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Jim Comerford (1913-2006) - General Secretary of the Miners Federation. Part 2/2.
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SummaryJAMES (JIM) COMERFORD
Recorded 10 August 1984
Part 2/2
Recollection of anecdote involving miner.
1:10
Jimmy Johnson – Manager of Richmond Main ("Bastards I have met") – Whirlwind Davey
2:30
Recollection of raffle run at Richmond Main 1/- ticket – prize was a meat cover and silver tray. Won by the Superintendent’s brother. The prize was different to the expected description!
4:30
Bill Johnson was humiliated. John Brown had 4 tickets in it!
5:28
Molly Wall – was running the pub, anecdote involving
5:38
Albert Burns – someone imitates his voice to place an "order for bottles of beer" - "the bunch of flowers from the dining room"
6:50
Recollection of "grudge fight" occurring at Kings Hall
7:00
Mick Maroney – the Store butcher was to be the referee
9:13
Harry Cotterill in hospital
9:58
Recollection of early picture shows – School of Arts and South Maitland Music Company – Miner’s Lodge power.
11:53
Billy McDonald – "what he thought today the town thought tomorrow"
12:04
Miners Lodge Rule Book – Chairman’s Guide – Worker’s Compensation – Sick and Death Fund – Funeral Fund – Eye Specialist –How to calculate your pay - Ready Reckoner – Seniority. Compiled by a man who had no more than 4 or 5 years schooling, no doubt with the help of the office staff.
13:44
Recalls "blowing up" of Rothbury bridge – Daily Telegraph was the only paper to report this incident and it happened 2 hours after they went to press.
14:28
Billy Orr – the miner’s general secretary and the first British soldier to set foot in France, a member of the Communist Party and many benefits came to miners from him.
15:34
Recollection of "bogus" letter to manipulate the public.
16:12
Recollection of Robert Menzies visit to area – trying to persuade them to return to work. There was to be no opposition speech and no questions. An imported group of Menzies’ supporters had been brought in. Bondy Hoare was out to beat Bob Menzies.
23:23
Recollection of Rothbury marches – scab mine at Ashtonfield – West Wallsend marching over Sugar Loaf – leading up to the Sunday Riot.
27:49
The big Lock Out meeting at the picture theatre was so packed with 4,000 men.
28:20
Recollection of miners lodge meeting
28:23
Hughie Sutherland had organised the engine drivers
28:24
Bondy Hoare – he and Hughie had daggers drawn.
28:57
Recollection of Bondy Hoare's 2 hour speech
31:34
"Geordie Land" (Weston) – the two Hebburn mines
32:10
Recalls anecdote involving Weston miner
32:40
Bob Harle manager at Hebburn
34:36
Anecdote involving Billy Orr – Ken Mitchell and Whirly
35:20
Bill Marheine from Pelaw Main.
34:40
Workers Compensation Act, 1926
35:00
Dr May Harris, compensation doctor – "she got a reputation she didn’t deserve – an old warhorse"- she was a sympathetic doctor interested in miners’ diseases.
35:53
Anecdote involving David "Whirlwind" Grant
Tape duration: 37:46
Comerford, Jim, 1913-2006PersonJack DelaneyDepicts or Relates ToJim Johnson CollectionVoices of the HunterLocation[1] Richmond Main Colliery, NSW[2] Rothbury Colliery, NSW
Identifier330B
Recorded 10 August 1984
Part 2/2
Recollection of anecdote involving miner.
1:10
Jimmy Johnson – Manager of Richmond Main ("Bastards I have met") – Whirlwind Davey
2:30
Recollection of raffle run at Richmond Main 1/- ticket – prize was a meat cover and silver tray. Won by the Superintendent’s brother. The prize was different to the expected description!
4:30
Bill Johnson was humiliated. John Brown had 4 tickets in it!
5:28
Molly Wall – was running the pub, anecdote involving
5:38
Albert Burns – someone imitates his voice to place an "order for bottles of beer" - "the bunch of flowers from the dining room"
6:50
Recollection of "grudge fight" occurring at Kings Hall
7:00
Mick Maroney – the Store butcher was to be the referee
9:13
Harry Cotterill in hospital
9:58
Recollection of early picture shows – School of Arts and South Maitland Music Company – Miner’s Lodge power.
11:53
Billy McDonald – "what he thought today the town thought tomorrow"
12:04
Miners Lodge Rule Book – Chairman’s Guide – Worker’s Compensation – Sick and Death Fund – Funeral Fund – Eye Specialist –How to calculate your pay - Ready Reckoner – Seniority. Compiled by a man who had no more than 4 or 5 years schooling, no doubt with the help of the office staff.
13:44
Recalls "blowing up" of Rothbury bridge – Daily Telegraph was the only paper to report this incident and it happened 2 hours after they went to press.
14:28
Billy Orr – the miner’s general secretary and the first British soldier to set foot in France, a member of the Communist Party and many benefits came to miners from him.
15:34
Recollection of "bogus" letter to manipulate the public.
16:12
Recollection of Robert Menzies visit to area – trying to persuade them to return to work. There was to be no opposition speech and no questions. An imported group of Menzies’ supporters had been brought in. Bondy Hoare was out to beat Bob Menzies.
23:23
Recollection of Rothbury marches – scab mine at Ashtonfield – West Wallsend marching over Sugar Loaf – leading up to the Sunday Riot.
27:49
The big Lock Out meeting at the picture theatre was so packed with 4,000 men.
28:20
Recollection of miners lodge meeting
28:23
Hughie Sutherland had organised the engine drivers
28:24
Bondy Hoare – he and Hughie had daggers drawn.
28:57
Recollection of Bondy Hoare's 2 hour speech
31:34
"Geordie Land" (Weston) – the two Hebburn mines
32:10
Recalls anecdote involving Weston miner
32:40
Bob Harle manager at Hebburn
34:36
Anecdote involving Billy Orr – Ken Mitchell and Whirly
35:20
Bill Marheine from Pelaw Main.
34:40
Workers Compensation Act, 1926
35:00
Dr May Harris, compensation doctor – "she got a reputation she didn’t deserve – an old warhorse"- she was a sympathetic doctor interested in miners’ diseases.
35:53
Anecdote involving David "Whirlwind" Grant
Tape duration: 37:46
Comerford, Jim, 1913-2006PersonJack DelaneyDepicts or Relates ToJim Johnson CollectionVoices of the HunterLocation[1] Richmond Main Colliery, NSW[2] Rothbury Colliery, NSWIdentifier330Bloading google map....
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Delaney, Jack, 1919-2010, Jim Comerford (1913-2006) - General Secretary of the Miners Federation. Part 2/2., [330B]. Living Histories, accessed 08/12/2023, https://livinghistories.newcastle.edu.au/nodes/view/56005