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Voices of the Hunter

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David Wilkinson (1902-1984) - Mineworker. Aberdare Extended, Aberdare Central & Elrington Collieries. Recorded 12 January 1984. Part 1/2

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Summary307A David Wilkinson Recorded 12 January 1984. Part 1 of 2.

0:42
He was born in West Wallsend on the 30th January 1902.

1:00
The family came to Neath, 1905 age 3.

1:10
Shifted to Cessnock in 1911 age 9.

1:26
Albert McBeth - bike rider.

1:42
Robert Wilkinson brother - had three sons Andrew, Bob the carpenter and David.

2:15
Dorothy Gilmore was David's wife of 57 years in 1983.

2:27
Jack Gilmore - her uncle.

2:41
Tom Gilmore father-in-law.

3:00
Recalls riding motorcycles at speedway.

3:30
Mick Brennan, Paddy Dean, Lee Sternbeck, the Datsun brothers and Ernie Buck from Maitland.

4:07
David attended Abermain Public School - at the age of 7 he walked from Neath to school.

4:38
Peter Baus - fellow bike rider.

5:00
Mitchell's horse bus stables next to the Railway Hotel at Cessnock. His run was to Bellbird and Maitland.

5:30
Doyle's horse bus stables.

6:00
Recalls bicycle meeting at Sydney - The team included Cyril Norris, Peter Baus, one other and David.

7:12
The Mainwarings, the Hattons, the Strangs.

7:48
Attended Aberdare Primary School.

7:58
He worked as apprentice tinsmith/plumber.

8:02
His wages as a 15 year old apprentice tinsmith was 7/6 a week. Sams the barber was next door and Sams the blacksmith was across the road.

8:48
He would be sent to the butter factory to collect coke for his soldering irons. They made tanks, tinware, crib cans and pit lamps. Recalls carrying material on bicycle during a westerly wind.
He had three sons who wouldn't work for him.

11:20
David worked at Aberdare Extended about 1917.

12:05
"Big" Ernie King.

12:28
Worked "chipping boilers" on Saturday removing limestone deposits.

13:10
Nugget and Jim Carroll.

13:32
Jack and George Gehrig.

14:00
Dorothy taught him to dance 60 years ago. Billy Power led the dance orchestra. Bob Jackson and his wife.

14:30
Enid Lane, nee Caban.

15:36
Charlie Luscombe - blinded by a flying nail.

15:58
Ditton & Hill, Stan Barksby used to work at Central.

16:21
Brother Bob owned small bus service - the run was out to Central - he ran to West Wallsend every weekend. He had a small Dodge which was a body built on with a car chassis and the Reo was a charabanc.

17:25
There were 900 pairs of miners, Aberdare Central. "There's still most of the coal left - they only got about a third of it out". Fire caused the closure - David worked on the fire.

18:04
Jim Flaherty.

18:54
Recalls stone floater in pit roof .

19:43
Charlie Donnelly saved a man's life as the floater came down. It was about 10ft high in the centre and ran off to nothing.That's what caused the fire. The Harrower brothers involved in a mining accident.
Swinger Hemingway was the manager then. He got his legs broken in that fall.

22:45
David helped dig Gavin Stephenson out in one accident.

23:12
Recalls working on recovery team

24:31
Jack Kerrigan was trapped by his feet.
Recollection of stone fall-in

25:01
Keith Chalkley had a broken arm.

26:38
Recalls fire at Aberdare Central

27:36
May Wilkinson never married
Shirley Wilkinson, his daughter, married Jack Hodge
Colleen Farrell, his daughter, married Alan Farrell

28:09
Billy McBeth was a good sprinter, Albert McBeth was the champion distance rider.

28:38
Billy Galloway lived in Cessnock and had a barber shop in West End.

29:10
Recalls winning double at speedway - he won 33 pounds. He had a Harley Davidson 1924 model.

30:15
Curly Evans used to work at Aberdare. He'd catch the 3pm train.

32:08
The Strang boys. The Hattons were in the Fire Brigade .Jack Hatton. The Fire Station was where it was originally.

32:54
Recalls joining marching band

33:29
Jim Rowan was the second band master.

33:38
Geordie Hodge took over from him.

34:10
Cyril Williams.

35:00
Arch Brown.
Jim Bailey.
Bands that used to march at all the May Day processions included Bellbird, Cessnock, Abermain, Weston, Kurri. Recollection of May Day banners - each pit had its own banner.

36:36
Fred Creswell.
Mr Bond - was a painter and sign writer may have been the painter of the banners.

38:38
Recollection of a 9 month clean up after a fall-in at Central.

39:30
Description of coal-cutters .

39:42
Jack Fogg - Amos' father.

40:37
Recalls how Amos Fogg's back was broken - Amos was a wheeler and had been a bike rider. He did get a small amount of compensation.

42:11
Bluey Porter and Mick Cagney worked together.

43:05
End (Tape 307/Side A) Part 1 of 2 Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

SubjectWilkinson, David, 1902-1984 Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

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

Coal mines and mining -- New South Wales -- Cessnock Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

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

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

CreatorWilkinson, David, 1902-1984 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 Created12th January 1984 Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

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

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

Identifier307A Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

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