Eric Wood (1912-2005) - Teacher, Cessnock Technical College. Recorded 10 June 1981. Part 1/3.

315A  Eric Wood  
Recorded 10 June 1981.  
Part 1 of 3. 

0:31 
Eric came to Cessnock in 1949. 

0:37 
He was born in Rockdale, Sydney. He was married with 3 children when he came to Cessnock. 

0;52 
He commenced apprenticeship with Department of Road Transport and Tramways, 1928. He completed a successful 5 year apprenticeship. 

1:09 
Recalls finishing apprenticeship in 1932 as an unemployed engineer. 

1:16 
Looked for work at Wollongong Steelworks. 

1:23 
Worked for Standard Telephone & Cables. 

1:30 
He was seconded by the Minister for Defence to train people to make Beaufort Bombers - a laminated wooden plane. 

2:01 
He was seconded from the Department of Road Transport & Tramways to the Department of Technical Education during the course of  WW2. 

2:04 
Description of work duties during WW2. 

2:09 
Commenced duty in defence training, 1940. 

2:10 
Description of work duties, Belmore Tech. until the war escalated when the Repulse and the Renown were sunk by the Japanese.  * www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaJtevR84qw

A scheme was instigated in 1940 to build a lathe 120ft long.  

3:26 
Description of work duties, Sydney Tech. Eric had to have 20 selected trainees to complete a 20 week course. He met Wing Commodore Whacket and his Wiggen. The training scheme intensified when the engraving dock in Singapore was lost.  Essington Lewis - Mr Big of BHP took over the manufacture of equipment that was not available but necessary to produce the engineering components to build the Bomber and other projects. 

5:57 
He moved out into industry into the field of Machine Shop Practice. 
His experience in Metallurgy and his meeting with Jan McShane. His area of study was to develop tubes which could resist heat in high temperature furnaces. On his return from England he became junior assistant to Essington Lewis. He ended up as Manager of the Gaslight Company. 
In the 1940's he was involved in making 120ft and 60ft hollow tail shafts for Destroyers and Corvettes.  

At Ultimo tech in Sydney they were 12 hours on and 12 hours off duty 7 days a week.  
Recalls taking correspondence courses from American military personnel who were moving up to Japan. They wanted courses in Farm Machinery and Animal Husbandry and Painting and Decorating. The info for these courses came from the Central Office and the Department of Rehabilitation and Training. 

9:50 
Recollection of technical text books produced by the government for the CRTS Training scheme. 

10:45 
Recollection of early technical education.  
 
Recalls changes in technical education - this Department was an offshoot of the general education system. Mr Swaine was the Lecturer in Charge.  

13:11 
Bob Purcell came to Cessnock in 1936 as the full time teacher in mining. Cessnock was given classes in limited field to train returned men. Mr Hilder was a welder with fitting and machining experience. He took over the CRTS (Commonwealth Rehabilitation and Training Scheme) He was appointed full time and there were several part time teachers. 

15:21 
WW2 came to an end in 1946 [sic]. Recalls being appointed to Sydney Tech. full time until 1949.  

15:58 
Randwick Tramways Workshop.  

16:31 
Recalls onset of  the Depression era - dismissal notices  at the Wollongong Steelworks "were sometimes given at 11pm and you could be off for 3 months or more". 

17:11 
He recalls being appointed to Cessnock Tech. in 1949. 

20:53 
Bob Smith. 
Wentworth Hotel, Cessnock. 

21:15 
Recalls first impressions of Cessnock. 

21:50 
Early recollection of Cessnock Technical College meeting with roadworkers outside the railway.  

22:35 
Recollection of Trade Certificate classes  

Supplementary Trade Instruction - students were doing part of their training in a workshop. Few mines had a lathe yet 2 years of their course was lathe work. One teacher was taking 20 subjects. There were 15 - 20 part time teachers.  
 
Recollection of other courses at CTC. 

27:44 
Joe McHarg and Jack Kelso were the two full time electrical trades teachers.  

28:28 
Dr Bellicott, the Russian professor.  

29:19 
Arthur Donn, Sam Wilkinson and Mr Pryor. Three most prominent men in mining at the time. 

29:45 
Bob Purcell "was one of the few men who could go down the mine when strikes were on, and talk with the management and talk with the men - he was accepted by both parties." 

31:22 
Bord and Pillar mining. 

31:51 
Purcell had experience at Neath colliery and in Queensland and was a Departmental Inspector - he returned to Cessnock as a teacher and registrar of the College.  
Ralph Basden and Bob Purcell had a close working relationship. Ralph was the principal of Newcastle Technical College.  
The change of methods demanded a different set of training. Purcell was old school which put him in conflict with modern techniques. 

34:51 
Professor Phillips. 

34:54 
Professor Baxter.  

35:30 
Formation of Department of Technical Education in the mid 40s  

36:33 
Recalls early development of Cessnock Tech. which was wrapped around the mining courses.  

36:46 
Bobby Smith - Chairman of the District Committee who coordinated and determined what was needed in the town. 

37:05 
Sam Horne - estate agent. 

37:11 
Tom Crawford.  
P.D. Riddell, Director of Tech. Education. 

39:02 
Bob Heffron - Premier of NSW.  

40:38 
Recollection of Prof. Phillips - he thought of Cessnock as a mining village and that Newcastle or Wollongong would be more appropriate. 

42:15 
Recalls problems with coal "stowage" - Where do you get the materials to stow and how do you stow for mining that's been poorly managed in the removal of coal and the problems with water flowing through the open cut. Long wall mining. Fuel shortages.  

43:38 
The shaft at Aberdare South was 1350 ft deep. 
 
*It is stated incorrectly in the interview that HMAS Repulse was sunk by the Japanese in 1941. 

45:22 
End (Tape 315/Side A) Part 1 of 3