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Henry "Harry" Parker (1905-1997) - Colliery Clerk. Recorded 6 February 1984. Part 1/1.
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Summary74B HARRY HILTON PARKER Recorded 6 April 1984
0:30
Started with the East Greta Company in 1920. Joe Reese was the manager and Jack Farrell was the chief clerk. Only Jack and Henry in the office. Fred Cowey was the station master. Would catch the Stanford Merthyr train. Stewart Gow was the chief clerk at Stanford Main, Ces Lavender read the meters.
3:29
Harry transferred to Paxton in 1923 at age 18, which was the amalgamation of the Abermain seam. Started when he was 15. The colliery supplied power to Paxton houses and streets. Ted Fletcher Cyril Fletcher's father was the engineer working on the power.
8:19
Stan Barksby ran the bus service for Paxton. Les Brown started Rovers and begun services to the pit, when he sold to George Ryder then J.D. Armstrong begun around 1925. Les Brown started runs into the pit when he got his first bus in 1924/1925. Jim Keivers was the pit top service man. Jim Clay was the engineer, both drove Harry to work, both lived in Maitland. Stan Sawyer was the first manager. After Alec Deitz Harry was the first Clark there. Harry came to Paxton from Stanford Merthyr No.2. East Greta Company was the original company changed the name of Stanford Merthyr to Stanford Main. Under the superintendent of Henry Morgan Williams - his office was at Stanford Merthyr.
13:57
East Greta generated their own power. Charlie Earp was the chairman of the records of the East Greta Company. Worked right up until Paxton closed then onto Abermain No. 2 with John Brown, because he was the longest serving staff member he received an offer to be a floater or work at Chain Valley. Paxton closed 1961 and Abermain No. 2 closed 1964. Approx. 350 men worked at Paxton.
19:26
Jack Dodd was the manager known as "digger" and the last manager at Abermain No. 2. Jack Armstrong and Colin Cush were up at Aberdare, Earl Craft and Reg Wade eventually were there. Harry Schultz worked at Bellbird. Harry and Reg both worked at the sawmill at Paxton together. Which continued operating after the pit closed. The Powerhouse ran a power line from Richmond main alongside Abermain No. 2, Caledonian Colliery supplied the town eventually.
24:55
Joe McCarey was a tech. teacher for Caledonian Collieries. Athol Denny was one of the electricians in the pit, Jim Clay, Bob Gemmell and Ned Peel. When Harry was 14 he was in the junior athletics with a state record for broad jump, played football in a local company from 1922-1923.
29:11
Alfie Brosman was on the committee, Bert Readie played for the company first, Alec McKellar, Pete Hughes, Dick Hemsworth was forward, Merv Dean, Brad Goodmen. Bull Wickham was centre. Only a Maitland athlete, Roy Harveson was the Australasian high jump champion, Ken Harveson was an Australasian champion and Bill Hutton was the Australasian quarter miler. Harry's wife originally from Cessnock. Eric Jensen was a NSW athletic junior, Bill Sullivan was the NSW champion and Harry was the NSW champion junior roger. Haywood Wilkinson high school champion. Alfie Wood was a great runner. Ken Taylor was another athlete.
34:13
There were dances up at Paxton at the school hall. Recalls the church hall being built and having traveling movies there. Stan Sawyer started the dances in Cessnock. Sam Wilkinson and Harry started the invites for the dances. The "kit kat" was by invitation dance. Bill Ward used to be the orchestrator then. Harry's first car was an old Ford. Pat Hamilton used to ride his Harry's bike.
42:11
Different types of coal at East Greta. East Greta run electrically. Asked Stewart Gow for a word with Williams. Harry asked for a rise.
45:00
End (Tape 74/Side B) Part 1 of 1
SubjectParker, Henry Hilton, 1905-1997East Greta Colliery (N.S.W.)Chain Valley Colliery (N.S.W.)Stanford Main No. 2 Colliery (N.S.W.)Coal mines and mining -- New South WalesPaxton Colliery (N.S.W.)Abermain No. 2 Colliery (N.S.W.)PersonJack DelaneyDepicts or Relates ToJack "Digger" DoddReg Wade. Recorded 26 June 1995. Part 1/1Dick Hemsworth (1919-2005) - Mine Undermanager. 1/1 Recorded 23 March 1983CreatorParker, Henry Hilton, 1905-1997Delaney, Jack, 1919-2010Date Created6th February 1984Location[1] Abermain No. 2 Colliery, NSW [2] East Greta Colliery, NSW[3] Richmond Main Colliery, NSWIdentifier074B
0:30
Started with the East Greta Company in 1920. Joe Reese was the manager and Jack Farrell was the chief clerk. Only Jack and Henry in the office. Fred Cowey was the station master. Would catch the Stanford Merthyr train. Stewart Gow was the chief clerk at Stanford Main, Ces Lavender read the meters.
3:29
Harry transferred to Paxton in 1923 at age 18, which was the amalgamation of the Abermain seam. Started when he was 15. The colliery supplied power to Paxton houses and streets. Ted Fletcher Cyril Fletcher's father was the engineer working on the power.
8:19
Stan Barksby ran the bus service for Paxton. Les Brown started Rovers and begun services to the pit, when he sold to George Ryder then J.D. Armstrong begun around 1925. Les Brown started runs into the pit when he got his first bus in 1924/1925. Jim Keivers was the pit top service man. Jim Clay was the engineer, both drove Harry to work, both lived in Maitland. Stan Sawyer was the first manager. After Alec Deitz Harry was the first Clark there. Harry came to Paxton from Stanford Merthyr No.2. East Greta Company was the original company changed the name of Stanford Merthyr to Stanford Main. Under the superintendent of Henry Morgan Williams - his office was at Stanford Merthyr.
13:57
East Greta generated their own power. Charlie Earp was the chairman of the records of the East Greta Company. Worked right up until Paxton closed then onto Abermain No. 2 with John Brown, because he was the longest serving staff member he received an offer to be a floater or work at Chain Valley. Paxton closed 1961 and Abermain No. 2 closed 1964. Approx. 350 men worked at Paxton.
19:26
Jack Dodd was the manager known as "digger" and the last manager at Abermain No. 2. Jack Armstrong and Colin Cush were up at Aberdare, Earl Craft and Reg Wade eventually were there. Harry Schultz worked at Bellbird. Harry and Reg both worked at the sawmill at Paxton together. Which continued operating after the pit closed. The Powerhouse ran a power line from Richmond main alongside Abermain No. 2, Caledonian Colliery supplied the town eventually.
24:55
Joe McCarey was a tech. teacher for Caledonian Collieries. Athol Denny was one of the electricians in the pit, Jim Clay, Bob Gemmell and Ned Peel. When Harry was 14 he was in the junior athletics with a state record for broad jump, played football in a local company from 1922-1923.
29:11
Alfie Brosman was on the committee, Bert Readie played for the company first, Alec McKellar, Pete Hughes, Dick Hemsworth was forward, Merv Dean, Brad Goodmen. Bull Wickham was centre. Only a Maitland athlete, Roy Harveson was the Australasian high jump champion, Ken Harveson was an Australasian champion and Bill Hutton was the Australasian quarter miler. Harry's wife originally from Cessnock. Eric Jensen was a NSW athletic junior, Bill Sullivan was the NSW champion and Harry was the NSW champion junior roger. Haywood Wilkinson high school champion. Alfie Wood was a great runner. Ken Taylor was another athlete.
34:13
There were dances up at Paxton at the school hall. Recalls the church hall being built and having traveling movies there. Stan Sawyer started the dances in Cessnock. Sam Wilkinson and Harry started the invites for the dances. The "kit kat" was by invitation dance. Bill Ward used to be the orchestrator then. Harry's first car was an old Ford. Pat Hamilton used to ride his Harry's bike.
42:11
Different types of coal at East Greta. East Greta run electrically. Asked Stewart Gow for a word with Williams. Harry asked for a rise.
45:00
End (Tape 74/Side B) Part 1 of 1
SubjectParker, Henry Hilton, 1905-1997East Greta Colliery (N.S.W.)Chain Valley Colliery (N.S.W.)Stanford Main No. 2 Colliery (N.S.W.)Coal mines and mining -- New South WalesPaxton Colliery (N.S.W.)Abermain No. 2 Colliery (N.S.W.)PersonJack DelaneyDepicts or Relates ToJack "Digger" DoddReg Wade. Recorded 26 June 1995. Part 1/1Dick Hemsworth (1919-2005) - Mine Undermanager. 1/1 Recorded 23 March 1983CreatorParker, Henry Hilton, 1905-1997Delaney, Jack, 1919-2010Date Created6th February 1984Location[1] Abermain No. 2 Colliery, NSW [2] East Greta Colliery, NSW[3] Richmond Main Colliery, NSWIdentifier074Bloading google map....
Delaney, Jack, 1919-2010, Henry "Harry" Parker (1905-1997) - Colliery Clerk. Recorded 6 February 1984. Part 1/1. , [074B]. Living Histories, accessed 09/06/2023, https://livinghistories.newcastle.edu.au/nodes/view/65390