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Voices of the Hunter

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Jack Delaney

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Alec Orr - Sidler & contract miner, Maitland Main Colliery. Recorded 27 July 1992. Part 1/1.
Peter Phillips - Owner of Kearsley Bus Company. Recorded 13 October 1983. Part 1/1.

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Voices of the Hunter

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Cessnock, NSW

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Jim Orr (1908-2001) - Trimmer, wheeler & sidler, Maitland Main Colliery. Recorded 13 July 1992. Part 1/1.

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SummaryTAPE 443A JAMES ORR
Recorded 13th July 1992 PART 1/1

00:37
James (Jimmy) Orr in 84th year, born 12 December 1908

00:39
J. Orr began working at Maitland Main Colliery in 1927. Started working on pit top.

0:54
Pit top was comprised of two levels a screening area where they tipped the coal on a higher deck and a gantry which ran back towards the road. Chitter belt on lower deck at wagon height.

1:54
Steam power still used at the pit, used as a shaker. Description of "steel shaker". Skips were weighed when came to pit top, taken off the weigh bridge on to the tumbler which tipped it on to the shaker. The shaker was steam driven.

3:20
Bath house boiler, Maitland Main – only one used.

3:47
A man with the horse & dray brought the coal to the boiler. Where was it in terms of the gantry.

4:16
The pit top was crude but built out of logs and sawn timber for decking. About 200 yards from the top of the gantry to the entrance. Description of "picking belt". Screens were on the west side.

5:03
Number of employees, Maitland Main. There were about 100 men. Jim was a trimmer. There was a travelling tunnel, a haulage tunnel and a return airway. The horses went down the travelling tunnel. Picking belt.

8:29
Recollection of pit horses, Maitland Main Colliery. Describes the stables on the north side.

9:58
Recollection of boiler house, Maitland Main with one fire box. It was main and tail pulling 20 skips.

11:28
Length of tunnel, Maitland Main was about a mile and went west towards Millfield. The east side grade was about 1 in 5 and west dipped away 1 in 4.

12:58
Jimmy Brown, relative of Nurse Brown.

13:15
Recollection of engine room, Maitland Main

14:19
Recollection of bathhouse, Maitland Main.

14:55
Recalls also working casually at Aberdare Extended, North. He left in 1961 and never returned to Maitland Main.

15:15
Cyril Cartwright got him work at Burlington for 11 years.

15:57
Retired in 1972

16:33
Joe Orr (brother).

16:48
Recollection of wheeling in East Tunnel taking 2 skips at a time.

17:30
Recalls working as sidler.

18:10
Dimensions of pillars, Maitland Main. Drove the specials.

19:23
Jack Evans, electrician.

19:37
Harold Johnson.

20:13
Describes using continuous miner, shuttle cars.

20:50
Alan Crowell – electrician.

22:31
Cec Davies from the workshop. Jack Adams.

23:07
Description of electric pumps – the height of the seam was 10 to 20 ft. Striking clay in the seam. It was good clay.

24:25
Alec Orr (brother) worked as a sidler at Maitland Main as well. Capacity of skips, Maitland Main were one ton.

25:32
Don Herman, Matt Grainger, Ted Mort (weigh men). Jack Armstrong, Peter Phillips. The men travelled on buses with Barksby.

26:53
J. Orr lived at Paxton, travelled to work in his own car. James Orr recalls becoming mine deputy.

29:27
James Orr was deputy for 11 years

30:21
"Firing under clay – you had to dig it out."

30:49
Bill Black (Undermanager) Ray Norris

31:21
Bill Jordan, surveyor. Harry Porter, chief clerk, Bob Phillip.

31:55
Adelaide Steam Ship Co. The owner of the ships "Iron Chieftain" and "The Iron Warrior" sold to Broken Hill Proprietary Ltd. (BHP) and became known as Interstate Steamship Co.

33:25
Tape duration Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

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

SubjectMaitland Main Colliery (N.S.W.)Aberdare Extended Colliery (N.S.W.)Aberdare North Colliery (N.S.W.)Coal mines and mining -- New South Wales -- CessnockWheelersTrimmersSidlersOrr, James Boyd, 1908-2001 Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

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

Depicts or Relates ToAlec Orr - Sidler & contract miner, Maitland Main Colliery. Recorded 27 July 1992. 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

CreatorOrr, James Boyd, 1908-2001Delaney, Jack, 1919-2010 Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

CollectionVoices of the Hunter Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

PlaceCessnock, NSW Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

Date Created13th July 1992Location^[1]Maitland Main Colliery, NSW Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

^[2]Aberdare Extended Colliery Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

Identifier443A Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

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