A special memorial paying tribute to a young coal miner who paid the ultimate sacrifice underground 30 years ago, will move to the next stage at Pensioner’s Hill.
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Old skips that were used to haul coal to the surface by horses in the 1920s and 1930s from Gunnedah Colliery (Blackjack), will be transferred to the popular lookout, near a plaque honouring the late Steven Rennick.
Mr Rennick, a young father aged 25, died in an accident at the mine near the Number 4 entry at the colliery on January 17, 1986. This latest project is to commemorate his life and honour those who work in the mining community.
When the Gunnedah Colliery shut down some years ago, the old skips were retrieved and taken to the Gunnedah Rural Museum for safe keeping.
This year, some of them will be erected near the Steven Rennick Memorial at Pensioner’s Hill thanks to the vision of friend and fellow miner Ross Whitaker and the late Gunnedah councillor, Hans Allgayer.
The little pieces of history will take pride of place near a sandstone sculpture of a miner and Mr Rennick’s plaque, which was originally at the Number 4 entry at the colliery but was moved to Pensioner’s Hill some years later and is embedded in a large rock.
“It was an absolute tragedy being a young man just entering the industry,” Ross Whitaker said.
“This is a memorial to remember him and commemorate him and more importantly for the new people coming into the industry, to realise there is a downside to it and he is a prime example of it.”
Mr Whitaker is in the process of securing funds from the mining industry for a concrete slab for the skips with plans to erect some old scales that were once used to weigh coal at the colliery.
The skips hold special importance in Gunnedah’s mining history, dating back to early last century.
The only way the mine could retrieve the coal was to fill them up underground at the “face”, after miners drilled holes and used dynamite to blow the coal out.
It would be loaded into the skips which held about a tonne, and hauled to the surface by horses and in later years, an electric machine.
Gunnedah mayor Owen Hasler said the new memorial was a fitting tribute.
“I think the family and colleagues of Steven Rennick and the mining community will be pleased about the recognition and the skips will be utilised to depict part of our history.
“Steven was very well respected as I understand it.”
Once the funds are secured, a working bee will be held to move onto the next stage of the memorial.
