A History of the Greta Coal Measures - Ayrfield No. 1 Colliery

(A) ORIGINAL	William Johnson Stockton Hotel, Stockton on 21st January 1910
(B)	Thomas Evans Victoria Street, East Maitland on 4th July 1920 By an agreement Lease No. 206 dated 1st July 1920 from G.K. Clift, E.A. Clift, Jane Sophia Clift and Clara Ann Capp.
(C)	R.W. Miller and Company 19 Bridge Street, Sydney on 22nd June 1923 The above agreement lease was assigned on the 22nd June 1923 by Thomas Evans to R.W. Miller and Company.
(D)	Northern Coal Mining Company June 1932 Mines Department records show a change of ownership during 1932. It would appear more a change of lessee to the above named company. In a court hearing on 12th December 1934 re a breach of safety under Mining Regulations in Ayrfield No. 1 Colliery, evidence was given that during late 1932 and through 1933, that the lessees of Ayrfield No. 1 Colliery were the brothers James and Edward Fallins. (Author's note: probably trading as Northern Coal Mining Company). Mines Department records show E. Fallins as becoming manager of Ayrfield No. 1 Colliery on 28th June 1932.
(E)	Henry Jenkins Thomas Post Office Box 38, West Maitland 14th May 1934 Manager Edward Fallins died 2nd May 1934. Henry J. Thomas is shown in Mines Department records as becoming manager and lessee of Ayrfield No. 1 Colliery on the 14th May 1934. It does seem likely, that although H.J. Thomas became R.W. Miller & Company manager at Ayrfield No. 3 Colliery on 27th June 1936 and their manager at Millfield Colliery on the 5th January 1938 and that several managers succeeded him at Ayrfield No. 1 Colliery, that H.J. Thomas remained as titular lessee of the Ayrfield No. 1 Colliery until it ceased operations after the fire there on 22nd November 1938.
(F) FINAL	On 31st October 1945, R.W. Miller and Company advised the Mines Department, that their lease with the original land owners, (G.K. Clift Estate) had expired, and the Company did not intend to renew the lease.

(D) Ayrfield No. 1 Colliery was situated between the Maitland to Kurri Road and the Stanford Railway track. It was on the Kurri side of Tester's Hollow Swamp on the slope from that swamp's south-west corner. Road entry to the pit was made from the main road near the area presently known as "Cliftleigh".

(A) Ayrfield No. 1 Colliery was 5 miles 40 chains (8.8 kms) distant by road from Maitland Post Office.

(C) The pit-top and screens were 4 miles 31 chains (7.02 kms) distant by rail from the junction with the NSW Government Railways at East Greta Junction.

Ayrfield No. 1 Colliery lease was part or portion of G.K. Clift's holding of 640 acres. Almost three-quarters of this holding over-lay the Greta Seam.

As reported in the Glen Ayr Colliery record under the "Seam" section at page 75, the "top" and "bottom" Greta Seams in that mine appear to have united towards the south side of that lease. In Ayrfield No. 1 Colliery (Glen Ayr pit's neighbour) the seam was 34 feet thick, with only 28 feet being workable.

This seam ran to the east and dipped at 61º. The two tunnels followed the seam on the incline from the outcrop.

The first mining operations commenced on the Ayrfield lease on the 21st January 1910. The 1910 Mines Department Annual Report advises that the owner, Mr William Johnson, had nominated himself as the manager. This same Annual Report at page 155 informs that this Ayrfield mine work was abandoned on the 1st August 1910.

The 1920 Mines Department Annual Report shows that a new mine, Ayrfield Colliery was opened during the year and that it employed two men mainly on prospecting. Further, the Department's records show that Mr Tom Pokoney had been appointed manager.

The Annual Report for 1921 informs that 23 men were employed in driving the two entry tunnels. Further that in this operation 1500 tons of coal was produced during the 1921 year.

Ayrfield No. 1 Colliery had two entry tunnels 30 yards apart. These were known as the "North" and "South" Tunnels, according to its compass direction.

Each tunnel was 10 feet wide and 8 feet high. By June 1935, the tunnel headings ran in a distance of some 1400 feet and 22 bord levels were broken away. Ultimately a total of 26 bord levels were driven off.

Whilst the tunnels were being driven in the first six months, a "horse"-powered "whim" raised a single skip carrying up the spoil or coal. The haulage rope turned on a large wheel as the horse circled. As the tunnel driving progressed, the "horse-whim" was replaced by a second-hand upright boiler.

In the early 1960's Kevin Lane, the company's engineer at Ayrfield No. 3 Colliery, was directed by his employer, R.W. Miller and Company to seal off the entry tunnels of both Ayrfield Nos. 1 and 2 Collieries. Mr Lane informed me that the main entry tunnels at both were still standing in perfect condition.

At Ayrfield No. 1 Tunnels, Mr K. Lane stated that the still solid ironbark timbers had been hand-squared with a broad-axe to 15 inches square sides. The legs and cross-pieces had been mortised in fine carpentry style. The legs and cross-piece formed a set and were placed 4 feet apart. The sets ran down the tunnel headings as far as could be seen with safety. (Author's note: Les Tiedman, of Gillieston Heights, told me that as a youth he had worked with Joe Henry, timber contractor of Maitland, to supply Ayrfield No. 1 Colliery with these timbers. Further see "Pit-Top" description on page 79). Mr Kevin Lane stated that the Tunnel entrances were sealed off by using old bus and lorry frames, pushed and rammed, down the heading by use of a front-end loader and dropping the tunnel roof by an explosives charge.

An "up-cast" air shaft was sunk during late 1923. Firstly this shaft was used in conjunction with an underground furnace, and later for use by a steam driven fan. The shaft was 70 feet deep and about 100 yards from the tunnel mouth. The bottom of the shaft was near No. 1 bord level.

Because of the steepness of the seam, the method of working in the Ayrfield No. 1 Colliery was very similar to that which had operated at the East Greta Tunnels and Glen Ayr Colliery. This was a system of bord and pillar under contract mining conditions. The bord levels were usually 8 yards wide. Near the surface the pillars were 32 feet wide. Pillars were increased 5 feet in width with every fourth bord. At the No. 20 bord, pillars were 57 feet wide.

In the first workings, coal was taken to a height of 9 feet 6 inches. In the early days of operation, bord headings ran in only a short distance. Mining was by contract mining conditions utilising hand-boring. Compressed air to drive the boring machines was introduced in late 1926. Early hand-wheeling of skips was made on the bord levels. As the bords were lengthened, "jig-headings" and "jig-working" was also utilised.

It would appear that under R.W. Miller and Company's ownership, management and direction, that the "alligator haulage" was introduced towards the end of 1923. During 1925 the "alligator haulage" system was changed to the use of a tunnel-cage somewhat similar to that in operation at the East Greta Tunnels and Glen Ayr Colliery to raise the mine's production in skips. The "alligator" was retained for underground water bailing purposes. With the introduction of the tunnel cage "horse-wheeling" was commenced on the bord levels. By the end of 1925 six horses were utilised underground. Like the miners, the pit-horses were transported by the tunnel-cages.

In June 1932 a new method of mining operation was introduced. This became known as the "Brest" system. In this new mining arrangement, coal was shot down in a number of pillars, which was allowed to run along the slope of the seam incline to accumulate on a pillar left above the bord level to be used as the wheeling road. Openings or headings were driven through the pillar supporting the coal, and the bottom of these openings was controlled by a chute constructed mainly from timber and fitted with doors.

In this particular operation, No. 11 bord level was selected to be the wheeling road, and the pillars above No. 10 bord level were shot down. The first six pillars shot down were adjacent to the Ayrfield No. 2 Colliery barrier. (Author's note: In the early part of 1931 Ayrfield No. 2 Colliery ceased operations; it would seem that R.W. Miller and Company considered this the opportune time to introduce the "brest" system). The first six pillars had extended a distance of about 3 chains. Then for about a chain the pillars were left. (Author's note: These pillars subsequently crushed). Then on the same level, the five next pillars were shot down. This covered a distance of 5 chains. The coal in the pillars were shot to a height of 20 feet. The balance of the pillars remaining after the shots also soon fell.

Eighteen chutes and openings were made through the pillars from the No. 10 bord level to the No. 11 bord level. As had been experienced in many South Maitland coal mines, heaped or accumulated coal soon showed spontaneous combustion. By June 1933 a number of areas in this new system had to be sealed off by the Abermain Rescue Station staff and volunteer "proto" teams. Various chutes on No. 11 bord level were re-opened or re-sealed off on several occasions, subject to the then heating situation.

Although there was an estimated 30,000 tons of loose coal, some within sealed areas, in Ayrfield No. 1 Colliery in May 1933, a new section of pillars was selected for further 'brest" mining. Using No. 6 bord level as the wheeling road, pillars above No. 5 level were shot down, and 10 chutes constructed. A new selection to maintain the production and coal flow, which averaged 200 tons per day. However on the 27th July 1934, this new area caused a subsidence above the goaf to the surface.

When some miners complained of the effects of gas from these "brest system" heatings, Mines Department prosecuted the colliery manager for breaches of safety under "coal mining regulations". When the court hearing was held in November 1934, the judge, His Honour Justice Nield, found in favour of the colliery manager that he had taken appropriate action to ensure safety, and that the Mines Department had not inspected this "brest workings" more than twice in six months, in what it considered "now" to be a serious matter.

Ayrfield No. 1 Colliery appears to have been worked over its whole life as a "naked-light" pit. A situation that seems confusing, when both the adjoining mines, Glen Ayr Colliery to the north and Ayrfield No. 2 Colliery to the south are shown in 1927 as both utilising electric safety lamps. This situation becomes more confusing when one considers that both the Ayrfield Nos. 1 and 2 Collieries were administered by a single colliery manager, and both belonging to R.W. Miller and Company. In 1927 Ayrfield No. 2 is recorded as using 70 electric safety lamps.

As mentioned in the "Entry" section for Ayrfield No. 1 Colliery on page 84, at first a "horse-powered" whim was utilised to raise the single skip of spoil or coal, whilst the entrance tunnel heading was being driven. As this development work progressed, an upright second-hand boiler was installed. This operated a steam haulage engine, that worked on a geared principle.

R.W. Miller and Company acquired the Ayrfield Colliery working on 22nd June 1923. As a result of this new administration, two new "Carmichael" boilers were installed. These boilers were 30 feet long by 8 feet diameter. The fire boxes had front-end doors and were shovel-fed. The colliery chimney stack was constructed from galvanised iron and was stayed with guy-wires three-quarters of the way up its height. There is some doubt as to whether water originally for the boilers' use was supplied from a colliery dam or from the Hunter District Water Board mains. A connection to the Board's mains had been made in 1923 by a junction near the present Ampol Garage at Cliftleigh to the main pipeline from Heddon Greta to East Greta Village. A line then ran across country to the pit. (Author's note: R.W. miller and Company's 1923 records show this to be 3,588 feet in length).

The steam from the Carmichael boilers operated a "first-motion" steam winding engine, which had a 24 inches diameter cylinder with a 36 inches stroke. There were two drums 6 feet in diameter connected to the main shaft by a clutch, each had a separate foot brake. A wire haulage rope ran from its drum to each tunnel. Men and coal were raised in both tunnels; the design was such that each tunnel operated separately - the lift alternating so that in one tunnel coal was being raised whilst the "empty" was being lowered.

With the new Carmichael boilers it appears that an "alligator" in each tunnel replaced the single skip haulage to bring up coal production. An early Ayrfield No. 1 mine employee described the "alligator" as being a steel structure 10 feet long, by 5 feet wide and 4 feet high, and that it ran on a 4 feet wide gauge skip-rail track. Mr Bede Kelly, who later became an R.W. Miller and Company superintendent, and who also was employed at Ayrfield No. 1 Colliery from 1923, supports this "alligator" description. Mr Kelly added that when it was utilised to bail pit-water, it lifted some 700 gallons and weighed 3 tons.

During 1925 coal haulage in the "alligator" was replaced by a tunnel-cage, which was said to have been somewhat similar in form to that utilised at the East Greta No. 1 Tunnel. This cage raised two skips at a time. It was so constructed that it ran on the same gauge track as the "alligator". The "alligator" itself was retained, and was utilised to bail water on other than production shifts, mainly the "dog" or back-shift.

In the early days of operation skips were "hand" or "shoulder" wheeled in the bord levels. With the introduction of the "alligator-haulage", the skips were side-tipped at the main tunnel heading into a small timber chute to load into the alligator. With the introduction of the tunnel-cage and the extension of the bord lengths, pit-horses were utilised to wheel on these extended bord levels. The pit horses and the miners were transported to or from the surface on the tunnel-cage. It would appear that prior to the tunnel-cages, miners rode the "alligators".

"Jig headings and jig working" also was used in Ayrfield No. 1 Colliery mining operations.

"Signalling" or "bell-wraps" from the various bord level entrances to the haulage engine area was performed on a very antiquated "porous battery cells" system, and was very primitive.

During July 1935 a haulage rope broke during bailing operations with an "alligator". Mines inspector Mr P.W. Hay reported to his Department that this was a "Langsley brand" 1½ inches diameter steel rope. It had six strands of seven wires each, and was the type the colliery had used over a number of years. Ten days work was lost whilst the rope was replaced.

Ayrfield No. 1 Colliery did use pit-horses. Little information was found during research. One record showed that six horses were utilised underground at the end of 1925.

Ayrfield No. 1 Colliery in its early days of development was ventilated by natural means.

As the development proceeded, it was found that some further "fresh air" assistance was needed. During 1923 it was decided to introduce an underground furnace. A shaft some 70 feet in depth and situated about 100 yards from the tunnel entrances, was sunk with its bottom adjacent to the No. 1 bord level. This shaft as well as being sunk from the surface, was also worked up from underground. To provide fresh air for the pair of miners working underground on this particular operation, a large set of old-time blacksmith's bellows forced air through a pipe. When the shaft was completed the old bellows were utilised to aid the furnace fire. The two tunnel headings became the "intake" airway and the furnace shaft the "up-cast". An over-cast drive or tunnel arrangement over one of the entry tunnel headings carried the foul air from one side of the mine towards the underground furnace.

The 1925 Mines Department Annual Report shows that the furnace was replaced during that year by a fan. Other research has indicated that this was a 6 feet diameter single-inlet steam-driven Sirrocco fan, which was installed on the previous furnace air shaft.

Following the introduction of the "brest system" of mine working in June 1932, auxiliary ventilation fans were placed on No. 11 bord early in 1933.

First reference to mining electrical appliances, generation plants, etc., appears in the Mines Electrical Inspector's (William Corin), 1927 Annual Report. Mr W. Corin stated that during that year Ayrfield No. 1 Colliery had installed a 1½ kW generation plant producing direct current electricity at 240 pressure volts. This record shows this lit 9 surface lights only, and did not provide for any other use. A Mines Department record shows this plant as being installed on the 8th November 1927.

In a discussion with Mr Don King, of 163 High Street, East Maitland, the owner of P.G. King and Sons Fabrication Works, Bulwer Street, Maitland, and an engineer in his own right, stated that both his father and himself had completed many orders from R.W. Miller and Company. During a visit to Ayrfield No. 1 Colliery in the late 1920's (one of his many visits), Mr Don King recalls a 100 kW Bellis and Morcom steam-powered electricity generation plant, being there. Further, he stated this plant had operated at 800 revolutions per minute.

Records at Maitland City Council, (Electricity Supply Department), show that an electricity power transmission line was erected during April 1928 to Ayrfield No. 1 Colliery via East Greta Village. This line was to meet the colliery's electrical requirements. This supply was at 11,000 volts strength. The transmission line had been erected right to the colliery.

Research of the early history of Ayrfield No. 1 Colliery do not show pumps being used.

With the installation of the Carmichael boilers in late 1923, and the introduction of the "alligator" system of haulage soon afterwards, it would seem from that early date that the "alligators" had been used to bail out underground pit-waters. When the "alligator" haulage system was replaced in 1925 by the tunnel-cages to raise coal production in skips, the "alligator" was retained to bail out pit-waters. For this operation a false rail on the surface of Ayrfield No. 1 pit-top caught small wheels attached at the rear on both sides of the alligator, then at the zenith of the alligator's travel, this rail raised the rear of the alligator, so that it tipped its water content into a drain to run away into Tester's Swamp. A very "sloshy" but effective method.

During April 1927 excessive and extensive rain fell in the Hunter River Valley, causing the rivers and creeks to overflow their banks. Backwater swamps filled. Tester's Hollow dammed back high onto the Ayrfield surface property. At 7 a.m. 21st April 1927 it was found that Ayrfield No. 1 Colliery had flooded in its tunnels to within 30 feet of the surface. A cavity or subsidence 15 yards in diameter had occurred at the edge of the flood-waters roughly corresponding to the coal face in No. 1 bord. This area supposedly had 60 feet of cover. The mine was bailed by use of the alligator. It was estimated in all a volume of 40,000,000 gallons. Very little damage underground was done by the inrush; the cavity was filled in.

A flood 12 months later, in April 1928, required extensive bailing by use of the alligator.

The flood on the 20th June 1930, that caused so much havoc and destruction at the neighbouring colliery, Glen Ayr Colliery, also flooded Ayrfield No. 1 Colliery. At this period immediately after the "lockout" and the country's depression, coal trade was at a low ebb. It would appear that there was no urgency to recover Ayrfield back for work. Whilst the Newcastle Morning Herald newspaper in its issue of 14th October 1930 reports that "bailing" by the "alligator" was continuing, it was not until January 1931 that Ayrfield resumed operations. Heavy rains in May 1931 again caused minor flooding, and the inevitable bailing by the alligator.

During 1932 an electric centrifugal 8 or 9 stage pump was installed down the mine with the pipes rising in the "north" tunnel heading. Following these numerous underground floodings, the pit-water had become very acid. The new pump only lasted one month before the pit-water eroded it away. A second pump also suffered the same fate in about a similar period. The tunnel pipes were also severely damaged by the "acid" pit-water. Ayrfield No. 1 Colliery returned to the "alligator" bailing.

Perhaps because these details became "public gossip", some local farmers or graziers near Tester's Hollow, and its run-off made serious complaints to various Government Departments. Some attempts were made to pipe the waste overland to the Wentworth Swamps. An older Cliftleigh resident said the galvanised iron sheeting used "somewhere" in this activity was eaten away "overnight". The disposal of the Ayrfield Colliery underground waters appears to have been a most contentious question in the area whilst the colliery operated.

From late 1925, Ayrfield Collieries had begun to acquire their own fleet of rail wooden coal hopper wagons, that were utilised at all collieries belonging to R.W. Miller and Company.

When Ayrfield No. 1 Colliery was being operated jointly by R.W. Miller and Thomas Evans, following the construction of the short branch to connect to the "Stanford Railway" and the mine's loading sidings completed April 1921, the rail coal wagons utilised were hired through Stanley G. Pearce, Coal Handling and Shipping Agent of Newcastle. The then output, averaged about 200 tons daily, would only have required some 20 to 25 wagons per day. These wagons would have turned around from Port Waratah shipping cranes in 24 hours, and certainly no more than 48 hours. Thus the hiring of some 50 vehicles would easily have met the then needs.

My research of R.W. Miller and Company records revealed that in late 1925, A Goninan of Broadmeadow began to supply Ayrfield Colliery rail hopper wagons. In all the wagons totalled 85 and were of the 12½ tons capacity type. Each of four agreements contracts sets out that a deposit was paid, that a total quarterly hire for the number in that set, with a final provision amount, that when the deposit and hire money reached this fixed amount, the ownership of the rail wagon was transferred to R.W. miller and Company. A type of lay-by that was paid as the vehicles were used. The four contract agreements located, show:

The vehicles were painted a dark red colour, and were branded with the name "Ayrfield" painted in white letters on both sides of the hopper. The letters were one foot long by two inches in width, and reached to the top of the third top-side board. A vehicle number also appeared on both sides of the hopper as well as on both sides of the frame. The 85 wagons acquired from A. Goninan and Company in the mid 1920's were all of the standard 12½ tons capacity and marked "L.L." accordingly alongside the vehicle number.

Entry to the Ayrfield No. 1 Colliery sidings was made from the Stanford Railway by a "facing-point" movement for "down" trains. The Mackenzie-Holland Annetted-locked lever frame operated both the facing points and colliery-yard safety-catch points and was released by a key on the safe-working section staff used on the Stanford Railway.

The colliery rail branch track and the colliery sidings were constructed by Messrs Arthur and Don McGlashen, contractors of Bulwer Street, West Maitland. The short rail branch ran slightly on an up-hill grade towards the colliery, curving to the east. The colliery sidings were fairly small in length with standage for about a full train of both empty and loaded wagons. The two siding tracks ran under the screens. An outside "running-road" siding track ran on the southern side of the colliery yard to allow the inwards trains to pass the loading point.

Both the empty and loaded standage sidings gravitated back towards the Stanford Railway and this permitted easy movement of vehicles.

The Ayrfield Collieries over the years had both experienced many subsidences particularly from 1934 onwards. Just prior to the actual closure of Ayrfield No. 1 Colliery by its pit-top fire on the 22nd November 1938 South Maitland Railways Pty. Ltd. were very concerned for their employees, their locomotives and general risk from these subsidences. On Tuesday 1st November 1938 South Maitland Railway Company's administrative and executive officers inspected the subsidences that endangered the Company's activities, five in all of particular anxiety. The largest hole was on the north-west side (or towards Kurri) and which was very close to the railway track. During this inspection, it was found that in this special subsidence, the east and west walls of the cavity were practically vertical to the surface.

The railway company's earlier experiences of Ayrfield workings, when the Stanford Railway was closed just beyond the entry to Ayrfield No. 1 Colliery on the 24th July 1934, added to the company's unrest. The railway officers held the opinion that some of the subsidences had been caused by underground fires in the seam, and which at that time and date the rail company considered still to be burning. Ayrfield Company was given a month's notice that this area required urgent attention, or more drastic action, i.e., "cessation of rail haulage", may have to be taken. However the serious colliery fire (of 22nd November 1938) removed the need for further consultations and/or processes.

The Ayrfield No. 1 Colliery rail branch track and its colliery sidings are said to have been recovered and removed during September 1947.

Research has failed to locate records, description, measurements, equipment, etc., of the pit-top at Ayrfield No. 1 Colliery. Consequently this record does not outline these details.

A now elderly ex-Ayrfield No. 1 Colliery employee, Mr Les Tiedman of Gillieston Heights, informed me that as a youth he had assisted Mr Joe Henry, a timber contractor from West Maitland, to obtain the heavy ironbark timber used in the construction of Ayrfield No. 1 Colliery pit-top. These were huge ironbark trees grown on the Ayrfield property between the Stanford Railway and the Cessnock Railway on the Maitland side of Deep Creek. Timber-cutters used only axes, wedges and broad-axes to fell and prepare the giant trees. These were then hauled by bullock team to the new Ayrfield pit. The 60 feet long logs were rough squared to between 15 to 18 inches.

At the new mine a team of construction workers with Mr Peter Petersen as foremen erected the pit-top. The heavy tall timbers were raised by block and tackle, then bolted to concrete bases. The structure had a "skillion" style corrugated galvanised iron roof. The decking was made from about 2 inches thick rough-sawn hardwood. Other details as to sizes or measurements have not been located. Les Tiedman stated that the skips were emptied by side-tumblers and that the coal was screened.

Some local farmers thought that Ayrfield's chitter, ashes and pit-rubbish in the early days of operation had been "dumped" in the swamp. No concrete evidence has been found to support these allegations.

A Mines Department inspector's report on the Ayrfield No. 1 Colliery's pit-top fire on the 22nd November 1938 advised that the pit-top, head-gear and screens had been ablaze. The Newcastle Morning Herald newspaper in its issue on the 24th November 1938 in its description of the fire states that it engulfed the pit-top building, blacksmith's shop, colliery office and other buildings. Further, though badly damaged, the poppet-head still stood, as did the engine house, the boiler house and lamp cabin, all built using galvanised iron still remained. Also a large elevated timber disused slack-coal holding box escaped the fiery inferno. Kurri and Maitland Brigades in fighting the fire, pumped from the two colliery dams.

From all these reports, it is clear that Ayrfield No. 1 Colliery at one period or another had the following plant, etc.:

Stanley Grey Pearce
Commercial Bank of Australia Building
Bolton Street, Newcastle (Paul's Chambers).

Ayrfield No. 1 Colliery is said to have been Mr Robert W. Miller's first colliery, and followed soon after by Ayrfield No. 2 Colliery, the start of the R.W. Miller and Company's incursion into the coal mining industry. Despite these facts, I have elected to give more details of the R.W. Miller and Company's history under the Ayrfield No. 3 Colliery section, because that particular mine covered a greater expanse of years than others on the South Maitland Coalfields (see page 1594). This then deals more with the actual Ayrfield No. 1 Colliery history.

Early coal mining entrepreneurs in the first part of this century, like gold fossickers, were always prospecting for workable areas. William Johnson, of the Stockton Hotel, Stockton, took up mining rights to work the lease. Whilst the 1910 Mines Department Annual Report records that 6 men were employed little output appears to have been produced. By August 1910 even these efforts ceased.

Thomas Evans of Victoria Street, East Maitland on the 1st July 1920 leased the Ayrfield mine area from G.K. Clift for a period of 25 years. Thomas Evans, in this same period, had an interest in the "Cambrian" Colliery on the East Maitland Coal Seams, and which was then opening out and developing. The 1920 Mines Department Annual Report shows "Thomas Pokoney" as the "permit" manager at Ayrfield Colliery and that 2 men were employed in "prospecting". Thomas Pokoney in 1912, in partnership with a Mr ? McLeish, had owned and operated Nundah Extended Colliery near Caswell, via Singleton.

Thomas Evans' mine property had been earlier known as "Harefield". On 10th February 1921, Thomas Evans and Robert William Miller made an agreement that they would jointly operate this mine to be known as "Ayrfield", in the respective portions of one quarter (¼) and three-quarters (¾) share. One of the conditions of this agreement was that R.W. Miller was to construct a railway branch and colliery sidings connecting this colliery to the Stanford Railway. South Maitland Railways Ltd "Minutes Book" records that on 20th April 1921, the company had commenced the installation of interlocking points protected by an "Annette key lock" at Ayrfield Colliery on behalf of Robert W. Miller. During the balance of 1921 and early 1922 Ayrfield mine produced a reasonable quantity of coal to be transported to Port Waratah for sale by R.W. Miller & Coy.

During August 1922, Robert W. Miller engaged Henry J. Thomas to inspect and evaluate from both mining operational and economical purposes this joint venture. In his report submission, the mining essentials and improvements required were outlined. The plant and equipment included:

On 20th November 1922, Robert W. Miller requested H. Mackenzie, esquire, of 73 George Street, Sydney, to negotiate with Thomas Evans to purchase from Evans his rights, titles and interests in the Ayrfield Colliery. Miller had suggested an offer of £2500-0-0 ($5,000.00) cash, or alternatively £3000-0-0 ($6,000.00) on terms of £1000-0-0 ($2,000.00) down and balance spread over two years.

On the 22nd June 1923 Thomas Evans assigned this Ayrfield lease to R.W. Miller and Company. During 1924 Ayrfield No. 1 Colliery was employing about 70 men and its output was averaging 1000 tons of coal per week.

During August 1923, Ayrfield Colliery Limited Company was incorporated in Sydney with a capital of £30,000-0-0 ($60,000.00) in £1-0-0 ($2.00) valued shares. The purpose of this new company was to trade as land owners, colliery proprietors, iron masters, quarrymen, coke and gas manufacturers. The first directors were shown as R.W. Miller (managing), A. Sims and S.G. Pearce.

Ayrfield No. 1 area and its production must have encouraged R.W. Miller and Company to extend their coal interests. On the 16th December 1923, R.W. Miller obtained a lease from the East Greta Coal Mining Company for part of the Heddon Greta Coal Mining Company's holding. The East Greta Coal Mining Company had acquired ownership of the Heddon Greta Coal Mining Company, its lease, mine and assets during 1915. The Mines Department 1924 Annual Report shows that Ayrfield No. 2 Colliery working commenced during August 1924. By the end of that year (1924) 60 men were employed, and 10,000 tons of coal had been produced.

Serious floodings and consequential bailing were a bane and a continual problem to Ayrfield No. 1 Colliery. An inrush of water on the 21st April 1927 and another flood 12 months later disrupted continuity of operation, and slashed production.

On the 7th March 1928, the Mines Department directed and instructed the R.W. Miller Company, that whilst it would allow a single manager to control Ayrfield Nos. 1 and 2 Collieries, it insisted that each colliery should have a separate under-manager.

Both the "1929 lockout" and the "depression" had serious effects on Ayrfield Collieries' working and operation. Because R.W. Miller and Company had been outside the "Vend" or "Associated Collieries", these mines had continued to produce, after the miners had been "locked-out" in June 1929 from many other groups' pits. This coal production had continued to be hauled by South Maitland Railways. However a situation developed, that had big repercussion to the R.W. Miller Company. On the 14th September 1929, the railway ordered its locomotive employees, that they should lift trains of coal from "strike"-closed mines, and which had been declared "black" by the Miners Federation. The locomotive section of South Maitland Railway employees to a man refused and the Company informed the crews that all were considered to be on strike. Their kindred South Maitland Railway Unions, both wages and salaried, joined the Locomotive Section, and all rail traffic including passenger trains ceased running for nine months. R.W. miller and Company commenced to transport its coal production by road. Firstly from the Ayrfield Nos. 1 and 2 mines to Maitland Goods Yard, later to the Rutherford sidings. The Millfield Colliery coal was transported by road to Allandale Goods Yard, and later to Rothbury Colliery sidings.

The Miners' Demonstration at Rothbury Colliery on the 16th December 1929, and the clash with the NSW Police resulted in the death of Norman Brown, and created a very nasty atmosphere and situation. This had been brought about by the NSW Government leasing Rothbury Mine from the owners, the Merewether Brothers, and operating the pit with scab-labour, or non-union workers. R.W. miller and Company's coal was not involved in this issue.

The original "lock-out" in June 1929, at the pits generally had had some direct effect on the miners employed at all R.W. Miller and Company mines. Peer pressure from the Miners Federation members elsewhere sought to have the R.W. miller and Company miners join the Federation strikers, in order to disadvantage the NSW Government and the colliery owners, by the withdrawal of supply of any coal. The cessation of coal haulage by South Maitland Railways in itself aggravated the feeling of resentment against miners still working, especially in the close-knit community of Ayrfield miners and East Greta Railway workers. In the end large numbers of the R.W. Miller and Company miners joined the strikers. In order to maintain the R.W. Miller and Company's production tonnages, some "non-union" labour was engaged at the R.W. Miller mines, a situation that forced the union miners to cease work. After the "lockout" ended, many of these regular Ayrfield Collieries union workers were never re-employed.

The policy adopted by Robert W. Miller and his company in its attitude to the ownership of his various collieries during the 1930's is somewhat difficult to follow. In this period all his pits are shown by the Mines Department as having new owners and/or lessees. Viz: (A) Ayrfield No. 1 Colliery in June 1932 is shown with the owner or lessee to be "Northern Coal Mining Company", a company which from other information, appears to have been James and Edward Fallins; (B) on 14th May 1934 Henry J. Thomas is shown as owner/lessee/manager; (C) a number of managers:

are shown by the Mines Department to have succeeded H.J. Thomas as manager. Although it appears that H.J. Thomas remained as owner/lessee, it is a fact that in November 1934 in a court hearing, at which he had been summonsed as the owner/lessee/manager Henry J. Thomas gave evidence that Ayrfield No. 1 mine was owned by R.W. Miller and Company, and that he (Thomas) reported monthly to Mr Rupert Brierley, General Manager for R.W. Miller and Company.

This same kind of policy was also practised and adopted at Millfield Greta Colliery, Ayrfield No. 3 Colliery and the Maitland Extended Tunnels. Whether this Miller Company course of action and conduct was connected with the NSW State Government's policy in relation to its company pay-roll taxation, where companies with larger numbers of employees carried higher taxes, or whether there was another undisclosed benefit. Perhaps Robert Miller thought that the Miners' Federation had "long memories" in relation to the non-union labour of the lock-out period, and perhaps he considered it wise to remove the "Miller" name temporarily from the mining circles.

A new method of coal mining operations, the "brest" system introduced in June 1932 was not only revolutionary to the Ayrfield mine workers, but it was also tested by the Mines Department, when it prosecuted the then manager, Henry Jenkin Thomas for breaches of safety under the coal mining regulations. Judge Nield in November 1934 found in favour of the manager and the R.W. Miller and Company. Meanwhile floods over a number of years had caused quite a lot of subsidences, followed by many heatings. One of these subsidences and heatings over the "brest" working, caused all the "brest" areas to be sealed off, and the normal contract mining methods in a bord and pillar system were resumed.

In the early a.m. hours of Thursday 22nd November 1938, an underground fire caused smoke and flames to belch and bellow from the "south" tunnel entrance. Timber surrounding quickly caught alight. The fire spread underground to the "north" tunnel entrance, and soon engulfed and guttered the pit-top buildings, blacksmith's shop, colliery office and other buildings. Dense smoke poured out of both tunnels.

Kurri and Maitland fire brigades attended and pumped water from the colliery dam supply some 100 yards away until they had exhausted some 62,942 gallons. The brigades were successful in saving the poppet-head and a disused elevated timber slack holding box, although both were badly damaged. Some galvanised iron buildings such as the engine house, boiler house, and lamp cabin remained standing.

Eventually seals were placed on the surface entrances of the tunnels. These seals were made from railway and skip rails, galvanised iron sheets, brattice, baulks, etc. All this was covered with earth.

It was considered that the fire had started on the No. 11 south bord level. This was part of the area sealed off during Christmas 1934 following the heating and fire near the "brest" system working. In late October 1938, these seals had been broken for the purpose of exploration with a view to recover the loose coal remaining in the "brest" system chutes.

Kurri Court Coroner held an inquiry into the fire at Kurri Court House on Friday 8th December 1938. In his finding the Coroner stated:

On the 31st October 1945, R.W. Miller and Company advised the Mines Department, that their lease with the original land owners, G.K. Clift Estate, had expired, and the Company did not intend to renew the lease.

In the summer of 1946 the balance of the Ayrfield No. 1 Colliery buildings and structures still standing, caught fire. Because these areas had long been unattended, it was not certain whether the fire had been caused by a bush fire or an extension of an underground heating and/or fires. The remaining shell and fabric of the pit-top structure, plus all surface buildings, etc., were bulldozed flat in September 1947. During this same "work" period, the rails in the colliery branch track and the colliery yard sidings were recovered. This was despite the fact that the rails were a "chair" type, and were probably second-hand when laid.

During 1960 the tunnel headings were sealed below ground level. Old bus and lorry frames, old vehicle engines, etc., etc., were pushed and rammed down the tunnel heading using a front-end loader. An explosive charge nearer the surface completed the seal. This work was performed by mining employees from the Ayrfield No. 3 Colliery as and when opportunity from Ayrfield No. 3 allowed.

On the 9th August 1965, R.W. Miller and Company notified the Mines Department that it had abandoned the Ayrfield No. 1 Colliery lease.

Except for some now grassed or small tree clad subsidences, the area has returned to its natural bush topography.

(A) Record Tracing No.:	242
(B) Register:	Northern Collieries Lease Books Book 2 No. 37 Book 3 No. 27
(C) Papers:	1910/984; Revised 1912/2449; 1920/2009; M19200; 1932/4549.