Birchfield is an industrial settlement on the WestportMokihinui line of railway, thirteen miles from Westport, and eighteen from Mokihinui. It is in the North Wareatea riding of the county of Buller, in the electoral district of Buller, and in the provincial district of Nelson. The settlement was established by Messrs Griffiths Brothers about the year 1888, and these gentlemen own most of the land in the neighbourhood. The local industries include a large foundry, a sawmill and a flaxmill. There is a store but no hotel in the settlement, and the post office and telephone bureau are domiciled at the office connected with the sawmill. At the census of 1901 the population of the settlement was ninety-eight, but it has since steadily increased, and the accommodation at the public school is now (1905) insufficient. Birchfield is not far from the sea beach, which lies to the west of it, and on the other side of the line there is an area of bush land, flanked to the eastward by magnificent wooded ranges.

Griffiths And Company, Limited (George Griffiths and William Joseph Garrett, Managing Directors), Iron and Brass Founders, Engineers and Boiler Makers, Birchfield. This business was established by Mr. George Griffiths in the year 1898, and was registered as a limited company in 1904. The land on which the foundry stands is about seven acres in extent. The buildings are of wood and iron, and contain moulding, fitting, pattern, galvanising, and smiths' shops. The entire establishment is supplied with the most modern machinery, including, drilling, screwing, punching, boring, shearing, rivettin, and rolling appliances. The motive power is derived from a creek some two miles away, and the water is brought in by a water race. The Pelton wheel used will develop from seventy to one hundred horse-power. There is an overhead travelling crane, and a large cupola; and there are three forges in the smiths shop. From twenty-five to sixty persons are employed at the works.

Mr. William Joseph Garrett , one of the managing directors of Griffiths and Co., Limited, was born at Blenheim, in the year 1863. He was educated at Kaikoura public school, learned flaxmilling, and commenced business in conjunction with his brothers at Kaikoura, and was also engaged in erecting and extending machinery for dairies and other purposes. Mr. Garrett was afterwards employed by Messrs Griffiths Bros, in the sawmilling line, and in 1898 was associated with Mr. Griffiths in establishing the Birchfield foundry. He was a member of the Birchfield school committee for seven years, and as an Oddfellow passed through all the chairs in connection with Lodge Heart of Hope, Kaikoura.

Mr. Donald Mckenzie , who has been pattern maker at the works of Messrs Griffiths and Co. Limited since the establishment of the business, was born in the year 1863, at Dumbarton, Scotland, where he was educated. He afterwards learned the trade of a pattern maker, at Thornley Bank, near Glasgow. Mr. McKenzie came out to Australia, in 1884, and found work at his trade in Sydney. He then entered into business with a partner at Wicklea, as an engineer. Mr. McKenzie subsequently visited Queensland, Tasmania, and Victoria, and, while in the latter colony, was deputy of the Kumburra mine, South Gippsland, for two years. He came to New Zealand in 1889, and for three years was engaged at coalmining at Mokihinui, and, at the closing of the WestportCardiff mine, settled in Birchfield. Since 1900, Mr. McKenzie has served as chairman of the Birchfield school committee. He married a daughter of Mr. J. Hunter, of Birchfield, in the year 1895, and has one daughter.

Griffiths Bros . (Evan and James Griffiths), Sawmillers and Timber Merchants, Birchfield. Bankers, Bank of New South Wales. This firm's business was established in 1883, and taken over by the present proprietors in June, 1896. The mill is one of the largest and best equipped in the district, and the machinery is driven by a six-feet Pelton wheel, the water-race being a mile and a-half in length. A vertical eight-feet saw is used for breaking-down purposes, and is capable of treating a five-feet log. There is the usual travelling rip-saw bench, with table top forty feet long, also a band saw for scroll work, and planing and moulding machinery. The firm has about 500 acres of freehold land, on which it is cutting some of the finest timber in New Zealand. Messrs Griffiths have also timber rights over adjoining Crown lands, and have a visible supply which will last for many years. They have their mill equipped completely in every detail, including about two miles of iron tramway into the bush. The sawn timber from the mill is second to none, and at the Dunedin Exhibition of 1898, the firm was successful in gaining the first prize for the best piece of rimu. The mill is being worked full time, and the local demand is so great as to utilise the whole output.

Mr. Evan Griffiths was born in Glamorganshire, South Wales, England, in 1859, was brought up on a farm, and came to New Zealand with his brothers in 1878. For some years he followed mining in the Lyell district, but in 1883 he and his two brothers established the present business at Birchfield. Mr. Griffiths is fond of cricket as a pastime.

Mr. E. Griffiths.

Mr. James Griffiths was born in South Wales, England, in 1860, and for some years followed farming pursuits in the district of Cardiff. In 1878, he came to New Zealand by the ship “Ermine,” and was for a year or two working as a coalminer. He was subsequently contracting for two years at Lyell, and was engaged at farming at Gollan's Gully, near Wellington, for a short time. He then returned to the West Coast, and helped to establish the sawmill at Birchfield.

Mr. J. Griffiths.