyone interested in the West Coast's explosive and romantic history.