bachelor or higher degree, and 231 (29.8%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $19,600, compared with $31,800 nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 264 (34.1%) people were employed full-time, 93 (12.0%) were part-time, and 39 (5.0%) were unemployed. Economy The Granity Creek Sawmill was established in 1846 and was a significant employer in the area. The town was also the location of the engineering division of the Westport Coal Company, and the railway station was used for loading and dispatching coal from the nearby Millerton mine. Education Granity School opened in 1879 in Ngakawau and was later re-located to a site between Ngakawau and Granity. In 1901 it had a roll of 100 pupils. The school is a co-educational full primary school (years 1–8), with a roll of as of The natural erosion of the beach, at a rate of per year, is threatening the school buildings, and a stopbank has resulted in the school grounds protruding further out onto the beach than adjoining properties. Biodiversity The very rare and critically endangered cobble skink is only known to occur on a short stretch of pebbled coast at Granity. Notable people Notable people from Granity include: Bub Bridger, writer and performer Gallery References External links Granity website Buller District Populated places in the West Coast, New Zealand