Reefton is a small town in the West Coast region of New Zealand, some 80 km northeast of Greymouth, in the Inangahua River valley. Ahaura is 44 km south-west of Reefton, Inangahua Junction is 34 km to the north, Maruia is 63 km to the east, and the Lewis Pass is 66 km to the south-east. In 1888, it was the first town in New Zealand and the Southern Hemisphere to be lit by electricity, generated by the Reefton Power Station. Reefton was a thriving gold mining town in the late 19th century, and gold mining lasted from the 1870s to the 1950s. Its economy is based on tourism, forestry, coal mining and farming. Reefton is home to the Inangahua County Library. Name The rich veins of gold found in a quartz reef near the town led to its name, originally spelled "Reef Town". Two nicknames in use soon after it was founded were "Rest Town" and "Quartzopolis". The main street, Broadway, was named after West Coast magistrate Charles Broad. The nearby Wealth of Nations mine was named after Adam Smith's book because the gold been discovered by another Adam Smith (no relation). History 1866 – Alluvial gold discovered in the Īnangahua Valley 1870 – Quartz reefs discovered at Reefton 1872 – Reefton Hospital opened 1886 – Reefton School of Mines opened 1888 – Town electricity supply commenced 1892 – Railway line opened 1908 – Rail line to Cronadun opened 1912 – Mine workers locked out 1967 – Rail passenger services ceased Gold mining Alluvial gold was first discovered near the town in 1866; the major discovery of gold in quartz reefs was made in 1870 and gold was being extracted by 1872. Mining from quartz reefs only took place at Reefton and Lyell. An earlier settlement, known as Ross Town, had been established on the opposite bank of the Inangahua River around 1870, but most businesses shifted across the river in 1871 to be nearer the quartz mining. There were mines at nearby locations such as Waiuta and Blacks Point. There was a downturn in the industry in the 1880s due to lack of money to develop deeper mines. Consolidated Goldfields New Zealand formed in 1896 and ran several mines. Technology was modernised and the Reefton School of Mines opened in 1887 to apply more scientific knowledge to mining. Gold mining at Reefton ceased in 1951. Electricity In 1888