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Interview with Peter Faull, Miner, Teralba Colliery
CAUTION: This recording contains coarse language
This interview is one of a series relating to Teralba Colliery and the amalgamation of Stockton Borehole Colliery with Teralba Colliery in 1988.
SummaryIn his words, Peter Faull traded a traineeship as an industrial chemist for a “good time with my mates.” It wasn’t until settling down that Peter was drawn to the mines to support his young family. Peter vividly recounts his first weeks on the job at Teralba in 1981: from three boring days of induction; to the fella who, when it came to the crunch, couldn’t face the descent to pit bottom; to the six weeks of day shift training, before reality set in and dog watch (the junior shift) became his new way of life. A life, he recalls as a bolter in a development unit. From dog watch it was swing shift, arvo shift and eventually day shift, where after a dust-filled stretch on the long wall, Peter found himself learning the ropes of laying and maintaining rails and turns. Unfortunately, on reflection, Peter believes it was this stint working rails that rendered him a casualty of “out the gate in 88.” He recalls of the battle, in which BHP left the decision regarding redundancies in the hands of the unions, “I’m not ashamed to admit I was selfish and I just wanted to save my job,” but “they fought for their jobs, they fought better.” However, lured by the ideal of coming full circle, Peter returned to Teralba in 1996 where he lasted eighteen months before retrenchment again claimed his mining career for the final time. For the laymen, this interview is riddled with great descriptions of those peculiar mining terms like out-by, leco, swing shift, chemical anchors and stone dust, to name just a few.SubjectCoal mines and mining -- New South WalesIndustrial relations -- New South WalesTeralba Colliery, Teralba (N.S.W.)Stockton Borehole Colliery, Teralba (N.S.W.)Pacific Colliery, Teralba (N.S.W.)Macquarie Colliery, Teralba (N.S.W.)The AmalgamationOut the Gate in 88Miners' Federation of AustraliaFaull, PeterDepicts or Relates ToTranscript of Interview with Peter Faull, Miner, Teralba CollieryCreatorBelic, PetaFaull, PeterCollectionTeralba Colliery Oral History ProjectPlaceTeralba, NSWDate Created2006-06-23Location[1] Teralba CollieryIdentifierPeter_Faull