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- Herb Bayly
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- Henry Scanlon (1902-1987) - Miners Federation official. Recorded 10 February 1984. Part 1/1.
- Peter Phillips - Owner of Kearsley Bus Company. Recorded 13 October 1983. Part 1/1.
- Les Brown (1900-1983) – Founder of Rover Motors. Recorded 22 August 1983. Part 1/1.
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Roy Cooke (1908-1985) - Bus driver. Recorded 10 February 1984. Part 1/1.
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SummaryROY COOKE
Recorded on 10 February 1984
Part 1/1
0:37
Began driving buses for Bill Jenkins in 1931. His bus service to Paxton began straight after the Lock Out.
1:06
Jack Armstrong drove buses to Paxton before the Lock Out.
1:19
Les Brown drove the first buses to Paxton. He sold out to George Ryder in about 1925/26
1:52
Jack Armstrong had Wollombi milk run as well as running a bus to the pit.
2:27
Jenkins' first bus was 1926 Red Chev 6. It was like a pit lorry with side curtains on it. Seats down both sides and across the back. Entered through the front door. It had a solid canvas top.
3:36
This was followed by 2 secondhand Gold Crown REO buses, 1938.
3:50
John Lockwood, the fruito bought it off Jenkins.
4:17
Started work at Paxton, August 1925.
4:26
300 employees at Paxton Colliery with 54 - 56 pairs of miners.
4:58
The charabanc was next bus for Jenkins - Bryn Jones drove for him.
6:07
Bert Wright drove for Jenkins.
6:29
The "Mapleleaf" Chev bus was the charabanc, 1937. It had side doors and one in the middle with a centre passage.
6:56
The new 1941 Chevrolet bus followed. It was built by Woods in Sydney. Roy brought the bus back from Sydney.
7:31
Jack Wilson was the charabanc driver. Bill Jenkins bought two more buses after that. All the contracts went at Paxton in about 1958 and in 1959 it closed.
9:40
Jack Lewis drove to Kahibah.
10:09
Recalls applying for bus licence with the Motor Registry. Originally a license was bought from the police station.
10:47
Vern Peart was the driver to Millfield. McMurray may have had a bus to Millfield and at first to Maitland Main.
11:06
Peter Phillips bought Jenkins out, Maitland Main service.
11:18
Bert Townsend ran the Pelton service and Rovers took over later.
11:40
Sonny Kerwin
12:20
Reg Batterham ran the Kalingo bus service coming to Cessnock 1932 or 1933.
12:41
Bill Peden worked for the Council as the ("horse and dray fellow") before driving a taxi.
13:16
Bill "Bolsha" Duffin attacked Peden with a razor at one time. "Slashed his face a bit". Duffin "was a wild man".
13:45
Stan Barksby, Paxton bus service and later a garage at Cessnock. He worked at Paxton pit and got into the buses after a "bump on the shoulder".
14:59
Amos Fogg, Central bus service Roy Fogg
15:24
A couple of hire cars running out to Central. Bill Murphy was one. His car was hit by a train.
15:40
Keith Essie, "The Painted Lady" bus. Possibly out to Kalingo.
16:25
Two Chapman Bros - Norm Chapman was one - they had buses.
16:55
Roy was born in Singleton in 1908
17:06
Came to Cessnock in 1921
17:10
Ditton & Hill, Cessnock-Maitland service in 1921.
17:21
Cessnock-Maitland bus operators - the Nicholls Brothers.
18:32
Ken Johns
18:46
Herb Bailey
19:02
Una Facer, recollection of accident
20:01
Recollection of Stan Barksby, the Hancock brothers
21:02
Nick Govoronsky
21:11
Peter Phillips married Ruby Hamilton
22:01
Paxton pit was generating their own power and supplying the town.
22:44
Paxton brick kiln at the pit. There was also a saw mill. Keith Wall and Bill Clay worked at the mill.
23:42
Recollection of early Paxton houses 1925.
23:58
Tom Fisher - engineer. Some of Paxton lease went to Maitland Main. Peter Phillips was the main supplier of petrol to the buses.
26:51
Charlie Luscombe
27:14
Wal Rutherford, Henry Scanlon. Dick Harris was the ostler on pit top.
28:30
Roy worked below in the pit.
29:39
Recalls "breaking in" pit horses
30:34
There were 30 pit horses at Paxton Colliery. They came up every day at the end of their shifts.
30:53
Recalls pit horses waiting for cage - "they used to jockey for positions in the cage". There was a pecking order and would argue amongst themselves.
33:19
Idris Evans, Paxton manager. The slack box.
36:08
Roy married Evelyn Dennett from Wallsend. They had 2 girls.
37:21
Ray Forbes and Mr Avery were their sons in law.
39:04
Bill Muir, Herb Bailey, Neil McNeill, Ray Thomas.
39:37
Recalls Jack Armstrong's Federal bus which carried 18 passengers.
Tape duration - 42:08.
Recorded on 10 February 1984
Part 1/1
0:37
Began driving buses for Bill Jenkins in 1931. His bus service to Paxton began straight after the Lock Out.
1:06
Jack Armstrong drove buses to Paxton before the Lock Out.
1:19
Les Brown drove the first buses to Paxton. He sold out to George Ryder in about 1925/26
1:52
Jack Armstrong had Wollombi milk run as well as running a bus to the pit.
2:27
Jenkins' first bus was 1926 Red Chev 6. It was like a pit lorry with side curtains on it. Seats down both sides and across the back. Entered through the front door. It had a solid canvas top.
3:36
This was followed by 2 secondhand Gold Crown REO buses, 1938.
3:50
John Lockwood, the fruito bought it off Jenkins.
4:17
Started work at Paxton, August 1925.
4:26
300 employees at Paxton Colliery with 54 - 56 pairs of miners.
4:58
The charabanc was next bus for Jenkins - Bryn Jones drove for him.
6:07
Bert Wright drove for Jenkins.
6:29
The "Mapleleaf" Chev bus was the charabanc, 1937. It had side doors and one in the middle with a centre passage.
6:56
The new 1941 Chevrolet bus followed. It was built by Woods in Sydney. Roy brought the bus back from Sydney.
7:31
Jack Wilson was the charabanc driver. Bill Jenkins bought two more buses after that. All the contracts went at Paxton in about 1958 and in 1959 it closed.
9:40
Jack Lewis drove to Kahibah.
10:09
Recalls applying for bus licence with the Motor Registry. Originally a license was bought from the police station.
10:47
Vern Peart was the driver to Millfield. McMurray may have had a bus to Millfield and at first to Maitland Main.
11:06
Peter Phillips bought Jenkins out, Maitland Main service.
11:18
Bert Townsend ran the Pelton service and Rovers took over later.
11:40
Sonny Kerwin
12:20
Reg Batterham ran the Kalingo bus service coming to Cessnock 1932 or 1933.
12:41
Bill Peden worked for the Council as the ("horse and dray fellow") before driving a taxi.
13:16
Bill "Bolsha" Duffin attacked Peden with a razor at one time. "Slashed his face a bit". Duffin "was a wild man".
13:45
Stan Barksby, Paxton bus service and later a garage at Cessnock. He worked at Paxton pit and got into the buses after a "bump on the shoulder".
14:59
Amos Fogg, Central bus service Roy Fogg
15:24
A couple of hire cars running out to Central. Bill Murphy was one. His car was hit by a train.
15:40
Keith Essie, "The Painted Lady" bus. Possibly out to Kalingo.
16:25
Two Chapman Bros - Norm Chapman was one - they had buses.
16:55
Roy was born in Singleton in 1908
17:06
Came to Cessnock in 1921
17:10
Ditton & Hill, Cessnock-Maitland service in 1921.
17:21
Cessnock-Maitland bus operators - the Nicholls Brothers.
18:32
Ken Johns
18:46
Herb Bailey
19:02
Una Facer, recollection of accident
20:01
Recollection of Stan Barksby, the Hancock brothers
21:02
Nick Govoronsky
21:11
Peter Phillips married Ruby Hamilton
22:01
Paxton pit was generating their own power and supplying the town.
22:44
Paxton brick kiln at the pit. There was also a saw mill. Keith Wall and Bill Clay worked at the mill.
23:42
Recollection of early Paxton houses 1925.
23:58
Tom Fisher - engineer. Some of Paxton lease went to Maitland Main. Peter Phillips was the main supplier of petrol to the buses.
26:51
Charlie Luscombe
27:14
Wal Rutherford, Henry Scanlon. Dick Harris was the ostler on pit top.
28:30
Roy worked below in the pit.
29:39
Recalls "breaking in" pit horses
30:34
There were 30 pit horses at Paxton Colliery. They came up every day at the end of their shifts.
30:53
Recalls pit horses waiting for cage - "they used to jockey for positions in the cage". There was a pecking order and would argue amongst themselves.
33:19
Idris Evans, Paxton manager. The slack box.
36:08
Roy married Evelyn Dennett from Wallsend. They had 2 girls.
37:21
Ray Forbes and Mr Avery were their sons in law.
39:04
Bill Muir, Herb Bailey, Neil McNeill, Ray Thomas.
39:37
Recalls Jack Armstrong's Federal bus which carried 18 passengers.
Tape duration - 42:08.
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Roy Cooke (1908-1985) - Bus driver. Recorded 10 February 1984. Part 1/1. Living Histories, accessed 17 May 2022, https://livinghistories.newcastle.edu.au/nodes/view/55924