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David "Dai" Price (1893-1996) -- Mine worker, Aberdare Extended Colliery. Recorded 20 January 1979. Part 1/4.
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SummaryDavid "Dai" Price
Recorded 20 January 1979
Part 1 of 4
0:28
Dai was born Merewether, 1893, first came to Cessnock in 1906, travelled to Cessnock by horse & sulky the entire way. He started work at Aberdare Extended Colliery, pair of miners only on each shift. He started on skips on pit top. Dai worked at the South Coast during WWI for 9 months. The first manager at Extended in 1906 was Bob Kelsick. Dai’s wife was a Burgess from Congewai. Had 10 children. Worked at Scarborough Tunnel while on South Coast, then returned to Cessnock after WWI, to work with father at Aberdare Extended worked 5 years with him then became Deputy, Jack Brown was the manager at that time.
3:28
Lived in Gallagher Street at East Cessnock in 1906 they were the first house built on Gallagher Street, the next house was Dave Johns on Gallagher Street. There was only David Gallagher where the boundary is now, he had an old shop. The houses were wood houses, you got your water from the creek Deadman’s creek near the school. When people started throwing their rubbish in the creek they started getting their water out where Barney Kempe lived out in the bush. Barney owned the shop on the corner in town
6:06
Gehrig's home was on one corner and started to burn one night, Carol lived up just above him. Casper Gehrig started deputy at Leif Colliery. Jack Pring was the undertaker on the bottom side. The Original Cessnock P.O. was opposite the police station. Dan Kenny was the saddler. There were some early vineyards. Kenny’s shop nearby there was a Till with nothing but willow trees and a lot of peacocks near the creek. Brown owned it and then Danny Howard had it after. The early bank was near where the bars are now. There used to be a vineyard behind the bank, and behind George Brown's house. Brown owned a bike shop and David’s mother bought him the first bike sold in the store when he was 14
9:45
The location of Lightfoot's paddock was behind where the two creeks met. Charlie Lightfoot was the father. He used to live in a Union place that Bill Ward would move into eventually, his old man made the best lemon squashes in Cessnock, he owned the soft drink shop, on Wollombi Road. Punch had a store next door that sold clothes groceries and much more. Arthur Bridge took over after him. Gallagher's estate region.
12:35
Dai worked at Glebe pit in Newcastle, two men on each shift, 3 shifts each day, they were Jack Baddeley, John Marcus Baddeley, man named Farnham, Big Joe Collins, can’t remember the others. They filled the skip and pulled it up with a rope, seven skips a night, Dai started on dog watch. Ingles started before him. Frank Lovett came years after Dai.
14:07
Sheddon built Aberdare pit top, not really interested in mining he was more a contractor, he was a big contractor in Newcastle then came back later on, and had a sawmill down the back of the showground. Tom Callaghan had a couple of little houses where Woolworths is now. John Doyle built a house where the pub is. Arthur Sarroff lived in the hotel. Joe Doyle had the delivery stables, he offered Dai the land for 30 pounds. Murphy's second-hand store. John Doyle used to drive a horse coach. The oldest house in Vincent Street is still there, and old wood house, down near the railway, built by Bob McFarlane in 1904.
17:26
Came to Pelaw Main, drove up in the sulky, and went to the picnic for railway opening at Cessnock, 1904. Came to visit his mother’s sister who lived in Pelaw Main, her married name was Montgomery. Her husband worked on the Pits. Dai’s father, Alec Price, was born at Minmi, he started work at Neath pit. His father was one of the first six up in Neath, his friend in the pit was Lou Williams. He worked in "sea pits", on Lake Road, and he worked at Stockton pit. There was a creek at Shepherds Hill, and it opened up about 1903. The Sea Pit went over the little bridge and onto the boats from there. Nearly all the coal pits loaded on Wharf Road. The manager at Neath when his Father started there was Jones and Alf Mason was the under manager.
22:21
Jock Allen, Wal Allen, were all early people on the pits from the old country. The first store in Vincent Street was old Kemp’s, Mrs Macbeth had a boarding house there. Lane & Quinn's store came to Cessnock.
25:40
There was nothing along Allendale Road in those days except Picton's property where they would go to swim in the swimming hole and he used to chase them out. The best miner Dai worked with was Nat Philbey. At the time the miner's used tallow lamps and would take them home with you every day. There was no bathrooms or change rooms there, you would use a big round tub when you got home from the mines. He was working as "boss wheeler", and had two men working off him. Dai saved "Capper" Gehrig his house from burning down. Of a Sunday they would have white wine, in 1930's it was half a crown a gallon.
33:04
Not a place better than Dutchie's Beach, you would go there on your holidays and on your miner days off, went there for fishing with mates to start with. Dai applied to the land board for permission to build a place there. He paid 600 pounds for it. Dai used to go to the Newcastle races when he was a kid, There used to be an old mine where the original Newcastle racecourse was at, the Hamilton Pit. The Racecourse started around 1905 or 1906
35:44
Where the Sports Ground site is today used to be muddy stinking swamps, they filled it up. There were Chinaman all around it, they were gardeners.
37:08
End (Tape 222/Side A) part 1 of 4
Price, David Brian, 1893-1996PersonJack DelaneyDelaney, Jack, 1919-2010CollectionVoices of the HunterPlaceCessnock, NSWLocation[1] Merewether[2] Cessnock[3] Aberdare Extended Colliery[4] MinmiIdentifier222A
Recorded 20 January 1979
Part 1 of 4
0:28
Dai was born Merewether, 1893, first came to Cessnock in 1906, travelled to Cessnock by horse & sulky the entire way. He started work at Aberdare Extended Colliery, pair of miners only on each shift. He started on skips on pit top. Dai worked at the South Coast during WWI for 9 months. The first manager at Extended in 1906 was Bob Kelsick. Dai’s wife was a Burgess from Congewai. Had 10 children. Worked at Scarborough Tunnel while on South Coast, then returned to Cessnock after WWI, to work with father at Aberdare Extended worked 5 years with him then became Deputy, Jack Brown was the manager at that time.
3:28
Lived in Gallagher Street at East Cessnock in 1906 they were the first house built on Gallagher Street, the next house was Dave Johns on Gallagher Street. There was only David Gallagher where the boundary is now, he had an old shop. The houses were wood houses, you got your water from the creek Deadman’s creek near the school. When people started throwing their rubbish in the creek they started getting their water out where Barney Kempe lived out in the bush. Barney owned the shop on the corner in town
6:06
Gehrig's home was on one corner and started to burn one night, Carol lived up just above him. Casper Gehrig started deputy at Leif Colliery. Jack Pring was the undertaker on the bottom side. The Original Cessnock P.O. was opposite the police station. Dan Kenny was the saddler. There were some early vineyards. Kenny’s shop nearby there was a Till with nothing but willow trees and a lot of peacocks near the creek. Brown owned it and then Danny Howard had it after. The early bank was near where the bars are now. There used to be a vineyard behind the bank, and behind George Brown's house. Brown owned a bike shop and David’s mother bought him the first bike sold in the store when he was 14
9:45
The location of Lightfoot's paddock was behind where the two creeks met. Charlie Lightfoot was the father. He used to live in a Union place that Bill Ward would move into eventually, his old man made the best lemon squashes in Cessnock, he owned the soft drink shop, on Wollombi Road. Punch had a store next door that sold clothes groceries and much more. Arthur Bridge took over after him. Gallagher's estate region.
12:35
Dai worked at Glebe pit in Newcastle, two men on each shift, 3 shifts each day, they were Jack Baddeley, John Marcus Baddeley, man named Farnham, Big Joe Collins, can’t remember the others. They filled the skip and pulled it up with a rope, seven skips a night, Dai started on dog watch. Ingles started before him. Frank Lovett came years after Dai.
14:07
Sheddon built Aberdare pit top, not really interested in mining he was more a contractor, he was a big contractor in Newcastle then came back later on, and had a sawmill down the back of the showground. Tom Callaghan had a couple of little houses where Woolworths is now. John Doyle built a house where the pub is. Arthur Sarroff lived in the hotel. Joe Doyle had the delivery stables, he offered Dai the land for 30 pounds. Murphy's second-hand store. John Doyle used to drive a horse coach. The oldest house in Vincent Street is still there, and old wood house, down near the railway, built by Bob McFarlane in 1904.
17:26
Came to Pelaw Main, drove up in the sulky, and went to the picnic for railway opening at Cessnock, 1904. Came to visit his mother’s sister who lived in Pelaw Main, her married name was Montgomery. Her husband worked on the Pits. Dai’s father, Alec Price, was born at Minmi, he started work at Neath pit. His father was one of the first six up in Neath, his friend in the pit was Lou Williams. He worked in "sea pits", on Lake Road, and he worked at Stockton pit. There was a creek at Shepherds Hill, and it opened up about 1903. The Sea Pit went over the little bridge and onto the boats from there. Nearly all the coal pits loaded on Wharf Road. The manager at Neath when his Father started there was Jones and Alf Mason was the under manager.
22:21
Jock Allen, Wal Allen, were all early people on the pits from the old country. The first store in Vincent Street was old Kemp’s, Mrs Macbeth had a boarding house there. Lane & Quinn's store came to Cessnock.
25:40
There was nothing along Allendale Road in those days except Picton's property where they would go to swim in the swimming hole and he used to chase them out. The best miner Dai worked with was Nat Philbey. At the time the miner's used tallow lamps and would take them home with you every day. There was no bathrooms or change rooms there, you would use a big round tub when you got home from the mines. He was working as "boss wheeler", and had two men working off him. Dai saved "Capper" Gehrig his house from burning down. Of a Sunday they would have white wine, in 1930's it was half a crown a gallon.
33:04
Not a place better than Dutchie's Beach, you would go there on your holidays and on your miner days off, went there for fishing with mates to start with. Dai applied to the land board for permission to build a place there. He paid 600 pounds for it. Dai used to go to the Newcastle races when he was a kid, There used to be an old mine where the original Newcastle racecourse was at, the Hamilton Pit. The Racecourse started around 1905 or 1906
35:44
Where the Sports Ground site is today used to be muddy stinking swamps, they filled it up. There were Chinaman all around it, they were gardeners.
37:08
End (Tape 222/Side A) part 1 of 4
Price, David Brian, 1893-1996PersonJack DelaneyDelaney, Jack, 1919-2010CollectionVoices of the HunterPlaceCessnock, NSWLocation[1] Merewether[2] Cessnock[3] Aberdare Extended Colliery[4] MinmiIdentifier222Aloading google map....
Delaney, Jack, 1919-2010, David "Dai" Price (1893-1996) -- Mine worker, Aberdare Extended Colliery. Recorded 20 January 1979. Part 1/4., [222A]. Living Histories, accessed 06/12/2023, https://livinghistories.newcastle.edu.au/nodes/view/55860