of the business portion of the town over the bar and carried away the protection works and wharf which had been constructed by the Borough Council, the then “port authority.” Fortunately at this time Sir William Fox, then Premier, was visiting Westport, and on learning of the extensive damage came down post haste to Greymouth, where he authorized the building of a flood protection wall, from where now stands Cobden Bridge to Tainui Street, which, through the years, has saved the town from a similar disaster on many occasions.
The passing of the year 1873 marked the conclusion of Old Westland’s first decade as a goldfield. During this time over 3,000,000 ounces valued at £12,000,000 were exported from the West Coast, and the field was still producing at the rate of 200,000 ounces annually.
On December 1st, 1873, Westland was declared a separate province; this, then, was the year of its emancipation. The election of a Superintendent and members was held amidst scenes of great enthusiasm and general rejoicing in the January following, details of which have been noted on page 218.
The formal opening of the Grey-Brunner Railway was carried out by His Honour the Superintendent of the Province, J. A. Bonar, on April 15th, 1876. This was indeed a red letter day in the history of the province, for
