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Lyle O'Connell (1906-1989) - Mineworker. Recorded 9 February 1988. Part 1/1.
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Summary392A Lyle O'Connell.
Recorded 09 February 1988
0:27
Began working at Millfield in 1943
Worked also at "Old" Greta Colliery
0:51
Number of pits where have worked
"Tex" Allan
Born 1906
1:27
First started work at Whitburn, age 14
Recalls living on farm at Glen Oak
2:04
First job was "chitter picker"
Griff Thomas
2:12
Harry Thomas
Worked underground at Whitburn, age 15
2:40
Number of tunnels, Whitburn
Whitburn used "endless rope" haulage
Mining equipment used at Whitburn
Dimension of "coal shakers" & "steel belts"
Recalls miners being fired
4:26
Steam engine drove "endless rope" haulage
Ventilation fan was electrically powered
Contract miners worked with hand-borers
Short description of boring methods
5:57
Small coal was held in "coal box"
Coal washery plant operated at Whitburn
6:16
Description of coal washery plant
Recalls usage of household coal
7:27
Whitburn supplied Weston with power
Depth of main tunnel, Whitburn
Direction of main tunnel, Whitburn
8:49
Width of "board & pillars", Whitburn
Recalls barriers in place from Old Greta
9:09
Water from Old Greta seeped into Whitburn
Recalls water being pumped from pit
Electrically-powered winch pulled skips
10:06
Two skips per time were pulled by winch
Recalls "working off" main tunnel
11:09
Number of tunnels, New Greta
Direction of Old Greta tunnel
11:49
Description of "main & tail" haulage
"Old" Greta used steam powered haulage
Recalls ventilation fan at Old Greta
Old Greta originally used furnace ventilation
Depth of "Old" Greta pit headings
Greta pits operated under "contract" mining
15:14
Direction of New Greta tunnels
15:26
Broxburn Pit, recollection of
Anzac Colliery, location of
16:08
Leconfield Colliery, location of
Re-modernised ventilator fan, New Greta
17:23
New Greta used twin "endless ropes"
Anvil Creek, Greta
18:53
Anvil Creek Colliery, location of
Number of miners, Anvil Creek
19:13
Bill Humphrey
Anvil Creek drove heading to Greta pit
20:16
Recalls "gaseous" quality of Old Greta coal
Recalls building own home in 1926
21:24
Worked at Rothbury after New Greta
Recalls hand-wheeling at New Greta Colliery
22:13
Recalls steepness of New Greta pit
Width of seam, New Greta
22:27
Width of board & pillar, New Greta
Worked as foreman at Greta Migrant Camp
24:00
Sid Bowden
Born 1906, Minmi
24:25
Sam Nixon
Worked at Aberdare Central, 1940
24:50
"Swinger" Hemingway
Worked as first-class shift man
"Darky" Hardman
25:50
Size of pillars, Aberdare Central
Width of boards, Aberdare Central
26:10
Direction of headings, Aberdare Central
Depth of main headings, Aberdare Central
26:47
Recalls working in "Stones Eye" section
Recalls seeing first machine borer
27:25
Worked at Millfield after Aberdare Central fire
Jock Sneddon
27:54
Jimmy Wilson
"Dusty" Lane
29:19
Secretary, Millfield Miners Lodge
Jim McWilliams
29:44
Millfield North opened c.1950
Recalls horses pulling 2 tonne skips
Method of tipping skips, Millfield North
30:49
Geordie Stevens, Tedger Hill
Athol Walters
George Neilly
31:59
Billy Parkinson
Millfield North used propellor for ventilation
Recalls carting coal from Millfield North
33:34
Direction of Millfield North tunnel
Worked at Elrington for 3 years (1959-61)
34:48
Number of shafts, Elrington
Roy Vickers
35:50
Elrington used 2 tonne iron skips
Worked as first-class shiftman at Elrington
36:31
Recalls working at BHP steelworks
Harry Cotterill
37:27
Number of employees, Elrington
Ian McKensey, Bruce McKensey
37:50
Jack Sharp
Secretary, Elrington Miners' Lodge
Frank Pemberton
Recalls machinery used at Elrington
40:11
Description of 11BU Joy miner
Recalls how shuttlecars were filled
41:29
Number of employees, Millfield North
Number of employees, Millfield Greta
42:01
Frank Gillwyler
Recalls strength of Millfield roof
43:12
Height of seam, Millfield Greta
Ernie Stryker
Reason for sharpening timber props
44:26
"Wizzy" Mowatt
Geordie Little
45:09
Danny Hanrahan
45:29
End (Tape 392/Side A)
SubjectO'Connell, Lyle Christopher, 1906-1989Leconfield Colliery (N.S.W.)Whitburn Colliery (N.S.W.)New Greta Colliery (N.S.W.)Broxburne Colliery (N.S.W.)Anzac Colliery (N.S.W.)Anvil Creek Colliery (N.S.W.)Aberdare Central Colliery (N.S.W.)Millfield North Colliery (N.S.W.)Elrington Colliery (N.S.W.)Coal mines and mining -- New South Wales -- CessnockCoal mines and mining -- New South Wales -- GretaPersonJack DelaneyDepicts or Relates ToGeorge NeillyBruce McKenseyCreatorO'Connell, Lyle Christopher, 1906-1989Delaney, Jack, 1919-2010CollectionVoices of the HunterPlaceCessnock, NSWDate Created9th February 1988Location[1] Whitburn Colliery, NSW[2] Leconfield Colliery, NSW[3] Aberdare Central Colliery, NSWIdentifier392A
Recorded 09 February 1988
0:27
Began working at Millfield in 1943
Worked also at "Old" Greta Colliery
0:51
Number of pits where have worked
"Tex" Allan
Born 1906
1:27
First started work at Whitburn, age 14
Recalls living on farm at Glen Oak
2:04
First job was "chitter picker"
Griff Thomas
2:12
Harry Thomas
Worked underground at Whitburn, age 15
2:40
Number of tunnels, Whitburn
Whitburn used "endless rope" haulage
Mining equipment used at Whitburn
Dimension of "coal shakers" & "steel belts"
Recalls miners being fired
4:26
Steam engine drove "endless rope" haulage
Ventilation fan was electrically powered
Contract miners worked with hand-borers
Short description of boring methods
5:57
Small coal was held in "coal box"
Coal washery plant operated at Whitburn
6:16
Description of coal washery plant
Recalls usage of household coal
7:27
Whitburn supplied Weston with power
Depth of main tunnel, Whitburn
Direction of main tunnel, Whitburn
8:49
Width of "board & pillars", Whitburn
Recalls barriers in place from Old Greta
9:09
Water from Old Greta seeped into Whitburn
Recalls water being pumped from pit
Electrically-powered winch pulled skips
10:06
Two skips per time were pulled by winch
Recalls "working off" main tunnel
11:09
Number of tunnels, New Greta
Direction of Old Greta tunnel
11:49
Description of "main & tail" haulage
"Old" Greta used steam powered haulage
Recalls ventilation fan at Old Greta
Old Greta originally used furnace ventilation
Depth of "Old" Greta pit headings
Greta pits operated under "contract" mining
15:14
Direction of New Greta tunnels
15:26
Broxburn Pit, recollection of
Anzac Colliery, location of
16:08
Leconfield Colliery, location of
Re-modernised ventilator fan, New Greta
17:23
New Greta used twin "endless ropes"
Anvil Creek, Greta
18:53
Anvil Creek Colliery, location of
Number of miners, Anvil Creek
19:13
Bill Humphrey
Anvil Creek drove heading to Greta pit
20:16
Recalls "gaseous" quality of Old Greta coal
Recalls building own home in 1926
21:24
Worked at Rothbury after New Greta
Recalls hand-wheeling at New Greta Colliery
22:13
Recalls steepness of New Greta pit
Width of seam, New Greta
22:27
Width of board & pillar, New Greta
Worked as foreman at Greta Migrant Camp
24:00
Sid Bowden
Born 1906, Minmi
24:25
Sam Nixon
Worked at Aberdare Central, 1940
24:50
"Swinger" Hemingway
Worked as first-class shift man
"Darky" Hardman
25:50
Size of pillars, Aberdare Central
Width of boards, Aberdare Central
26:10
Direction of headings, Aberdare Central
Depth of main headings, Aberdare Central
26:47
Recalls working in "Stones Eye" section
Recalls seeing first machine borer
27:25
Worked at Millfield after Aberdare Central fire
Jock Sneddon
27:54
Jimmy Wilson
"Dusty" Lane
29:19
Secretary, Millfield Miners Lodge
Jim McWilliams
29:44
Millfield North opened c.1950
Recalls horses pulling 2 tonne skips
Method of tipping skips, Millfield North
30:49
Geordie Stevens, Tedger Hill
Athol Walters
George Neilly
31:59
Billy Parkinson
Millfield North used propellor for ventilation
Recalls carting coal from Millfield North
33:34
Direction of Millfield North tunnel
Worked at Elrington for 3 years (1959-61)
34:48
Number of shafts, Elrington
Roy Vickers
35:50
Elrington used 2 tonne iron skips
Worked as first-class shiftman at Elrington
36:31
Recalls working at BHP steelworks
Harry Cotterill
37:27
Number of employees, Elrington
Ian McKensey, Bruce McKensey
37:50
Jack Sharp
Secretary, Elrington Miners' Lodge
Frank Pemberton
Recalls machinery used at Elrington
40:11
Description of 11BU Joy miner
Recalls how shuttlecars were filled
41:29
Number of employees, Millfield North
Number of employees, Millfield Greta
42:01
Frank Gillwyler
Recalls strength of Millfield roof
43:12
Height of seam, Millfield Greta
Ernie Stryker
Reason for sharpening timber props
44:26
"Wizzy" Mowatt
Geordie Little
45:09
Danny Hanrahan
45:29
End (Tape 392/Side A)
SubjectO'Connell, Lyle Christopher, 1906-1989Leconfield Colliery (N.S.W.)Whitburn Colliery (N.S.W.)New Greta Colliery (N.S.W.)Broxburne Colliery (N.S.W.)Anzac Colliery (N.S.W.)Anvil Creek Colliery (N.S.W.)Aberdare Central Colliery (N.S.W.)Millfield North Colliery (N.S.W.)Elrington Colliery (N.S.W.)Coal mines and mining -- New South Wales -- CessnockCoal mines and mining -- New South Wales -- GretaPersonJack DelaneyDepicts or Relates ToGeorge NeillyBruce McKenseyCreatorO'Connell, Lyle Christopher, 1906-1989Delaney, Jack, 1919-2010CollectionVoices of the HunterPlaceCessnock, NSWDate Created9th February 1988Location[1] Whitburn Colliery, NSW[2] Leconfield Colliery, NSW[3] Aberdare Central Colliery, NSWIdentifier392Aloading google map....
Delaney, Jack, 1919-2010, Lyle O'Connell (1906-1989) - Mineworker. Recorded 9 February 1988. Part 1/1., [392A]. Living Histories, accessed 30/05/2023, https://livinghistories.newcastle.edu.au/nodes/view/87347