Vote

Audio

Voices of the Hunter

Linked To

Person

Jack Delaney

Depicts or Relates To

Collection

Voices of the Hunter

Place

Cessnock, NSW

Map

Add

Recollections

Add

no stories yet

General Use Special Collections Copyright

Please contactSpecial Collections 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.

This recording can be used for study and personal research purposes. If you wish to reproduce this recording for any other purpose please obtain permission by contacting the University of Newcastle's Special Collections. If you have any further information about the image, please contact us or leave a comment.

Tools

Download Add to My Collection Contact us about this Citation for this item

Athol Walters (1925-2015) - Mine worker. Recorded 14 January 1988. Part 1/2

Details

Summary388A Athol Walters
Recorded 14 January 1988 Part 1 of 2

0:34
Born 1925, Bellbird
Began work at Millfield-Greta, 1941

1:07
Bede Kelly, superintendent
Dick Thomas

1:54
Lived at Millfield for 14 years
Attended Millfield Public School

2:40
Matt Walters (uncle)
Recalls trucks carrying coal from Millfield

4:19
Peter Murray, manager
Danny Hanrahan
Millfield ceased operating, November 1955

5:47
Started work on Millfield pit top
Recollection of pit top operations
Recalls loading of coal into wagons
George Driver

8:07
Recollection of "endless rope" haulage
Number of boilers, Millfield
Tom Orchard
Description of coal haulage method
Cobble's Coal (larger grade coal)
Recalls separate roadways for train
Description of loading coal to train
Millfield was one of first mines to fold
Number of tunnels, Millfield

12:53
Distance between travelling and haulage tunnel
Description of travelling roadway use
Description of haulage roadway use

13:51
Depth of travelling roadway
Depth of haulage tunnel
Number of roadways in haulage tunnel
Recalls steps in skip cycle

16:03
Haulage road used as intake airway
Millfield used propellor as ventilator fan

19:01
Recalls Millfield producing petrol from shale
Began working at Millfield from age 15
Recalls how got job at Millfield
Recalls work duties at Millfield

23:07
Recalls introduction of "scraper-loaders"
Recalls collieries where have worked
Jack Walters (brother)
Charlie Walters (brother)
Mervyn Walters (brother)
Kevin Walters (brother)
Recalls Walters brothers working at Millfield

25:28
Father worked periodically at Millfield
Ted Walters (father)

26:45
Worked Millfield using "bord & pillar" method
Main part of Millfield worked by pillar extraction
Layout of Millfield tunnel

28:23
Recalls set of skips on pit bottom
Recalls using winch haulage on pit bottom
Description of wheeling skips

30:09
Horses pulled skips "on the flats"
Width of headings in haulage tunnel

31:20
Height of headings in haulage tunnel
Height of coal seam, Millfield

32:51
Jimmy Reid
Description of "scraper-loader"
Tonnage capacity of wooden skips

34:39
Recalls "shot-firing" done by hand
Number of miners, Millfield

36:49
Cause of fault creep at Millfield
Recollection of "dropping the roadway"

37:47
Pit horses were brought to surface daily
Bill Cagney

38:33
North tunnel began operating c.1950
Millfield controlled by single Miners' Lodge

40:06
Number of roadways, North Tunnel
Recollection of riding tunnel by "alligator"

40:48
Alligator operated by electric motor
Jack Barrett

41:53
Frank Perkins
Depth of tunnel, Millfield North

43:01
Steepness of tunnel, Millfield North
Recalls Millfield using steel skips

44:37
Skips were tipped using "water jacks"
Skips were pulled by gravitation

45:27
Recollection of "chute (?) system"

45:55
End (Tape 388/Side A) Part 1 of 2 Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

SubjectWalters, Athol Alfred, 1925-2015 Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

Millfield (N.S.W.) Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

Millfield Greta Colliery (N.S.W.) Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

Bellbird Colliery (N.S.W.) Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

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

Depicts or Relates ToBede Kelly Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

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

Merv Walters - Fitter, Aberdare No. 7 and Aberdare East Collieries. Recorded 14 February 1990. Part 1/1. Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

CreatorWalters, Athol Alfred, 1925-2015 Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

Delaney, 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 Created14th January 1988 Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

Location^[1]Millfield Greta Colliery, NSW Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

Identifier388A Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

Start typing here to find a location	Latitude	Longitude	Zoom	Actions

loading google map....

Save Cancel