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Stan Coffey - Mine manager. Recorded 14 January 1988. Part 1/2.
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SummarySTAN COFFEY
Recorded 14 January 1988
Part 1 of 2
0:52
Stan was born at Craven near Gloucester. His father was in the railways. Recollection of childhood in Craven :"the toilet seat was cedar and the fence posts were cedar" - the logs were brought in on a little private rail line on a steam loco to the mill at Craven. Began work at Helensburgh pits, 1948 as a clipper - "bottom of the rank" finished up a union official.
2:37
Recalls how learnt mining trade - at 17 Stan got permission from the union and management to stay down the mine when there was a strike on. He couldn't get to Tech from Helensburgh -Wollongong had the closest Tech so he bought a place at Wanoona Beach. Recalls building own house at Wanoona without any experience in 12 months. Borrowed money from the Joint Coal Board Loan. Recalls getting deputy's ticket at age 22 - after the loan was taken out one fortnight he went home with 9d in an envelope to live on for a fortnight. The difference in pay between the miner's and the deputy's was huge.
4:23
Recalls working for A.I.S at Bulli. Worked as undermanager at Nymboida, 1955. Recalls explosion at Nymboida, 1956 - Stan was there 3 years but found it to be a backwater - out of mechanisation and Stan wanted his manager's ticket.
8:17
Worked at Lithgow Mines Rescue Station as instructor in 1959. Recalls sitting for manager's certificate in Newcastle. He came up to Aberdare 7 - he went to Kalingo and Ayrfield to understand before he sat for the exam. Steep seam mining was topical.
Description of a "capel" - fits on top of the rope with all the safety devices if you get an over wind.
11:09
Danny Hanrahan - manager. Merv Harris was looking for someone at Killingworth and also on the stowage at Aberdare 7.
Recalls getting job at Aberdare 7.
Jerry Bailey. Used stowage mining method at Aberdare 7.
Recalls flooding of Aberdare Extended. Les Vaisey - stripping the over burden and the water broke through - the hydraulic seals - some of the horses were drowned.
16:26
Formation of Coal Conservation Committee. Prof. David Phillips - Chairman of the Committee. John Tapp - Superintendent of the Rescue Station at Abermain. Pneumatic Stowage - differs from Hydraulic Stowage - Goodsir and Cooper quarried material out of the open cut near Little Cessnock - overburden was baked clay shale crushed and put into stowage bins at Abermain and Aberdare 7.
19:45
Number of tunnels, Aberdare 7.
Ventilation fan shaft, Aberdare 7 - axial flow fan. Recollection of fire at Little Cessnock in the late 40's.
21:17
Wilson Barrett - manager. Bert Palmer. Mike Kefferd - manager of Aberdare Extended and Aberdare 7. Recalls being chosen to manage Aberdare North.
23:01
Sir Edward Warren. Danny Hanrahan, Cessnock No. 1 and he was at Kalingo and at Millfield when they closed. - mid 1955.
Recalls District Mining Engineers from area.
24:13
Peter Murray. Recalls modification of stowage plans. Recalls working with stowage and 4 or 5 panels. Stowage equipment used at 7 was made in W. Germany - (Brieden?).
30:11
Description of stowage method of mining.
Stowage rate (120 cubic m/hr). Caledonian mined Bridge's Hill - Stan stowed under Vincent Street Cessnock.
35:46
Assistant manager of Newcastle-Wallsend, 1963-85. Perce Reid and Dave Haldane.
Recalls driving Pelton No. 3 tunnel about 1970.
37:24
Location of Pelton No. 2 tunnel. Depth of haulage tunnel, Pelton. Worked Paxton lease from Pelton. Pelton No. 3 shaft - 400ft deep - with an axial flow fan.
39:47
Description of Pelton No. 3 haulage system.
Recalls early planning for long-wall mining - Ellalong. Reason for switching to long-wall mining - the physical conditions at Ellalong made long-wall more economic. They had difficulty keeping the roof up at Ellalong.
42:12
Furnace ventilation used in Pelton No. 2.
Ellalong development "went through" Pelton - connected underground. Depth of Pelton No. 2 shaft.
43:41
Roadway was "sealed off" in late 1970's. Recalls using "brick and loam" seals. Location of Ellalong No. 1 return shaft.
46:03
End (Tape 404/Side A) Part 1 of 2.
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.
Coffey, Stanley JosephPersonJack DelaneyDepicts or Relates ToWilson BarrettCollectionVoices of the HunterLocation[1] Pelton CollieryIdentifier404A
Recorded 14 January 1988
Part 1 of 2
0:52
Stan was born at Craven near Gloucester. His father was in the railways. Recollection of childhood in Craven :"the toilet seat was cedar and the fence posts were cedar" - the logs were brought in on a little private rail line on a steam loco to the mill at Craven. Began work at Helensburgh pits, 1948 as a clipper - "bottom of the rank" finished up a union official.
2:37
Recalls how learnt mining trade - at 17 Stan got permission from the union and management to stay down the mine when there was a strike on. He couldn't get to Tech from Helensburgh -Wollongong had the closest Tech so he bought a place at Wanoona Beach. Recalls building own house at Wanoona without any experience in 12 months. Borrowed money from the Joint Coal Board Loan. Recalls getting deputy's ticket at age 22 - after the loan was taken out one fortnight he went home with 9d in an envelope to live on for a fortnight. The difference in pay between the miner's and the deputy's was huge.
4:23
Recalls working for A.I.S at Bulli. Worked as undermanager at Nymboida, 1955. Recalls explosion at Nymboida, 1956 - Stan was there 3 years but found it to be a backwater - out of mechanisation and Stan wanted his manager's ticket.
8:17
Worked at Lithgow Mines Rescue Station as instructor in 1959. Recalls sitting for manager's certificate in Newcastle. He came up to Aberdare 7 - he went to Kalingo and Ayrfield to understand before he sat for the exam. Steep seam mining was topical.
Description of a "capel" - fits on top of the rope with all the safety devices if you get an over wind.
11:09
Danny Hanrahan - manager. Merv Harris was looking for someone at Killingworth and also on the stowage at Aberdare 7.
Recalls getting job at Aberdare 7.
Jerry Bailey. Used stowage mining method at Aberdare 7.
Recalls flooding of Aberdare Extended. Les Vaisey - stripping the over burden and the water broke through - the hydraulic seals - some of the horses were drowned.
16:26
Formation of Coal Conservation Committee. Prof. David Phillips - Chairman of the Committee. John Tapp - Superintendent of the Rescue Station at Abermain. Pneumatic Stowage - differs from Hydraulic Stowage - Goodsir and Cooper quarried material out of the open cut near Little Cessnock - overburden was baked clay shale crushed and put into stowage bins at Abermain and Aberdare 7.
19:45
Number of tunnels, Aberdare 7.
Ventilation fan shaft, Aberdare 7 - axial flow fan. Recollection of fire at Little Cessnock in the late 40's.
21:17
Wilson Barrett - manager. Bert Palmer. Mike Kefferd - manager of Aberdare Extended and Aberdare 7. Recalls being chosen to manage Aberdare North.
23:01
Sir Edward Warren. Danny Hanrahan, Cessnock No. 1 and he was at Kalingo and at Millfield when they closed. - mid 1955.
Recalls District Mining Engineers from area.
24:13
Peter Murray. Recalls modification of stowage plans. Recalls working with stowage and 4 or 5 panels. Stowage equipment used at 7 was made in W. Germany - (Brieden?).
30:11
Description of stowage method of mining.
Stowage rate (120 cubic m/hr). Caledonian mined Bridge's Hill - Stan stowed under Vincent Street Cessnock.
35:46
Assistant manager of Newcastle-Wallsend, 1963-85. Perce Reid and Dave Haldane.
Recalls driving Pelton No. 3 tunnel about 1970.
37:24
Location of Pelton No. 2 tunnel. Depth of haulage tunnel, Pelton. Worked Paxton lease from Pelton. Pelton No. 3 shaft - 400ft deep - with an axial flow fan.
39:47
Description of Pelton No. 3 haulage system.
Recalls early planning for long-wall mining - Ellalong. Reason for switching to long-wall mining - the physical conditions at Ellalong made long-wall more economic. They had difficulty keeping the roof up at Ellalong.
42:12
Furnace ventilation used in Pelton No. 2.
Ellalong development "went through" Pelton - connected underground. Depth of Pelton No. 2 shaft.
43:41
Roadway was "sealed off" in late 1970's. Recalls using "brick and loam" seals. Location of Ellalong No. 1 return shaft.
46:03
End (Tape 404/Side A) Part 1 of 2.
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.
Coffey, Stanley JosephPersonJack DelaneyDepicts or Relates ToWilson BarrettCollectionVoices of the HunterLocation[1] Pelton CollieryIdentifier404Aloading google map....
Delaney, Jack, 1919-2010, Stan Coffey - Mine manager. Recorded 14 January 1988. Part 1/2., [404A]. Living Histories, accessed 01/04/2023, https://livinghistories.newcastle.edu.au/nodes/view/56035