THEIR numbers have naturally diminished with the passing of time however there were still many stories recalled when a small group of former miners gathered at the State Mine Heritage Park and Museum at the weekend.
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The occasion, held on the former Bath House, was organised to recognise the fact it has now been 50 years since the closure of the State Coal Mine.
On October 13 1964 the Downcast Shaft at the mine was sealed permanently, marking the end of an enterprise that had operated since the dark years of World War I.
The State Mine site is significant as it was the first government coal mine opened in NSW in the 20th century, also having an important place in the industrial relations history of the Australian coalfields.
While those who responded to the call to mark the occasion were fewer than what might have been expected, nonetheless those attending were regaled with stories of mining methods of “the dark old days”.
Official guests who were welcomed by the president of the City of Greater Lithgow Mining Museum Ray Christison were Minister for Local Government and Member for Bathurst Paul Toole, Lithgow mayor Maree Statham and the general vice president of the CFMEU Mining and Energy Division Cr Wayne McAndrew of Lithgow.
In his welcome, Mr Christison said the 50th anniversary deserves a special honour in the history of coal mining in NSW.
In his address to the small gathering, Cr McAndrew said he was proud to acknowledge the past workers of the State Coal Mine.
“Sadly, however, there are some in our community who vilify coal mining,” he said.
“Coal mining is not just a job, it becomes part of you … a part of your life.”
Cr McAndrew bemoaned the fact that there was very little written history of the coal mining industry.
Normally being regaled with facts and figures would quickly lose the attention of listeners, but Cr McAndrew was able to pull together some absorbing statistics from a 1948 publication on the mining methods of those years.
Cr Statham was a late arrival, understandable due to her being on a tour of the city area inspecting the damage caused by the snow falls a few days earlier.
Cr Statham paid tribute to the part the State Mine Heritage Park and Railway plays in tourism in the Blue Mountains, Lithgow and Oberon tourism area and to the volunteers who keep the park operating.
Putting on his hat as the Minister for Local Government Mr Toole concentrated on the current mining situation, rather than looking to the past.
“Is mining important to the economy … to the community,” he asked.
“The answer is ‘yes, you bet it is’.
“Mining is worth billions to both the state and national economy.
“It is good to be here celebrating 50 years of the closure of the State Mine in Lithgow,” Mr Toole said.
