Written by Agnes in 2004/2005 during our travels in Thailand and New Zealand.
Anchored with our sailboat *Renaissance* in a stunning bay, we listened to the radio one evening, tuning into weather reports and a book program featuring Jenny Patrick, author of *The Denniston Rose*. Her story about the Denniston Incline, a historic coal-mining plateau, inspired us to buy the book and visit the site. Families lived there, mining coal in harsh conditions, reachable only by a steep 2000ft rail in coal carts until 1967. We drove up to the misty, somber plateau—black, grey, and cold. Disease, death, and hardship marked this place, once home to criminals and outcasts sent from England and Ireland. Fights, hunger, and coffin rides down the Incline were common. A doctor took a day to arrive, making illness deadly. Children were born in dire conditions. Now a monument and museum, it’s called the 8th World Wonder for its engineering and brutal history. Watch the videos below to see the restored Incline and its story.
Watch below: The Denniston Incline
Watch below Denniston Incline as it is today, a Tourist Attraction.
Learn more on Denniston’s history here.
We’ve enjoyed to read the book ‘The Denniston Rose’ written by Jenny Patrick.