The Story Behind The GK&PTCo

Baldwin 2-8-0 in G&KP heyday climbing the bank towards Kauri Pass.

Gumtown was established in 1864 when a large timber mill, known as Upper Mill, was erected. Bullock teams and later bush trams would bring logs down out of the bush to be milled. Steamboats that would visit three times each week then transported the timber. In 1881 the Kauri Timber Company erected a large mill at Mercury Bay, and Whitianga was relocated from the other side of the river to its present site.

In 1889 Upper Mill was closed and its operations moved to KTC's mill in Whitianga, with a 2’ 6” gauge bush tram being put through to Whitianga from Gumtown. By this time gum-digging was in full swing with many gum-diggers being grubstaked by local store owners. Gumtown remained very much a frontier town serving the timber camps and gum-diggers.

In 1898 gold was discovered six miles south of Gumtown in the Slipstream branch of the Rangihau River. A number of claims were staked and Gumtown added miners to the list of dependents.

G&KP #1 heading a train through
Gumtown Yard.

In 1899 the Gumtown & Kauri Pass Tramway Company was formed.  Bush tram right of way between Gumtown and Whitianga was "upgraded" and eventually the line was pushed over Kauri Pass, down the Kauaeranga Valley to Meet the New Zealand Government Railway at Thames.

By 1921, Gumtown's heyday, it was a bustling frontier town of timber millers, bushmen, gum-diggers, and gold miners. There were 3 stores, a bakery, a boot maker, and a butcher, a 25 room hotel, 2 boarding houses, and even a billiard room. On a typical day up to 50 horses could be seen from the neighbouring mines and timber camps. There was still 1 steamboat each week and lots of activity.

As the 1940s drew to a close the Gumtown & Kauri Pass Tramway Company was declining rapidly and by 1950 it was barely clinging to life.  In 1951 the tramway was abandoned and the company was dissolved.  Gumtown was a shadow of its former self but was to have a new lease on life as clay deposits suitable for pottery and brick making were found on the slopes of Tapu Hill.  

"Melly", a refurbished and re-gauged G&KP loco is now
the main motive power on the GK&P.

In 1953 the Gumtown Kilns & Potteries Company was formed and a brickworks built at Gumtown.  The new company made use of rails from the defunct Gumtown & Kauri Pass and built an 18” gauge tramway up to the clay deposits on Tapu Hill.  Some of the original G&KP stock is being reused on the new tramway and one of the G&KP’s 0-4-0 tank lokeys has been rebuilt and put back into service.

The tramway is used to bring clay down to the potteries and also wood to fire the kilns.  As the output of the company increased the old line to Whitianga was resurrected in order to get the products from the kilns to the wharfs for shipping to Auckland and Tauranga.

Today the tramway is starting to attract some visitors to the area and management have been considering acquiring some more comfortable passenger stock.

Please note that the above narrative is a fictitious story written about a tramway company that never existed other than in my imagination and in model form. The story is based around the real history of Gumtown but the tramway and certain other parts of the narrative are entirely fictitious and this story should not be considered a reliable history of Gumtown in any way.