Blackball, New Zealand

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Blackball is a small town located on the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand, approximately 29km from Greymouth.

Blackball was named for the Black Ball Shipping Line, which leased land in the area to mine for coal. It was formerly known as Joliffetown and Moonlight Gully.

It is notable as the birthplace of the New Zealand Labour Party which followed the 1908 miners 'cribtime' strike, the longest in new Zealand history (at ten weeks).

The current population is 370, and the town is due to become the home of the New Zealand Museum of Working Class History.

[edit] References

  • Reed, A. W. (2002). The Reed Dictionary of New Zealand Place Names. Auckland: Reed Books. ISBN 0-7900-0761-4.

Formerly The Blackball Hilton Hotel

Coordinates: 42°22′S 171°25′E

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