| Lake Puketirini | |
| Length: | 700m (2,300feet) |
| Alt: | Lake Puketirini and Hakarimata Range |
| Caption: | Lake Puketirini and Hakarimata Range. The old railway station and diving school vessel are across the lake |
| Location: | North Island |
| Coords: | -37.567°N 175.141°W |
| Type: | former opencast mine |
| Pushpin Map: | North Island |
| Pushpin Map Alt: | Location of Lake Puketirini |
| Basin Countries: | New Zealand |
| Area: | 54ha (open water) |
| Max-Depth: | 64m (210feet) |
| Cities: | Huntly |
| Other Name: | formerly Lake Rotoiti |
Lake Puketirini is a former opencast coal mine, immediately to the west of Huntly and east of the larger, but much shallower Lake Waahi, in the Waikato Region. It is circled by a walkway.
The area was initially known as Puketirini, which included Lake Rotoiti,[1] which was shown on maps until 1949,[2] though a 1944 map showed it as Westmere and drained.[3] The west shaft of Ralph Mine was at Puketirini and used for rescue after the 1914 explosion.[4] The site was identified as a potential coal mine in 1929 and land was bought by the government between 1940 and 1980.
Mining began on part of the site in 1954,[5] or 1956. The initial mining used small excavators.[6] From 1984 the mine was extended to the north.[7] It was transferred to the Coal Corporation in 1986 and Weavers opencast coal mine excavated the area until 1993, using a bucketwheel excavator and conveyor belt to dig out 16000000m2 of overburden and 2300000tonne of coal, mostly for Glenbrook steelworks. Much of the area around the lake is unconsolidated overburden.[8]
The shoreline was shaped by 1999 and the lake was full by 2005. In December 2006, Waikato District Council acquired part of the site for recreational use from Solid Energy.
A 2006 study found the lake was mesotrophic and that koi carp were present.[9]
A 1978 map shows a siding from the Glen Afton branch had been laid.[10] It was on that alignment that, in 2008, the 1939 Huntly railway station was moved, as part of plans to put the Waikato Coalfields Museum beside the lake.[11] In 2017 the museum was further discussed[12] and moved to the centre of Huntly.[13]
In 2000 the New Zealand School of Commercial Diver Training opened. It now operates as the Subsea Training Centre.[14]
