Helensburgh’s Metropolitan colliery is one of the rare pits where the workforce included third- and fourth-generation coal miners – who all worked the same seam.
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The mine, owned today by US coal concern Peabody, celebrated its 130th anniversary last weekend, making it the oldest continually operating mine in Australia, the company said.
With 250 employees and 125 contractors at Metropolitan, there were hundreds of visitors moving through for the family day last Saturday.
Peabody’s local top brass, president of Australian operations George Schuller, was on hand to mark the mine’s contribution to the Illawarra.
“Helensburgh (originally Camp Creek) was established as a mining camp in the 1880s to support mining in the region and I’m proud to say our Metropolitan Mine has traditionally been a strong local employer,” he said.
Of course 130 years is a barely a tick compared to the age of the coal itself – formed in the Permian age about 250 million years ago. But it’s not a bad feat for a mine.
Miner Les Fitzgerald has racked up 43 years’ service there at the mine which employed his father – and now his son.
Mr Fitzgerald acted as a guide for underground tours on the day.
“I grew up hearing stories about how tough the underground was back in the day, and it was fantastic to share these with my grandkids while pointing out some of the mine’s historical elements – like the old underground stables used to house pit ponies in the early days,” Mr Fitzgerald said.
