Tales of a Hard Rock Miner

Description

This is a collection of stories about my time in the mining industry.

Starting with my happy childhood growing up in Newcastle, as a boy worked on a horse-drawn milk-cart run, spent some time as office boy in a Newcastle Department Store when finished school. Then starting work in a coal mine, during the last days of using horse- drawn skips. After national conscription, going to Mt Isa working as a contract miner, living and working through the Mt Isa strikes; becoming a foreman; sinking a large shaft, the K57. In a break from Mt Isa, working in the large tunnels on the Snowy Mountain Scheme.

Then mining in a large copper mine in Central Africa, situated in Zambia on the Congo border, living and working in Mufulira after independence of the country. During this time there was a disaster which killed 89 people. Interesting stories about the locals from the charcoal burners, to an old soldier living on a river. Represented the country three times at international rifle shoots at Bisley in England.

Back in Australia on King Island in a scheelite mine, and eventually Opal mining at Mintabie, South Australia, where I penned these tales in a dug-out in the desert.