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Ted Hayler (1897-) - Manager, Cessnock No. 2 & Neath Collieries. Recorded 20 December 1978. Part 1/1.
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SummaryTED HAYLER
Recorded 20 December 1978
Part 1/1
0:34
Born in Merewether, Newcastle in 1897. Came to Neath at 13 started as a houseboy at the house of the superintendent, Clem Jones – he was his uncle – his mother’s brother. Replaced powder boy – Neath was producing 10 – 1100 tons. 70 pairs of miners.
3:40
The Strangs at Neath – Jack Rogers – George Bytheway.
He enlisted and in 1919 he came back to Little Cessnock. Jack Fallon was manager at Cessnock No 2. He then went to Glenayr.
6:45
The first person to find coal in Cessnock – Caspar Gehrig and Prof David. Found in the Swamp Creek at Abermain. Ted worked with Caspar.
9:18
After the War Ted began studying surveying as well as office work. When Bob Purcell left he took on the surveying and the office work. Appointed undermanager at No2 in 1924.
10:45
Stanford Main – Millfield and Pelton – Managers - Stan Sawyer from Stanford Merthyr, Arthur Milner. Milton Mathieson’s father was at Bellbird during the disaster. Jack Brown was killed during the rescue attempts. (Map of the Coalfields area)
Fall-ins and heatings. (Stanford Merythr Colliery on fire)(Memorial)
13:30
Cessnock No 1. Charley Sumner was the manager. Ted was there for 30 years. Bill McManus was manager at Kalingo.
15:03
Ted had cancer of the jaw and just returned from his jaw operation – speech is sometimes difficult and unclear. He also has hearing difficulty. Kenny Williams from Abermain then to Newcastle. Athol Lightfoot – early mine manager.
18:20
Bords and pillars. Four years away at the war – at 18 he went to Egypt – the troops had just pulled out of Gallipoli. He was away from Sept 14 – 1918. His father came from Wolverhampton. His father worked at Catherine Hill Bay then Greta and the south coast. Wooden hoppers give way to steel skips.
Neath and Sawyers Gully.
Neath runs near the school to Maitland Road and towards Abermain.
23:45
White coal. Neath coal didn’t make soot like other coal. It didn’t have much sulphur in it. It didn’t heat up – as with Cessnock 2. Bellbird and Central coal was very fierce. Splitting the two seams of coal. Faults, shale. Pelton and Paxton seams.
”Holland’s leases”. “Long wall system” (at Stockton).The gassy quality of pits. Bellbird was a gassy pit. No gas at No. 2.
The Davy lamp explained. It was used for gas detection. Lamps still used underground.
29:32
The early days of Neath. Lived in a bag home for years with a clay floor. Bricks were made at Neath. About half a mile away from the mine. There was only a shop and a post office at Neath (and that was a bag place too). No pumping station. Water was supplied to their tanks from a carter. Charley Ems? Esson? Charged 1/- a cart. He got it from a creek called Rocky Bottom near the Neath church.
The water came through in the 30’s, after the Lock Out.
33:40
The bridge that was built over the Bellbird cutting was done by Kalingo when the rail was built.
34:05
Athol Lightfoot (His achievements) – speaking out for the reduction in the miner’s pension.
35:47
Neath – at the south side next to Aberdare Extended by the north tunnel. They found a little grey frog in a large clump of coal. They think it may have been there for thousands of years. It began to breathe for about half a minute before it faded out when the clump was broken open. Ted contacted Athel D’Ombrain.
Prehistoric river – an underground stream 8.000ft below ground near the north tunnel goes down to Neath school. "Lochinvar antecline".
40:40
The brickworks – Reg Henry’s father started it.
Deadman’s Creek – filled up with mud and rubbish in the 1947. Wilson Barrett.
43:36
End of Tape 106 Side B, Part 1 of 1.
SubjectHayler, Edwin Joseph, 1897-World War 2Neath (N.S.W.)Coal mines and mining -- New South Wales -- NeathPersonJack DelaneyDelaney, Jack, 1919-2010Location[1] Neath Colliery, NSW[2] Egypt[3] Wolverhampton, UK[4] Kalingo Colliery, NSW[5] Cessnock No. 2 Colliery, NSW[6] Merewether, NSWIdentifier108B
Recorded 20 December 1978
Part 1/1
0:34
Born in Merewether, Newcastle in 1897. Came to Neath at 13 started as a houseboy at the house of the superintendent, Clem Jones – he was his uncle – his mother’s brother. Replaced powder boy – Neath was producing 10 – 1100 tons. 70 pairs of miners.
3:40
The Strangs at Neath – Jack Rogers – George Bytheway.
He enlisted and in 1919 he came back to Little Cessnock. Jack Fallon was manager at Cessnock No 2. He then went to Glenayr.
6:45
The first person to find coal in Cessnock – Caspar Gehrig and Prof David. Found in the Swamp Creek at Abermain. Ted worked with Caspar.
9:18
After the War Ted began studying surveying as well as office work. When Bob Purcell left he took on the surveying and the office work. Appointed undermanager at No2 in 1924.
10:45
Stanford Main – Millfield and Pelton – Managers - Stan Sawyer from Stanford Merthyr, Arthur Milner. Milton Mathieson’s father was at Bellbird during the disaster. Jack Brown was killed during the rescue attempts. (Map of the Coalfields area)
Fall-ins and heatings. (Stanford Merythr Colliery on fire)(Memorial)
13:30
Cessnock No 1. Charley Sumner was the manager. Ted was there for 30 years. Bill McManus was manager at Kalingo.
15:03
Ted had cancer of the jaw and just returned from his jaw operation – speech is sometimes difficult and unclear. He also has hearing difficulty. Kenny Williams from Abermain then to Newcastle. Athol Lightfoot – early mine manager.
18:20
Bords and pillars. Four years away at the war – at 18 he went to Egypt – the troops had just pulled out of Gallipoli. He was away from Sept 14 – 1918. His father came from Wolverhampton. His father worked at Catherine Hill Bay then Greta and the south coast. Wooden hoppers give way to steel skips.
Neath and Sawyers Gully.
Neath runs near the school to Maitland Road and towards Abermain.
23:45
White coal. Neath coal didn’t make soot like other coal. It didn’t have much sulphur in it. It didn’t heat up – as with Cessnock 2. Bellbird and Central coal was very fierce. Splitting the two seams of coal. Faults, shale. Pelton and Paxton seams.
”Holland’s leases”. “Long wall system” (at Stockton).The gassy quality of pits. Bellbird was a gassy pit. No gas at No. 2.
The Davy lamp explained. It was used for gas detection. Lamps still used underground.
29:32
The early days of Neath. Lived in a bag home for years with a clay floor. Bricks were made at Neath. About half a mile away from the mine. There was only a shop and a post office at Neath (and that was a bag place too). No pumping station. Water was supplied to their tanks from a carter. Charley Ems? Esson? Charged 1/- a cart. He got it from a creek called Rocky Bottom near the Neath church.
The water came through in the 30’s, after the Lock Out.
33:40
The bridge that was built over the Bellbird cutting was done by Kalingo when the rail was built.
34:05
Athol Lightfoot (His achievements) – speaking out for the reduction in the miner’s pension.
35:47
Neath – at the south side next to Aberdare Extended by the north tunnel. They found a little grey frog in a large clump of coal. They think it may have been there for thousands of years. It began to breathe for about half a minute before it faded out when the clump was broken open. Ted contacted Athel D’Ombrain.
Prehistoric river – an underground stream 8.000ft below ground near the north tunnel goes down to Neath school. "Lochinvar antecline".
40:40
The brickworks – Reg Henry’s father started it.
Deadman’s Creek – filled up with mud and rubbish in the 1947. Wilson Barrett.
43:36
End of Tape 106 Side B, Part 1 of 1.
SubjectHayler, Edwin Joseph, 1897-World War 2Neath (N.S.W.)Coal mines and mining -- New South Wales -- NeathPersonJack DelaneyDelaney, Jack, 1919-2010Location[1] Neath Colliery, NSW[2] Egypt[3] Wolverhampton, UK[4] Kalingo Colliery, NSW[5] Cessnock No. 2 Colliery, NSW[6] Merewether, NSWIdentifier108Bloading google map....
Delaney, Jack, 1919-2010, Ted Hayler (1897-) - Manager, Cessnock No. 2 & Neath Collieries. Recorded 20 December 1978. Part 1/1., [108B]. Living Histories, accessed 31/05/2023, https://livinghistories.newcastle.edu.au/nodes/view/55683