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Jim Maxwell (1912-) - Trapper, Whitburn Colliery. Recorded 1 April 1985. Part 1/1.

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Summary168A Jim Maxwell
Recorded 01 April 1985.
Part 1 of 1.

0:17
Lived at Greta over 70 years.
Born in Scotland in 1912 and came to Australia as a baby.
Alec Smith aged 74 – fellow Scot.

1:33
Location of early tennis courts.
Joe Cantwell - organised the purchase of the hut.
The Cusa Hut.

2:33
Fr. Lavery, Catholic priest.
Attended local convent school.
Recollection of rotunda, Greta - The Whitburn band used to play in recitals each Sunday in the rotunda. Possibly built before 1920.

3:28
Jim Proudfoot, mayor.
Worked at Whitburn pit, 1926. He left school aged 14. His first job was trapping.
Recalls meeting manager for work.

5:23
First worked as "trapper", Whitburn.
Father first worked on the railway then he worked at Rothbury pit.
Billy Gilbert "Ben Turpin" used to ride around on a pushbike reading the meters. The trick of inserting a straw to hold the meter. He was the electrician/engineer at the Whitburn Power House.

Whitburn got water from river - the kids used to swim around the part of the river near to where the water came out of the boilers - it was nice and warm.

7:38
The big chimney was bought by the migrants who disassembled it and cleaned all the bricks and took them to Beresfield where they built homes with them in the '50s.
Presbyterian Church lightning strike.
"Crazy Cottage".

8:49
Frank Thorpe organised the dances and was a carpenter and helped build the new church.
Fr. Campbell, Catholic priest.
Voluntary labour built Catholic Church.

10:32
Frank Wilton.
Arthur Beckett.
Worked at Leconfield Colliery

11:48
"The Pong" (New Greta) near the railway.
Extract read from Newcastle Herald - 132 year history. First of a 2 part history of Greta by Alex Schulha.
Anvil Creek - its history with 4 major mines. Post Office being the oldest building 1873. The station master was also the postmaster.

14:30
Ben Pryor, early Greta mayor, 1912. The migrants boosted the population to 10,000 - the camp closed the early 60's as did the town.
Jim was always single.
Location of open-air picture show was in the hall.
Charlie Beswick - McKinnons had the shop next door to Jim's.

17:55
Recollection of horse buses, Greta.
Recollection of a 2 horse-drawn ambulance to the pit. Local fellows working it. Dr Scott was the local doctor.
Greenwood's horse bus.

18:10
Headley's horse bus.
"Newton".
"Cemetery Hill".

19:04
"Whitburn Estate".
"Central".
Ada Cruickshank.

19:52
Albert Cruikshank.
Jack Cruikshank.
Bill Cruikshank.

20:24
Norman Cruikshank.
Prince of Wales Hotel, Greta.
Tattersall's Hotel, Greta.

21:31
Sportsman's Arms Hotel, Greta.
Stan Parkes.
Jim Proudfoot, Jack Proudfoot - stone masons using local sandstone.
Dai Johns, Aubrey Johns, Dulcie Johns.

27:27
End (Tape 168/Side A) Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au