It was a weekend dedicated to community spirit and memories of the past for residents of Mount Kembla.
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Little smiles lit up Mount Kembla Public School on Sunday for the annual heritage fair and family picnic day.
Pony rides, a jumping castle, balloon creations and a selection of mouth-watering food stalls were among the most popular attractions.
The picnic was among a series of events held to commemorate the 113th anniversary of one of Australia’s worst industrial disasters – the 1902 explosion at the Mount Kembla Colliery that claimed the lives of 96 men and boys, and a number of pit horses.
On Friday night, in honour of the victims and their families, 96 candles were lit in a ceremony at Windy Gully Cemetery.
Mount Kembla Mining Heritage Centre chairwoman Elizabeth Roberts said the focus of this year’s event was on the families of disaster victims and the community which sent its sons to serve in World War I just 12 years after the accident.
This year also marks the 100th anniversary of the death of four of those soldiers.
Commemoration events continued on Saturday at the Mount Kembla Bowling Club which raised funds for breast cancer research.
On Sunday, a memorial service was held at the Soldiers and Miners’ Memorial Church, a service held since 1902.
