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Harold Dodd (1918-1990) - Mine worker, Aberdare Extended Colliery. Recorded 01 March 1982 . Part 1/3.
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Summary224A Harold Dodd
Recorded 01 March 1982
Part 1 of 3
0:20
Harold Dodd's Father-in-law is Dai Price. The early history of South Cessnock Bowls Club, started around 1906-7. Johnny Dodd was one of their first secretaries. Jack Dodd the manager of the pits, was the son of Jim Dodd. Dai was married in 1918, he eventually came back to Aberdare Extended, worked with Nathaniel Prescott and Jack Baddeley, and there were 6 miners, 2 on each shift. The travel road was in before at Aberdare Colliery, they put the airway tunnel in. Filled a wagon a week of coal.
6:26
Aberdare Miners Lodge was formed straight off. Hand bored. Had to pay for all your own mining gear, everything you used, picks, shovels, even the boot laces, tallow lights. Tallow lamps was what they used in the pit. They put in electric lights on top around 1906, but not underground, they used a steam pump eventually, with a big boiler. Steam power drove both winch and the pumps.
10:26
The street lighting in Cessnock started around 1916-17. Ernie Yateman worked on the boiler then was put on a new job. Steam to drive the winch. The dam was built at Aberdare Extended, Dai saw them digging it out when he went to work over there. Sheddon built Aberdare pit top when Dai was there. Dr. Bapty. George Bernhard Harrison had some land got into debt and had to sell to Seth Wilkinson in 1895. Kearsley had been a miner at Aberdare.
18:54
Dai worked as deputy at Aberdare in 1926. In the lodge reports they drew for the cable every 3 months, and nominated the officers for the lodge every 3 months, Tom Turner, Lodge officer was there when Dai was there, Tom Duncan was Lodge officer when Harold was there. Donaldson was the clerk before Frank Lovett. Ernie Humble was the first manager. Maurie Marshall is Jimmy Marshall's father. Aberdare Extended was a "wet" pit, timber was taken out and used down further.
24:00
Timber baulks were put in, to know the right height they used the measuring stick, the legs were 18 feet at their highest. Used pulleys early on. When they put in the legs some of the baulks bent, usually 3 would be lifting them. Put up about 3 baulks a day. Sometimes you "doubled up" the timber baulks depending on the roof. Some coal was hard to get out while some fell out with not much effort.
31:27
Shot-firing technique, took their own powder in. Before electric light they had Tallow first then Carbine. Dai and Harold didn't like wheeling. Harold would fill 20 ton a day.
35:41
Walking to pit for work, no transport. At Aberdare contract miners would "run" to work, get to work and get out before 3 so they wouldn't get fined. Distance from north shaft to Aberdare is half a mile or a mile. Depths and distances between pits. Surveyor would ensure the pits didn't get too close to another pit.
42:28
End (Tape 224/Side A) part 1 of 3
SubjectDodd, Edward Harold, 1918-1990PersonJack DelaneyDepicts or Relates ToDavid "Dai" PriceCollectionVoices of the HunterPlaceCessnock, NSWLocation[1] Cessnock, NSW[2] Aberdare Extended Colliery, NSWIdentifier 224A
Recorded 01 March 1982
Part 1 of 3
0:20
Harold Dodd's Father-in-law is Dai Price. The early history of South Cessnock Bowls Club, started around 1906-7. Johnny Dodd was one of their first secretaries. Jack Dodd the manager of the pits, was the son of Jim Dodd. Dai was married in 1918, he eventually came back to Aberdare Extended, worked with Nathaniel Prescott and Jack Baddeley, and there were 6 miners, 2 on each shift. The travel road was in before at Aberdare Colliery, they put the airway tunnel in. Filled a wagon a week of coal.
6:26
Aberdare Miners Lodge was formed straight off. Hand bored. Had to pay for all your own mining gear, everything you used, picks, shovels, even the boot laces, tallow lights. Tallow lamps was what they used in the pit. They put in electric lights on top around 1906, but not underground, they used a steam pump eventually, with a big boiler. Steam power drove both winch and the pumps.
10:26
The street lighting in Cessnock started around 1916-17. Ernie Yateman worked on the boiler then was put on a new job. Steam to drive the winch. The dam was built at Aberdare Extended, Dai saw them digging it out when he went to work over there. Sheddon built Aberdare pit top when Dai was there. Dr. Bapty. George Bernhard Harrison had some land got into debt and had to sell to Seth Wilkinson in 1895. Kearsley had been a miner at Aberdare.
18:54
Dai worked as deputy at Aberdare in 1926. In the lodge reports they drew for the cable every 3 months, and nominated the officers for the lodge every 3 months, Tom Turner, Lodge officer was there when Dai was there, Tom Duncan was Lodge officer when Harold was there. Donaldson was the clerk before Frank Lovett. Ernie Humble was the first manager. Maurie Marshall is Jimmy Marshall's father. Aberdare Extended was a "wet" pit, timber was taken out and used down further.
24:00
Timber baulks were put in, to know the right height they used the measuring stick, the legs were 18 feet at their highest. Used pulleys early on. When they put in the legs some of the baulks bent, usually 3 would be lifting them. Put up about 3 baulks a day. Sometimes you "doubled up" the timber baulks depending on the roof. Some coal was hard to get out while some fell out with not much effort.
31:27
Shot-firing technique, took their own powder in. Before electric light they had Tallow first then Carbine. Dai and Harold didn't like wheeling. Harold would fill 20 ton a day.
35:41
Walking to pit for work, no transport. At Aberdare contract miners would "run" to work, get to work and get out before 3 so they wouldn't get fined. Distance from north shaft to Aberdare is half a mile or a mile. Depths and distances between pits. Surveyor would ensure the pits didn't get too close to another pit.
42:28
End (Tape 224/Side A) part 1 of 3
SubjectDodd, Edward Harold, 1918-1990PersonJack DelaneyDepicts or Relates ToDavid "Dai" PriceCollectionVoices of the HunterPlaceCessnock, NSWLocation[1] Cessnock, NSW[2] Aberdare Extended Colliery, NSWIdentifier 224Aloading google map....
Delaney, Jack, 1919-2010, Harold Dodd (1918-1990) - Mine worker, Aberdare Extended Colliery. Recorded 01 March 1982 . Part 1/3., [ 224A]. Living Histories, accessed 05/12/2023, https://livinghistories.newcastle.edu.au/nodes/view/55864