History

Gold was first discovered at Driving Creek in Coromandel Town in 1852 by the Ring brothers. The Kapanga Mine, produced over 71,000oz of gold in a fifty year period. The other nearby mine was a complete failure. Set on a natural harbour, the town was named after the ship H.M.S Coromandel which anchored in Colville on the 13th June 1820 to collect kauri logs to make spars for the British Royal Navy.The ship stayed in the Hauraki Gulf for 12 months then went back to England with a load of timber. Mining for Gold began in the 1860’s and the remains of mines and batteries can be seen along the associated walks but there is little trace of the outlying settlements which often boasted schools, halls, hotels and shops. In the peak of the gold rush days during 1880 through to the early 1900s the population of Coromandel was well over 12,000 and had 19 hotels. Some of the old buildings are still standing today.The School of Mines which is a fascinating place to visit and is only 100m up the road from the Coromandel TOP 10,the museum contains many relics of those early years.

It was built in 1898 to teach all aspects of mining and mines engineering. paste (Hauraki gold mining image) Trace the gold mining history of Coromandel town. Starting right here at the Coromandel TOP 10 Holiday Park Reception, built in 1897. This building was used as the Hauraki Gold mining Companys offices during the ‘boom’ time. Judging the decorative work under the verandah eaves, the tall brick chimney and the bracketing under the eaves the building was probably built especially as the mining office. Along side Our reception, our Four bedroom Luxury Villa majestically sits over looking the holiday park. This house was built Captain Francis Hodge in the late 1890s. Captain Hodge was the Manager of all mines owned by the English-Based Mines Corporation who had established the Hauraki Gold mining company following a rich strike by a tributer miner in one of their fields in 1894. Captain Hodge and his wife were asked officially to open the new Hospital building in Coromandel town in October 1998. He was buried in the Coromandel Anglican graveyard, having died in Auckland in 1904.

The Luxury Villa is a perfect choice of accommodation for large families and groups of friends