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Roy Johns (1913-2000) - Mineworker and cricketer. Recorded 2 December 1980. Part 1/1.
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SummaryRoy Johns
Recorded on Tuesday 2nd December 1980
Part 1 of 1
0:20
Born in West Wallsend in 1913. Father was Phillip Henry Johns and mother was Isabel May Wooderson from Stockton. They came to Cessnock in 1919 when his father came to work at Aberdare pit. He was an onsetter. They came to David St and went to school at Aberdare. He played soccer at State League in 1929 aged 15. He got a State Cup medal. He played centre forward. They won the double that year.
3:47
He named the team members. The coach was Jack Taylor. He played till 1933 and then played League starting with East Cessnock.” Greedy” O’Brien was the coach from Maitland.
5:57
Tiger Lightfoot, Alfie Fairall, Reg O’Brien. He took Billy Parker’s place as fullback. There were two Billy Parkers. Billy Whitehead played fullback in Reserves. Played Rep with Newcastle against Western Suburbs from Sydney.
7:45
The change in rules in the 30’s to today. Cricket – First Grade, coach Captain Herb Taylor. East Cessnock Cricket team during the war years – Kenny Bowden – Roy names the team. Changing in the car to play different sports.
10:45
He went to Sydney in 1937. Working for Goodyear. Also playing cricket for Western Suburbs with the highest First Grade bowling average within the State. He also played with a Rep side against NSW in Maitland. He came back to Cessnock working in the pit. When he gave the soccer and rugby league he went to Brewarrina coaching RL. He stayed for a season.
15:30
The headmaster was Cummings at Aberdare – at 14 he began at Aberdare and he retired at Aberdare. He was a trapper at first – he did shifting, wheeling and mining, any job that didn’t require a ticket. He had 14 years with pick and shovel mining. He had no ticket. Then the machines came in. He worked 14 years with Jack Beard “Old Rip Beard” one of the best miners.
18:00
Buried up to his waist in mining accidents. 3 or 4 smashes in the machine places.
Iris Bridge, his wife was from Bellbird. They had one son in 1947– who is a Doctor of Philosophy – he went to Cessnock High. Many good students have come from that school. The son had 3 girls.
22:42
Iris was very good at bowls. Leila Leyton was her playing mate. Iris died suddenly. Iris went to the tech at South Cessnock and studied dressmaking.
25:25
Roy talks about his mates in the early years. He went to Sydney and trained at the Cricket Grounds – learning to bowl. Matt Willoughby – cricket and tennis. He played with Phil Lewis as partners.
29:58
It was hard to get into the teams in Newcastle and Sydney. “They want you at their beck and call and your expense and then there’s the difficulty of getting time off to work.”
32:45
He likes to play golf and bowls now. Roy’s windpipe keeps collapsing – it affects his sport. The future of Cessnock – the demise of the railway. Quick profits with open cut as opposed to underground mining.
42:00
End of Tape 138 Side A, Part 1 of 1
Johns, Roy William, 1913-2000PersonJack DelaneyCreatorJohns, Roy William, 1913-2000Delaney, Jack, 1919-2010Date Created2nd December 1980Location[1] Aberdare Colliery, NSWIdentifier138A
Recorded on Tuesday 2nd December 1980
Part 1 of 1
0:20
Born in West Wallsend in 1913. Father was Phillip Henry Johns and mother was Isabel May Wooderson from Stockton. They came to Cessnock in 1919 when his father came to work at Aberdare pit. He was an onsetter. They came to David St and went to school at Aberdare. He played soccer at State League in 1929 aged 15. He got a State Cup medal. He played centre forward. They won the double that year.
3:47
He named the team members. The coach was Jack Taylor. He played till 1933 and then played League starting with East Cessnock.” Greedy” O’Brien was the coach from Maitland.
5:57
Tiger Lightfoot, Alfie Fairall, Reg O’Brien. He took Billy Parker’s place as fullback. There were two Billy Parkers. Billy Whitehead played fullback in Reserves. Played Rep with Newcastle against Western Suburbs from Sydney.
7:45
The change in rules in the 30’s to today. Cricket – First Grade, coach Captain Herb Taylor. East Cessnock Cricket team during the war years – Kenny Bowden – Roy names the team. Changing in the car to play different sports.
10:45
He went to Sydney in 1937. Working for Goodyear. Also playing cricket for Western Suburbs with the highest First Grade bowling average within the State. He also played with a Rep side against NSW in Maitland. He came back to Cessnock working in the pit. When he gave the soccer and rugby league he went to Brewarrina coaching RL. He stayed for a season.
15:30
The headmaster was Cummings at Aberdare – at 14 he began at Aberdare and he retired at Aberdare. He was a trapper at first – he did shifting, wheeling and mining, any job that didn’t require a ticket. He had 14 years with pick and shovel mining. He had no ticket. Then the machines came in. He worked 14 years with Jack Beard “Old Rip Beard” one of the best miners.
18:00
Buried up to his waist in mining accidents. 3 or 4 smashes in the machine places.
Iris Bridge, his wife was from Bellbird. They had one son in 1947– who is a Doctor of Philosophy – he went to Cessnock High. Many good students have come from that school. The son had 3 girls.
22:42
Iris was very good at bowls. Leila Leyton was her playing mate. Iris died suddenly. Iris went to the tech at South Cessnock and studied dressmaking.
25:25
Roy talks about his mates in the early years. He went to Sydney and trained at the Cricket Grounds – learning to bowl. Matt Willoughby – cricket and tennis. He played with Phil Lewis as partners.
29:58
It was hard to get into the teams in Newcastle and Sydney. “They want you at their beck and call and your expense and then there’s the difficulty of getting time off to work.”
32:45
He likes to play golf and bowls now. Roy’s windpipe keeps collapsing – it affects his sport. The future of Cessnock – the demise of the railway. Quick profits with open cut as opposed to underground mining.
42:00
End of Tape 138 Side A, Part 1 of 1
Johns, Roy William, 1913-2000PersonJack DelaneyCreatorJohns, Roy William, 1913-2000Delaney, Jack, 1919-2010Date Created2nd December 1980Location[1] Aberdare Colliery, NSWIdentifier138Aloading google map....
Delaney, Jack, 1919-2010, Roy Johns (1913-2000) - Mineworker and cricketer. Recorded 2 December 1980. Part 1/1., [138A]. Living Histories, accessed 25/09/2023, https://livinghistories.newcastle.edu.au/nodes/view/55739