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David "Dai" Price (1893-1996) -- Mine worker, Aberdare Extended Colliery. Recorded 20 January 1979. Part 2/4.

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SummaryDavid "Dai" Price
Recorded 20 January 1979
Part 2 of 4

0:24
Started at Aberdare in 1920’s after WWI. Was there when Jack got killed. There was an explosion during that period. Matherson was the undermanager at the time. Dai worked at Aberdare and Extended in this area. He wouldn’t go to work at Central. Pitkeathly was a surveyor at the pits when Dai was there. Mason was the manager and Ken Jones was the manager. The Murdoch’s were there early, one was the Pit Top boss at Extended.

5:22
In the depression days Dai was in Cessnock. When Aberdare closed down he went trapping rabbits. Sent the skins to Sydney. They used the skins to make everything. John Marcus was one of the first men up at Aberdare, him and Farnham. It was cold even under the ground. They broke through to the other tunnel and used a fire fan. Though they can be dangerous in some pits. It’s said that it caused the explosion up at Bulli. Dai’s father had both his legs broken while working at Bulli - he was kicked by a horse, when Dai was 3 years old.

9:56
The Darcys used to have a pub in Newcastle and Dai’s Mum and her friend used to work there. There was Ernie Darcy who lived at the top of the hill - he had a brother Jack Darcy, and Arthur Darcy, Sarah Darcy was Ernie’s mother and Patrick Joseph had pubs.

12:00
He would get coal from the top of Glebe pit over at the dump with his little billy kart. The steam ships docked in Newcastle harbour with the paddle wheels. They would sit for months while they are filled up with coal. He watched the Shanghaiing at the Bluebell Hotel in Newcastle, putting them in a cab and they would take them to the boats and put them on, they thought they were probably sailors. Opening of railway from Weston to Cessnock went for the picnic. Dai has a sister, May Ford. He made her get up and race and she won the prize. There were a couple of hundred there for the picnic. The train line was put in before the pit was there.

16:31
The early Cessnock priest. The first Cessnock station master was McFarlan. The Railway Hotel opened in Cessnock in 1912, the first Licensee at the railway was Arthur Hampton. "Jewey" Hampton's brother. The Royal Oak Hotel, Cessnock Hotel came before the Wentworth. The Northumberland Hotel, was an early Hotel in Cessnock, they built in one of the strikes, some of his friends worked on it, and a bloke threw a brick at them.

19:30
Originally it was just gravel road on Vincent Street, they were getting the mud from Bellbird pit and putting it on there. They had to go right to the end of Vincent street to get over the little bridge, and to get across bellbird creek they went across on a thin creek a one horse sulky bridge. Sams' blacksmith's shop. His son, Fred Sams, used to go out back and catch perch in the creek. Where the old butter factory is there is an early perch fishing hole.

22:52
Billy Booth was an early policeman,. The first was Nolan, Billy Booth came in 1908 or '09 early, and the other that came before Booth was Ben Reen to the Cessnock police. Dai’s Dad sent him to get him bottles of beer, and got caught by Nolan. Ted Ansteys had the first hotel at Neath. The first chemist was Tom Evans, he lived on Mount View Road.

26:40
The Howard family were an old family, one of the members was a bank manager, another was a dentist later on, and another was a bricklayer “Ick”, started building houses later on. Danny Howard and Clive Hughes built the masonic hall. "Honest Bill" Kearsley was a good fellow, he was related to the Pendleburys, married into the Leatham family. Deputy Geordie Leatham up on Aberdare. Geordie had the place now owned by Fred Hallam.

29:23
John Hill had the skate rink. Les Hill had the first buses. Ditton went in with him, Ditton & Hill. Jack Hill was the manager at Kurri. The original location of the small store was down near where the fire brigade was over the creek.

31:56
End (Tape 222/Side B) part 2 of 4 Last edited by: Dave Trimble

SubjectShipping -- New South Wales -- Newcastle.Newcastle (N.S.W.)Aberdare Extended Colliery (N.S.W.)Cessnock (N.S.W.)Price, David Brian, 1893-1996 Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

PersonJack Delaney Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

Depicts or Relates ToFred Hallam Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

Les Hill (1893-1974) -- Cessnock. Narrated by Jack Delaney, recorded 6th November 1983. Part 1/1. Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

James Pitkeathly Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

CreatorPrice, David Brian, 1893-1996Delaney, Jack, 1919-2010CollectionVoices of the Hunter Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

PlaceCessnock, NSW Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

Date Created20th January 1979Location^[1]Cessnock, NSW Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

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

^[3]Newcastle, NSW Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

Identifier222B Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

Job Identifier222B

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