Wages - Coal miners

Date: 1937, [1980s]

From: Wellman, Harold William, 1909-1999 : Papers

Reference: MSI-Papers-7919-10

Description: Annotated maps relating to greywacke reconstruction; done on reverese pages of Brunner Collieries wages pay sheets for Wallsend Colliery (1937) Quantity: 1 folder(s).

Date: 23 Mar 1992

From: Huntly Coalfields oral history project

By: Bullock, Cora Maude, 1923-; Bullock, Charles, 1922-

Reference: OHInt-0020/13

Description: Charles Bullock recalls earliest memory, replacing kerosene lights with electricity; travelling around the district in the Rotowaro Band; working in the mine on the bends of the rope-roads, pit top, clipping, trucking and on face; effect on health; arguments with management; disputes over wet time; making up weight illegally in skips; management avoiding dust time; comparison of Rotowaro and Pukemiro mines; more on deputies; compares pay between mines; travelling to the mine; hours worked; compares work in mines then and now. Cora Bullock describes Rotowaro School; Pukemiro Junction; going to the technical institute in Ngaruawahia; walking long distances; hours worked at home; working at the Rotowaro Post Office; facilities at Rotowaro; scavaging bottles as a child in the Depression (1930s); going to movies in Huntly as teenager; dances; billiard room in old Rotowaro Hall and alcohol. Charles Bullock talks about sneaking alcohol into dances; the Glen Afton disaster and accidents and deaths at Rotowaro; falls in the mine; removing pillars; exemption from war service; Welsh miners singing; working in the Huntly East Mine; putting up power poles at Rotowaro and the carbonisation works. Cora Bullock discusses the flax mill at Rotowaro; raising children; the Country Women's Institute; the medical service at Rotowaro; the 1951 strike; shifting house, local Maori families. Venue - Huntly Interviewer(s) - Jamie Mackay Venue - 200 Hakanoa Street, Huntly Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHC-004402 Quantity: 1 C90 cassette(s). 1 printed abstract(s). 1 interview(s). 1.28 Hours and minutes Duration. Finding Aids: Abstract Available - abstracting complete AB 733 - also contains excerpts of tape transcripts.

Date: 10 Mar 1992

From: Huntly Coalfields oral history project

By: Baker, William Richard, 1919-

Reference: OHInt-0020/08

Description: Bill Baker recalls horses at Macdonald Mine; canaries; how some dodged World War II; strikes as reason for getting deputies ticket; using the first scraper loader at Pukemiro; opening the new mechanical drives in the 1960s; learning mining skills; how deputy worked out the wages; combustion heating; practical jokes; showing mine to group of nuns; an example of good manager at Pukemiro; socialising between officials and miners; miners trying to get wet or dust time; life at Pukemiro in late 1930s; comparison of pays over time; higher expectation on miners during World War II; learning safety requirements; removing timbers; accidents. Describes the Glen Afton disaster (1939), as part of rescue team; pay rates; the 1951 strike; relief food; comparison of effect of strike on wharfies and miners; conditions for miners; training at mines rescue station; fire fighting; leisure activities at Pukemiro; the Saturday night train from Huntly; drilling for shots; caps and hats; using the dummy jig; bringing up skips. Venue - Huntly Interviewer(s) - Jamie Mackay Venue - 40 Harris Street, Huntly West Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHC-004396 Quantity: 1 C90 cassette(s). 1 printed abstract(s). 1 interview(s). 1.10 Hours and minutes Duration. Finding Aids: Abstract Available - abstracting complete AB 728 - also contains excerpts from tape transcripts.

Date: 31 Mar 1992

From: Huntly Coalfields oral history project

By: McCallum, John Kirk, 1904-1993

Reference: OHInt-0020/16

Description: Jock McCallum describes coming to Rotowaro; sports teams; using horses in Rotowaro No 1 Mine; payrates and work expenses; walking; meeting wife at dance; getting sacked in 1951; shops at Rotowaro; getting train to Huntly; going to Huntly Working Men's Club; cigarettes in the mines; glenie lamps and mines rescue station; building a road in the Depression (1930s); fate of brothers; being in home guard in World War II; mates in the coal mines; people killed at Renown Mine. Recalls board and pillar mining; shooting tops; extracting coal; ventilation; buying house at Rotowaro; starting at Renown; local Maori; holidays, fishing; mother's work; the 1951 strike; working in retirement; example of underviewer that he didn't get on with. Venue - Huntly Interviewer(s) - Jamie Mackay Venue - Karolie Rest Home, 251 River Road, Hamilton Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHC-004405 Quantity: 1 C90 cassette(s). 1 printed abstract(s). 1 interview(s). 1.16 Hours and minutes Duration. Finding Aids: Abstract Available - abstracting complete AB 736 - also contains excerpts of tape transcripts.

Date: 06 Apr 1992

From: Huntly Coalfields oral history project

By: Bourke, Thomas Owen, 1922-1998; Jones, Rhys Owen, 1917-; Pitkin, Jack, 1903-

Reference: OHInt-0020/18

Description: Jack Pitkin, Rhys Jones and Tom Bourke recall the train at Huntly West during blackout; working the Extended Mine; hats and carbide lamps; the Ralph's Mine disaster; pumping water from Extended Mine; pay rates; buying equipment; the blacksmith in mine; shops in Huntly in 1920s and early days in Huntly; Jack Pitkin's accident; mining high seams at Extended; speed of skips; Jack Pitkin's first impression of mining. Describe relations with deputies; the closing of Extended Mine; the strikes of 1913; other strikes; reference to Alan Baxter and wet time; extracting pillars; not being allowed to go to war; Rhys Jones caught in fall; wearing binders; skip filling records; advantage of left and right hand combination of miners; taking on new miners; controlling cavels; working on old horse road at Rotowaro; working Saturdays; the miners' train from Huntly to Rotowaro; restrictions and rations in World War II; fire fighting and Hill 60 explosion; two miners who got killed at Rotowaro; early head gear. Discuss a Maori artist in mine; more on Extended; contact with Rotowaro; Rotowaro playing in Chatham Cup (soccer); stealing gear from mines; power supply at Rotowaro; the winch house; the 1951 strike, blowing up of bridge, getting supplies, quality of union leadership, length of strike, use of vegetable garden for survival; the depression (1930s); an alcoholic doctor in Huntly; sports injuries and claiming compensation from mine; pay; more on doctors; toilets and rats in mine; using carbide lamps; Davies safety lights; Rotowaro and Alison mines cavelling together. Talks about using horses at Rotowaro; big shovels; a horse that worked Roose's Mine; small co-operated mines; bathhouse stories; the train to and from Huntly; working a skip tumbler; tricks and characters; a relief fund meeting; reference to Bessie Watson (worked in office); getting manpowered; dangers of being in mine at night; changing shifts. Venue - Huntly Interviewer(s) - Jamie Mackay Venue - 6b Alexandra Street, Huntly Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHC-004407 - OHC-004408 Quantity: 2 C90 cassette(s). 1 printed abstract(s). 1 interview(s). 3 Hours Duration. Finding Aids: Abstract Available - abstracting complete AB 738 - also contains excerpts of tape transcripts.

Date: 27 Feb 1992

From: Huntly Coalfields oral history project

By: Kereopa, Joseph, 1927-

Reference: OHInt-0020/07

Description: Joseph Kereopa recalls transport to Raglan School; being a kaumatua; the mining apprenticeship at Glen Afton; working with pit horses; the closeness of the mining community; getting provisions to feed community in 1951 strike; interaction with neighbouring communities; social life at Glen Afton, rugby league; the 'Blue Room' social club; police raids on club; bowling club; different ethnic groups; manual mining; time taken to get to mine face; various pay types; disputes over wet time, dust time; using horses; sensing gas; canaries; the Dairy Company mines; good points about mining as a job. Discusses working on the face; accidents; the importance of 'miners' sense'; safety, the importance of timbering; compares miners' skills to modern times; strikes; union delegates; relief funds for strikers; scrubcutting in 1951; pighunting; Maori and Huntly Working Mens Club; shopping in Huntly; the train from Huntly; fighting, drinking, gambling; lack of crime; relations with local Maori; the 1950s flood; redundancy payments. Venue - Raglan Interviewer(s) - Jamie Mackay Venue - 3 Main Road, Raglan Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHC-004394 - OHC-004395 Quantity: 2 C90 cassette(s). 1 printed abstract(s). 1 interview(s). 1.50 Hours and minutes Duration. Finding Aids: Abstract Available - abstracting complete AB 727 - also contains excerpts of tape transcripts.