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Roy Cooke (1908-1985) - Bus driver. Recorded 10 February 1984. Part 1/1.

Details

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. Last edited by: Dave Trimble

SubjectBusesPaxton (N.S.W.)Cessnock (N.S.W.)Millfield (N.S.W.)Wollombi (N.S.W.)Bus driverPioneers -- New South Wales -- Cessnock Region Cessnock (N.S.W.)Coal mines and mining -- New South Wales -- PaxtonStanford Merthyr Colliery (N.S.W.)Stanford Main No. 2 Colliery (N.S.W.)Ditton & HillCooke, Roy Allan Dudley, 1908-1985 Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

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

Depicts or Relates ToHerb Bayly Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

George Ryder Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

Nick Govoronsky Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

Reg Batterham Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

"Sonny" Kervin Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

Henry Scanlon (1902-1987) - Miners Federation official. Recorded 10 February 1984. Part 1/1. Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

Peter Phillips - Owner of Kearsley Bus Company. Recorded 13 October 1983. Part 1/1. Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

Les Brown (1900-1983) – Founder of Rover Motors. Recorded 22 August 1983. Part 1/1. Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

CreatorCooke, Roy Allan Dudley, 1908-1985Delaney, 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 Created10th February 1984Location^[1]Cessnock, NSW Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au