From 1881 until the 1950s, the Martha Mine was one of New Zealand’s most productive gold mines. The most spectacular relic of the mine is the gaunt shell of the No. 5 Pumphouse, used to pump water from the mine’s depths. Cyanide tanks and other relics of mining days can also be seen.
These days mining at Martha is by open pit methods. Ore and waste rock are crushed at the surface facilities area prior to transportation along a 2.7 kilometre conveyor.In April 2016 a major rockfall occurred preventing mine operation