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Ern Smith - Chief Clerk with Coal & Allied, Abermain No. 1. Part 1/2.
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SummaryERNEST SMITH
Recorded 9 February 1984
Part 1/2
0:37
Ern born in Barnsley NSW near West Wallsend.
1:00
Grandfather was early settler of Barnsley with an orchard
1:06
Willy Johnston - his maternal grandfather.
1:58
His mother died in childbirth when Ern was aged 4. He lived with the Johnstons and the Smiths.
2:43
"The Pioneer" (grandfathers boat) used to run from Speers Point to Toronto.
3:03
Location of private family cemetery, Barnsley. The last one was his uncle who lived at Pelican. He died at 91. He used to go fishing from boats at Salts Bay.
5:08
"Rocket" Thompson - 6 hour tides. The fish feed when there's a change in the tide.
7:06
Attended Barnsley School and West Wallsend Public School
7:18
Started work at Seaham No. 2, age 15
7:33
Seaham No. 2 Colliery located west of West Wallsend
7:45
Seaham No. 1 Colliery located north east of West Wallsend.
8:17
Kel Stein - worked at Hexham Engineering then at Head Office. Jack Bennett. Glenn Coburn.
9:00
Began working in pits, 1923 First started work as junior clerk
9:16
Dick Gibson, Seaham manager at Muswellbrook. Jack Gibson was his eldest boy - a surveyor at Seaham No2.
10:13
Bill Fairleigh
10:33
Hugh Thompson - shipping officer
10:47
Abermain-Seaham Collieries. Worked at Abermain Colliery, 1934
11:08
The history of Seaham - Mr Greenway was the General Manager
11:21
Seaham then amalgamated with Abermain. Ern went to Abermain in January 1934. Dick Gibson was transferred in 1934.
12:16
Alec Pollock came later to South Maitland.
14:10
Closure of Seaham No.1 Colliery, 1928
15:02
Effect of depression and strikes on Seaham pits
15:24
Dick Gibson, Abermain No. 1 manager
15:53
John Brown, Abermain No. 2 manager
15:53
Appointed Chief Clerk, Abermain 1946
15:59
Alec Lawson - chief clerk at Abermain No. 1 when Ern arrived.
16:06
Jim Johnson
16:11
Arthur Donn appointed him
16:17
Worked as Abermain Chief Clerk, 1946-61
16:25
Transferred to Chain Valley Colliery
16:36
Richmond Main supplied power directly to Abermain
17:00
Merger of J.& A. Brown and Abermain-Seaham before 1934. Caledonian Collieries didn't supply Paxton till nearly 1950.
19:04
Recalls passenger train, Cockle Creek. Seaham used its own locos. It was a Kitson loco. The 2 Seaham drivers were Johnno
Burns and Taddy Clapham. A passenger train ran morning and night - there were up to 3 carriages. You got your ticket at West Wallsend. Another station at Barnsley. At Cockle Creek you pulled up to a little siding and transferred to the other railway. There were about 200-250 contract miners at Seaham.
23:16
Operation of Abermain No. 1 & 3 shafts - working under the contract system. No 1 was a tunnel during WW2. It joined No. 3 - the horses used to go and come out of the tunnel.
24:42
Alec Crawley and Banjo Paterson were the 2 loco drivers
25:01
Number of loco. engines, Abermain
25:27
Location of Abermain marshalling yard extended right up to the pit.
25:42
Hugh Thompson, shipping manager
26:05
Bruce Thompson - shipping manager with Hugh Thompson.
26:20
Albie Curran - shipping manager for both Howard Smith and J&A Brown
27:30
Rowley Downs - fireman
27:37
Tom "Sticky" Roberts - fireman. Andy Bull - shunter. Ernie Lucas
28:17
Gordon Carter - shunter - they used sit in the little box at Abermain No 1 and arrange all the traffic.
29:28
Abermain had one shift initially.
30:00
Reason "stowage system" was failure - it began at Abermain No 3 and it collapsed because
30:30
Col Harrison - pneumatic stowage - he started at No3. Abermain No1 and No 3 are the same - No 2 is separate.
31:19
Dick Gibson and Arthur Donn, George Laing, Bernie Boslem, Bill Colvin, Jack Don
31:55
Jack Dodds was at Paxton. Ern and his wife married in 1938. Abermain Seaham became very strong after the amalgamation. The boilers were at Abermain No 3.
34:15
Steam-driven fan, Abermain No.3 34:37 Recalls police presence at strike
34:36
Bob Wray was the engineer.
35:01
Alec Neilson was the under manager. Anecdote about losing the fire in the steamer.
36:38
Dick Howell was the storeman at No2. Elsley was another. He had to go to Cessnock on Fridays to get the pay. John Peart and Frank Lovett from Extended were at there. At Christmas there was more money than usual.
39:10
Fred Mercer, policeman
39:21
Recalls police escort for payroll
41:09
Bill Kearney, special constable
41:51
Recalls payroll travelling by train. Whitechurch puts the bullets in the gun, pulled the trigger and the bullets start ricocheting around the walls.
44:22
Recalls miners retiring at age 74 - Ted Butcher lived near Fan Hill. The experienced miners used to teach the younger men who
did all the shovelling.
45:09
Miners pension introduced, c.1942
45:31
Dr. May Harris - a doctor who came to the Ambulance Station.
46:06
Dr. Angus Wyles used to come to Abermain before he went to Cessnock.
Tape duration: 46:36.
Please email archives@newcastle.edu.au if you are a subject of the interview, or know a subject of the interview, and have cultural or other reservations about the interview and summary being made available on this website and would like to discuss this with us.
Smith, ErnestPersonJack DelaneyDepicts or Relates ToTom "Stiffy" RobertsDick GibsonJim Johnson Roley Downes (1900-) - Mineworker, Abermain Colliery. Recorded 23 August 1983. Part 1/1.Bob "Rocket" Thomson - Mine deputy. Recorded 19 October 1987. Part 1/1.CollectionVoices of the HunterLocation[1] Barnsley, NSW[2] Abermain No. 1 Colliery, NSW[3] Seaham Colliery, NSW[4] Seaham No. 2 Colliery, NSWIdentifier266A
Recorded 9 February 1984
Part 1/2
0:37
Ern born in Barnsley NSW near West Wallsend.
1:00
Grandfather was early settler of Barnsley with an orchard
1:06
Willy Johnston - his maternal grandfather.
1:58
His mother died in childbirth when Ern was aged 4. He lived with the Johnstons and the Smiths.
2:43
"The Pioneer" (grandfathers boat) used to run from Speers Point to Toronto.
3:03
Location of private family cemetery, Barnsley. The last one was his uncle who lived at Pelican. He died at 91. He used to go fishing from boats at Salts Bay.
5:08
"Rocket" Thompson - 6 hour tides. The fish feed when there's a change in the tide.
7:06
Attended Barnsley School and West Wallsend Public School
7:18
Started work at Seaham No. 2, age 15
7:33
Seaham No. 2 Colliery located west of West Wallsend
7:45
Seaham No. 1 Colliery located north east of West Wallsend.
8:17
Kel Stein - worked at Hexham Engineering then at Head Office. Jack Bennett. Glenn Coburn.
9:00
Began working in pits, 1923 First started work as junior clerk
9:16
Dick Gibson, Seaham manager at Muswellbrook. Jack Gibson was his eldest boy - a surveyor at Seaham No2.
10:13
Bill Fairleigh
10:33
Hugh Thompson - shipping officer
10:47
Abermain-Seaham Collieries. Worked at Abermain Colliery, 1934
11:08
The history of Seaham - Mr Greenway was the General Manager
11:21
Seaham then amalgamated with Abermain. Ern went to Abermain in January 1934. Dick Gibson was transferred in 1934.
12:16
Alec Pollock came later to South Maitland.
14:10
Closure of Seaham No.1 Colliery, 1928
15:02
Effect of depression and strikes on Seaham pits
15:24
Dick Gibson, Abermain No. 1 manager
15:53
John Brown, Abermain No. 2 manager
15:53
Appointed Chief Clerk, Abermain 1946
15:59
Alec Lawson - chief clerk at Abermain No. 1 when Ern arrived.
16:06
Jim Johnson
16:11
Arthur Donn appointed him
16:17
Worked as Abermain Chief Clerk, 1946-61
16:25
Transferred to Chain Valley Colliery
16:36
Richmond Main supplied power directly to Abermain
17:00
Merger of J.& A. Brown and Abermain-Seaham before 1934. Caledonian Collieries didn't supply Paxton till nearly 1950.
19:04
Recalls passenger train, Cockle Creek. Seaham used its own locos. It was a Kitson loco. The 2 Seaham drivers were Johnno
Burns and Taddy Clapham. A passenger train ran morning and night - there were up to 3 carriages. You got your ticket at West Wallsend. Another station at Barnsley. At Cockle Creek you pulled up to a little siding and transferred to the other railway. There were about 200-250 contract miners at Seaham.
23:16
Operation of Abermain No. 1 & 3 shafts - working under the contract system. No 1 was a tunnel during WW2. It joined No. 3 - the horses used to go and come out of the tunnel.
24:42
Alec Crawley and Banjo Paterson were the 2 loco drivers
25:01
Number of loco. engines, Abermain
25:27
Location of Abermain marshalling yard extended right up to the pit.
25:42
Hugh Thompson, shipping manager
26:05
Bruce Thompson - shipping manager with Hugh Thompson.
26:20
Albie Curran - shipping manager for both Howard Smith and J&A Brown
27:30
Rowley Downs - fireman
27:37
Tom "Sticky" Roberts - fireman. Andy Bull - shunter. Ernie Lucas
28:17
Gordon Carter - shunter - they used sit in the little box at Abermain No 1 and arrange all the traffic.
29:28
Abermain had one shift initially.
30:00
Reason "stowage system" was failure - it began at Abermain No 3 and it collapsed because
30:30
Col Harrison - pneumatic stowage - he started at No3. Abermain No1 and No 3 are the same - No 2 is separate.
31:19
Dick Gibson and Arthur Donn, George Laing, Bernie Boslem, Bill Colvin, Jack Don
31:55
Jack Dodds was at Paxton. Ern and his wife married in 1938. Abermain Seaham became very strong after the amalgamation. The boilers were at Abermain No 3.
34:15
Steam-driven fan, Abermain No.3 34:37 Recalls police presence at strike
34:36
Bob Wray was the engineer.
35:01
Alec Neilson was the under manager. Anecdote about losing the fire in the steamer.
36:38
Dick Howell was the storeman at No2. Elsley was another. He had to go to Cessnock on Fridays to get the pay. John Peart and Frank Lovett from Extended were at there. At Christmas there was more money than usual.
39:10
Fred Mercer, policeman
39:21
Recalls police escort for payroll
41:09
Bill Kearney, special constable
41:51
Recalls payroll travelling by train. Whitechurch puts the bullets in the gun, pulled the trigger and the bullets start ricocheting around the walls.
44:22
Recalls miners retiring at age 74 - Ted Butcher lived near Fan Hill. The experienced miners used to teach the younger men who
did all the shovelling.
45:09
Miners pension introduced, c.1942
45:31
Dr. May Harris - a doctor who came to the Ambulance Station.
46:06
Dr. Angus Wyles used to come to Abermain before he went to Cessnock.
Tape duration: 46:36.
Please email archives@newcastle.edu.au if you are a subject of the interview, or know a subject of the interview, and have cultural or other reservations about the interview and summary being made available on this website and would like to discuss this with us.
Smith, ErnestPersonJack DelaneyDepicts or Relates ToTom "Stiffy" RobertsDick GibsonJim Johnson Roley Downes (1900-) - Mineworker, Abermain Colliery. Recorded 23 August 1983. Part 1/1.Bob "Rocket" Thomson - Mine deputy. Recorded 19 October 1987. Part 1/1.CollectionVoices of the HunterLocation[1] Barnsley, NSW[2] Abermain No. 1 Colliery, NSW[3] Seaham Colliery, NSW[4] Seaham No. 2 Colliery, NSWIdentifier266Aloading google map....
Delaney, Jack, 1919-2010, Ern Smith - Chief Clerk with Coal & Allied, Abermain No. 1. Part 1/2., [266A]. Living Histories, accessed 05/12/2023, https://livinghistories.newcastle.edu.au/nodes/view/55921