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Roley Downes (1900-1986) - Mineworker, Abermain Colliery. Recorded 23 August 1983. Part 1/1.

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SummaryRoley Downes
Recorded 23 August 1983
Part 1 of 1

0:20
Came to Abermain in 1902, at that time his father, Harry Downes, worked on the railway line doing the cutting. Roley was born in 1900. He went to the first Abermain school, and lived on Billy Goat Hill or Old School Hill. Talk of Professor David’s seam, and the early shaft sunk in area in the creek. Talk of early houses in Abermain. Mrs Patterson had the Post Office and her husband was a Coal Carter in his early days. When they first came to the area there were no houses, talk of where the stores were, and what the early houses were made of.

4:06
Father worked at Abermain Colliery when he left the railway. J.& A. Brown-Abermain Seaham merger. Roley worked on pit top at Abermain, Jack Hinton was the boss, and the manager was Jeffries. His brother came after him - one of his brothers had a little pit near the pub.

6:10
Location of Abermain Power station was in the middle of the pit top. Output of coal at Abermain Colliery was 2400 a day. About 20 men worked the pit top. Used "endless rope" to haul coal, and another rope to bring the coal to the bottom of the tunnel, then the endless rope took over. The rope ran off a steam driver motor engine and 5 boilers next to it.

8:20
Recalls standpipe situated up near the school, Mr Jones and Mr Patterson used their horse and drays to cart the water around the town in a tank. Dick Jones was Roley’s grandfather (mother’s father) and used to go around with them to deliver the water. Dick Jones carted water and coal his entire life. Roley began working at Abermain in 1914 when he was not yet 14 (you had to be 14 before you could start work at the pit), but when father was injured and died from fall, he needed the work. The head clerk when he started was Alec Lawson, from Newcastle, followed by Cobbley, then Hughie Thompson, Alec Pollock was a clerk, and he also worked with Ernie Smith and David Hutt. Roley retired the same week that the pit closed he was 60.

13:11
The location of the open-air theatre at Abermain, Mick O'Brien operated it. Jimmy Garrett came into the pub and opened a picture show. Roley’s wife lived next door to the Regent Street Gates ("The Gates") during the 1913 floods. Talk of some China men that they knew. Roley telling of men at "Chinaman's hollow". When he was attending Weston Public School, he used to visit at the shop the Chinamen had near the creek.

The school was made of timber. Mr Horne was his first school teacher. Roley used to play the violin at Abermain dances, Alf Keise played the piano, they played for all the send-offs for Neath and Abermain during the War. Talk of travelling vaudevilles The Buffalos took over the Hall at Abermain near the Pub.

Across from there was the billiard hall owned by the McNabb's. Tom Junor and Ned Junor were living up the creek. Howe's Park at Abermain was behind the hotel named after Dick Howe, or Bill Howe. Behind that was a hall for the boxers to train, owned by the hotel. Jack McNabb and Tom McNabb were the main two men that ran the billiard hall.

21:55
The location of the Presbyterian church, up past the picture show, it was used as a school at one time. There was another school, Jack Abell was the main grocer in the town and built a hall, Abell's Hall, behind the bootleggers, by the bank of the creek. The hall was built to be a school the early Abermain school. Jimmy Pitchford is Roley’s brother-in-law, used to dig tunnels under the school with some others, and burned newspapers and the school ended up burning down. The early police station was up past the hotel, up towards the fan, Alec Smith was the policeman at the time, followed by Bomgarden and he married Stella Garrett.

25:06
Roley family owned a shop next to the hotel, they sold everything and Roley sold pies when he was a kid around ten or eleven years old. Jimmy Garrett was an early publican. Denman Hotel in Abermain was built after the Bluey's Hotel. Owned by "Bluey" Andrews. The original Abermain Fire Station. Elliott Ball owned the newsagent. Roley’s brother worked at the original Abermain co-op store. Harry Howard was a porter on the railway. Mr Keating was the station master, he died on the railway near the Denman, while lighting the signal light. Roley also lost an uncle at the same spot, O’Brien.

32:24
Roley’s father played the accordion for the dances, and the Murray’s were friends. The Abermain Eisteddfod was built later on. Roley was two when they were travelling from Minmi. Talk of the houses built, remembers mother papering the walls with newspaper and the white wash on the outside. Talk of fireplaces, and the loss of their place in 1927 when it burnt down, and they moved.

36:29
Recalls what was where the bowling club is now, it used to be where the night "spotters" were during WWII, and Lloyd Owen was the head man, the civil defences. "Rasto" Johnson was a coal carter with one arm. The first passenger train, was a four wheel engine. Those working with Roley. Bill Carney was the watchmen. Pay went out by rail. Electric lighting was supplied by Aberdare pit.

41:31
End (Tape 235/Side B) part 1 of 1. Last edited by: Dave Trimble

SubjectWeston (N.S.W.) -- Social conditionsAbermain (N.S.W.) -- Social conditionsChinamans Hollow (N.S.W.)Downes, Henry Roland, 1900-1986 Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

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

CreatorDownes, Henry Roland, 1900-1986Delaney, Jack, 1919-2010CollectionVoices of the Hunter Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

Date Created23rd August 1983Location^[1]Weston, NSW Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

Identifier235B Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

Job Identifier235B

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