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Bede Kelly (1907-1988) - Executive with the R.W. Miller Group. Recorded 7 December 1985. Part 1/3.

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SummaryTAPE 045A Bede Kelly
Recorded 7 December 1985
Part 1 of 3

0:05
Mr Kelly was a high ranking executive with the R.W. Miller Group - Millfield, Ayrfield and Rothbury.

0:50
The history of the mines. East Greta Coal Company.
Bede was born in Sydney and began at Ayrfield 1 in 1921 starting with Miller.

2:11
Bede was born in 1907.

4:32
Ayrfield started in 1921. Under license from Cliffs Estate who also owned Heddon Greta. Original name Ayrfield Mining Co. Miller owned it.

5:10
He began aged 15 straight out of working in the Sydney office when his father died when he was 14. Walter Pigstock was the under manager – he lived at Telarah.

6:49
The track was put in first to Stanford with spurs to East Greta Junction.

8:18
Rail wagons were branded with Ayrfield. In about 1920 the flooding happened.

8:23
Completely flooded underground – Glen Ayr. Glen Main had a bit of Glen Ayr’s lease.

10:07
Ayrfield No 2 and No 1 were initially the same size – Heddon Greta finished about 1912 and East Greta Coal Co bought the lease.

11:04
1934 they pumped out the flooded shaft (70 deg. slope) with a steam engine alligator pump. Compressed air was used first. Power eventually came from Maitland City Council. Naked lights were used not safety lights.

12:30
Contract mining from the A.D. Armstrong G.E Armstrong – mine managers 1915 - 1922. Using the breast cutters.

14:29
Skips tipped the coal into the alligator. Two alligators were used – one up one down. 8 stage pumps. Sulphur was very bad.
The market went to Newcastle by rail and shipped to Sydney to the gasworks at Balmain and Black Wattle Bay.

16:46
There were about 130 men at Ayrfield No 1 and at No 2 there about 120 men. Tonnage taken was much the same.

17:45
The coal seam at No 1 was up to 24 ft thick – skips were wheeled in by hand, no horses till later. No 2 used the same methods.

18:38
They discuss the demolition of the infrastructure of the mines. 1946.

21:15
Millfield. Began without a railway. Glassyn put in the rail. Steam power with Lancashire boilers. The manager was Armstrong. George Wilson from Pelton was an under manager.

24:51
Bord and pillar construction - 1500ft – The haulage were endless rope - 1 in 4 steep. 120 men worked at Millfield and it was screened and the chitter was dumped locally. Mechanisation came in about the 1950’s. All contract mining. (Picture of mono pump underground at Millfield) ( Mono pump 2).

27:40
In 1967 there was a big bushfire. 3 houses lost. Mine was ventilated by a big sirocco fan and this was replaced by aeroplane propeller blades from a Tiger Moth. Ventilation at Ayrfield mines 1 & 2 used sirocco fans.

30:38
Eric Newham and manager Reg Watson (Bellbird and Millfield) – (he was never appointed to) Board of Directors with R.W. Miller.

32:50
Bede started at Ayrfield No 3 at Branxton at 1933. Branxton Coal Co (possibly owned by Miller) – Maitland Extended Colliery – The Commercial Hotel at Branxton. Management at Millfield.

35:00
Manager Harry Thomas – 1933 at Ayrfield No 3 (also called Rothbury). Ventilated with propeller fans connected underground later.

38:38
End Tape 145 Side A, Part 1 of 3 Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

SubjectKelly, Bede Albert, 1907-1988 Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

Ayrfield Colliery No. 3, North Rothbury (N.S.W.)Coal mines and mining -- New South Wales -- Hunter Valley -- History.PersonJack Delaney Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

CreatorKelly, Bede Albert, 1907-1988Delaney, Jack, 1919-2010CollectionVoices of the Hunter Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

Date Created7th December 1985Location^[1]Ayrfield No. 3 Colliery, NSW Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

^[2]Rothbury, NSW Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

Identifier045A Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

Job Identifier045A

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