(Originally Millfield Mining Company)

OWNERS:

REFERENCES - MINES DEPARTMENT:

LOCATION:

(A) Portion 27 and Portion 28, Parish of Millfield.

(B) Mining Leases:

Portions 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 100, 101, 5, 9, 21, 34, 82, 83, 85, 86, 87, 88, 93, 94, 95, 96, 102, 106, 108, 112, 116, 120, 128, 134, 135, 140, 151, 152 Parish of Millfield.

Portions 24, 92, 103, 104, 105, 113, 151, 152, 153, 159 Parish of Ellalong.

(C) Relationship to neighbouring collieries:

(i) West of Maitland Main Colliery.
(ii) North-East of Stanford Main No. 2 (Paxton) Colliery.

(D) Millfield Greta Colliery was 6½ miles (10.4 km) in a south-westerly direction from the shopping centre of Cessnock. The mine was west of the main Cessnock to Wollombi Road, quite close to the Village of Millfield.

DISTANCES:

(A) Millfield Greta Coal Mining Company was 7 miles 5 chains (11.3 km) distant by road from Cessnock Post Office.

(B) Millfield Greta Colliery's screens were 22 miles 73 chains (36.66 km) distant by rail from the junction with the NSW Government Railways at East Greta Junction.

AREA:

4570 acres.

SEAM:

The Greta Seam outcropped on Portion 90, Parish of Millfield. The coal worked in the Millfield Greta Colliery was the Greta "top seam". It was generally considered that in the Millfield Greta Colliery, the seam was an average of 11 feet 4 inches in thickness, and it had a band of "splint coal" ranging from 2½ inches to 2 feet near the bottom of the seam. The strike was South 70º West, and the seam dipped 1 foot in 11 feet. The pit had a mudstone floor and a roof ceiling of coarse sandstone or conglomerate. This roof is said to have been formed by particularly strong conglomerate. During the actual mining operations, due to the method of small sized pillars, and with the very heavy volume of coal extraction, the mine suffered "floor thrust".

Leo Jones in his geological survey for the Department of Mines, (see Mineral Resources No. 37), gives the following analysis for Millfield Greta coal thus:

Sulphur was 0.948 per cent.

Water converted into steam by 1 pound of coal at 212 degrees Fahrenheit was 11.6 pounds by weight of water.

Coke was 61.29 per cent. Such coke was not swollen, was firm and dull.

Ash was light, and semi-granular.

Professor T.W. Edgeworth David and a group of his students sunk a shaft in 1906, nearby to the latter mine, in Portion 21 Parish of Millfield found the Greta Seam to be only 5 feet 6 inches in thickness.

When the main tunnel was being driven at Millfield Greta Colliery in a west of south-west direction, a fault running north-south was met at a distance of 26½ chains (0.53 km) from the tunnel mouth. This fault had a down-throw of 17 feet towards the west. A further parallel fault was encountered just 4 chains beyond the first fault. This second fault had a down-throw of 7 feet towards the east.

The seam at the Main Tunnel ran in at a south-west incline of 1 foot in 11 feet

COMMENCED OPERATIONS:

A number of coal entrepreneurs in the year 1920 appear to have been seeking coal lands in the western part of the South Maitland field. Amongst these was Mr Christian Franks of 384 Pitt Street, Sydney. The "Cessnock Eagle" newspaper in its issue dated Friday 25th February 1921 informs that a new company, "Millfield Mining Company" was sinking a small prospecting shaft into the seam at the outcrop near Millfield Village. This same newspaper in its issue dated Friday 18th March 1921 advised that the Sydney shareholders of the Millfield Mining Company had visited the shaft to inspect the 10 feet thick seam, and that coal mining production was expected to commence within a few weeks. The Mines Department's 1921 Annual Report records that 10 men were working on the surface, mainly in the construction of pit-top structures.

"Cessnock Eagle" newspaper in a December 1922 issue reports that a new company, "Millfield Coal Mining Colliery Company had been formed with a capital of 120 shares of £250-0-0 ($500.00) each. Further the newspaper advised that the first directors of this company were:

Christian Franks of Sydney,
William Sneddon of Newcastle,
Keith Brooks of Newcastle.

My research for more details on this company at the Australian Securities Commission and at the State Archives failed to find its Articles of Association, Registration Certificate or other relevant items.

However, it does appear that Christian Franks did lease Portions 24, 25, 26, 27 and 28 Parish of Millfield from John Doyle of Cessnock, and also Portion 100 Parish of Millfield from Edwin Hinchcliffe of Millfield.

The Mines Department 1923 Annual Report informs that during that year, 7 men were working underground prospecting and developing, plus 3 men were working on the surface at Millfield Coal Mining Company Colliery. This Annual Report also advises that due to the proximity of the development to the surface that ventilation was made by natural means. The 1924 Annual Report states that this small mine was still developing with natural ventilation. My research of Company Reports, Mines Department records, local and district newspapers failed to reveal the nature of the development at this mine, the volume of work carried out, nor if coal was actually produced by this group.

Encouraged by the success of his Ayrfield No. 1 mine near Testor's Hollow, R.W. Miller endeavoured to extend his South Maitland field mining operations by obtaining coal lands on the western part of this field. During the years 1923 and 1924, R.W. Miller made numerous applications to the Mine Warden's Court at East Maitland for "Authority to Enter" on many coal land portions within the Parishes of Ellalong and Millfield. All these applications were denied.

The "Chemical, Engineering and Mining Review", in its issue dated Monday 6th October 1924, informs that a new organisation, the "Millfield Greta Coal Mining Company", with a capital of £30,000-0-0 ($60,000.00) was formed to trade as colliery proprietors and coal dealers. The first Board of Directors was shown as:

R.W. Miller (Managing Director),
Annie M. Miller,
Stanley G. Pearce,
Rupert V. Brierley,
R. Rettie,
James Macartney.

Although there is no documentation at the Registrar-General's Office of land transfers, nor change of leaseholders at the Mines Department, it does appear certain that during September 1924, R.W. Miller arranged with Christian Franks and the Millfield Coal Mining Colliery Company to purchase their lease rights for their mining operation. The newly formed Millfield Greta Coal Mining Company had been planned to take-over and handle this colliery.

It is of interest that R.W. Miller and Company had placed a full page advertisement in the NSW Country Annual Telephone Books for the years 1925 and 1926 to assist the Company's "coal sales". This advertisement advised the availability of "Ayrfield" and "Millfield Greta" coal. (Author's note: Of course "Ayrfield" coal was from Ayrfield No. 1 and No. 2 Collieries adjacent to Testor's Hollow. No coal was produced at Millfield Colliery until mid 1929). In the 1927 edition of the Country Telephone Book, "Millfield Greta" coals had been deleted from the R.W. Miller and Company advertisement.

Evidently some negotiations appear to have been made by R.W. Miller and Company to acquire as freehold the land owned by J.P. Doyle and P. Love and leased by the earlier Millfield Coal Mining Company for its coal operations. The land in issue being Portions 27 and 28 Parish of Millfield was purchased by R.W. Miller and Company, and transferred on Monday 1st July 1929.

Information and details as to R.W. Miller and Company's actual resumption of mining operations at Millfield are very "skimpy". Some unsupported information advises that mining operations were renewed by R.W. Miller and Company in early February 1929. An item from later Millfield Colliery records show the first coal was produced on Wednesday 8th May 1929. An early photograph dated May 1929 now in possession of Mr Jim Richardson, manager of the ANZ Bank at New Lambton, shows a pit-horse pulling out a single loaded skip out of the tunnel entrance. The photograph shows a single skip track and no evidence of other haulage. Some

Millfield coal was loaded into wooden hopper rail coal wagons at Cessnock No. 2 Colliery on Wednesday 15th May 1929. South Maitland Railways Company on Tuesday 2nd July 1929 instructed its employees that Millfield Greta Colliery rail sidings were opened to a limited extent. First train of coal from Millfield Colliery was despatched on Wednesday 24th July 1929. The Mines Department office in Newcastle show on its inspectorial record cards a brief notation stating:

"On Monday 10th June 1929 Mr J.E. Armstrong became manager at Millfield Greta Colliery, replacing "Permit Manager" W. Adamson, who had commenced duty on Monday 22nd April 1929".

(SECOND RE-COMMENCEMENT AT MILLFIELD GRETA COLLIERY)

In the early 1970's, Hetton Bellbird Colliery built up an association with the R.W. Miller Company, when that group became the selling agent for Bellbird coals. Mr Peter Murray, the Superintendent of R.W. Miller and Company's mines at this period, in his early work life had been employed by Hetton-Bellbird Colliery. Mr Athol Lightfoot, manager of Hetton-Bellbird Colliery in the early 1970's had been the first certificated manager of R.W. Miller and Company's Maitland Extended group of mines, taking over in 1939 from a number of permit managers. It was not surprising then that in February 1976, when Hetton-Bellbird Colliery was having difficulties in finding work areas on its own lease due to heatings, large falls and trying conditions, R.W. Miller and Company suggested that Hetton-Bellbird Company should take-over the Millfield Greta Colliery lease, and to win coal from the pillars in the old workings. The offer was accepted.

In March 1976 after a small amount of clean-up was made in both the main haulage and travelling tunnel headings, an economic flimsy pit-top was erected, a conveyor belt and electric motors were transferred from Hetton-Bellbird Colliery and installed in the previous Millfield Greta Colliery haulage heading. An aeroplane propeller exhaust fan electrically driven was also transferred from Hetton-Bellbird Colliery and installed on the Millfield Greta Colliery pit-top. Coal was produced almost immediately and was transferred by motor lorries to Ayrfield No. 3 Colliery washery plant for treatment and rail wagon loading.

ENTRY:

Millfield Greta Colliery had two heading entry tunnels located in Portion 27 Parish of Millfield. These tunnels ran into the seam in a south-westerly direction, South 70º West, towards Paxton Colliery. These headings were 80 yards apart. Both these tunnels were openings 15 feet wide by 8 feet high, and ran in at an incline of 1 foot in 10 feet. These two tunnels were down-cast airways. The tunnel to the right as one looked down the mine became the main haulages heading. The second tunnel was the travelling heading. Both these tunnels eventually ran in underground just over 5000 feet, until a major fault was met.

A shaft, the up-cast airway, 60 feet deep was located about 100 yards west of the haulage heading entry.

Two skip rail tracks were laid down in the main haulage heading. As one looked down below into the mine, the loaded skips rose on the right-hand side track and the empty skips returned back down on the left-hand side track.

A timber gantry, rising to a height of 22 feet, ran from the haulage tunnel entry to the pit-top. This gantry was 15 feet wide and carried the two skip tracks. Some advice, not supported by documentation, informs that the gantry was erected by Mr Fred Lawson of James Street, Cessnock. Mr F. Lawson later erected the elevated timber coal holding box in early 1930. Mr Lawson is also reported as installing the endless rope haulage in 1930.

As indicated in the "Commenced Operations" section, Hetton-Bellbird Company took over the Millfield Greta Colliery lease in February 1976 with a view to extracting some Millfield Colliery pillars by mining mechanisation methods.

When Millfield Greta Colliery had ceased its underground mining operations on Friday 15th June 1956 (Mines Department's advice), the company had recovered much of its equipment, machinery, electric motors, pumps, winches, scraper loaders, etc. These had been brought to the surface in skips and trolleys by the steam haulage engine. With this recovery completed, the haulage tunnel heading was covered with a light earth fill seal. The travelling tunnel heading was fitted with heavy timber doors, and these were padlocked. The Millfield Greta fan and its electric motor had also been recovered and withdrawn.

During the period of closure of the Millfield Greta Colliery, some vandal damage and destruction had been occasioned to the buildings and structures. Bush fires over a number of summers had wrecked most of the timber pit-top constructions and structures. None more so than that a large fire in 1968, which gutted and destroyed the coal holding box and the gantry. The following year (1969) all three colliery unoccupied cottages were burnt to the ground.

Thus when Hetton-Bellbird Company took over the Millfield Greta Colliery lease, there were little pit-top structures standing, remaining for use in the new mining endeavours. Hetton-Bellbird Company utilising their colliery front-end loader removed and cleared away the light soil fill used as the seal on the haulage tunnel heading. An "A" frame using second-hand electric light poles was erected at the haulage entrance to carry a conveyor belt system. This conveyor was driven by a 415 volts twin-drive "Hanaford" electric motor. This electric motor was positioned on a disused wagon timber frame secured on the ground. The conveyor belt had a tension loop on the surface. A "Cat-walk" made from 6 inches by 3 inches channel-iron and rough timber planking ran up each side of the belt conveyor to the top of the "A" frame. Most Bellbird mine hands working at this new Millfield Greta Colliery operation described this construction as being done "on the cheap". The earlier Millfield Greta Colliery travelling heading had been secured by heavy timber doors, which were padlocked. This tunnel heading had only required a minimum of cleaning up the debris of small falls, etc. Ventilation for this new mining operation was provided by an aeroplane propeller exhaust fan erected in the earlier concrete building over the original air shaft. This fan was driven by a 50 H.P. electric motor.

After the working conditions in the Millfield Greta Colliery forced Hetton-Bellbird Company to withdraw from this "1976" operation, a box-cut was made through the open-cut mine near the rail crossing on the Cessnock to Wollombi main road. The same Bellbird belt conveyor, "A" frame and electric motors were transferred by Bellbird Colliery crane to the box-cut entry.

METHOD OF WORKING:

Millfield Greta Colliery over its life was only ever worked on the "day" shift. In the war years during the early 1940's, some coal production was made on "Back Saturdays". (Author's note: In the first years, the miners were paid fortnightly, the opposite week was known as "back-week").

Millfield Greta Colliery was worked on the "bord and pillar" system. Generally the bords were 18 feet wide and usually to the full height of the seam, varying from 8 feet to 11 feet. Headings too were 15 feet to 18 feet wide. Cut-throughs were 15 feet wide. Pillars were mostly smallish, being 22 yards long by 11 yards wide. In some larger sections, pillars were up to 44 yards long. The mine was worked in some 6 sections.

In the first days of the mine, contract miners worked "hand mining operations". In the early 1930's, there were some 16 pairs of contract men; 5 casual miners and 8 wheelers amongst the total of over 150 men. Pit-horses, which went in and out of the mine each day, were utilised to bring the skips to and from the haulage rope. In the first days, all boring was made by utilising hand borers. The "Newcastle Morning Herald" newspaper, in its issue dated Thursday 10th December 1936, reports the introduction of electric borers at Millfield Greta Colliery. Mines Department 1933 Annual Report shows that Millfield Greta Colliery had purchased two "Jeffrey" coal cutting machines on Friday 3rd November 1933. The general method of mining was to under-cut, to bore, to shoot down with explosives, and then to load out by shovel into small wooden skips.

Haulage to the surface at first was made by "direct haul" by the steam engine, which handled skips in sets of 10 to 12. In early 1930, Mr Fred Lawson, a contractor, installed the endless rope, which hauled skips in sets of two. This latter method appears to have been maintained throughout the life of Millfield Greta Colliery to avoid strain and load on the haulage rope, and thus eliminate "slip".

On the surface, after being unclipped from the haulage rope, the skip was moved forward and was weighed on a clock-faced "Avery" scale, which showed the weight in hundredweight from 1 ton to 2 tons. The weighbridge was installed on Monday 25th August 1930. From the scales, the skip was gravitated to the "tumbler-tippler". Here by the action of a hand release lever, the skip was turned right around in the tumbler to empty the coal into a steel chute. Here a "screen-boy", (a junior pit-top employee position), using a steel plate regulated the coal flow onto the shaker screen. The "shaker" unit was powered by a vertical steam engine. Some reliable although "unsupported and undocumented" advice informs that this steam engine had come from one of R.W. Miller's tugs. Further that this vertical steam engine had a chain drive to the tumbler.

The shaker screens were some 30 feet long and 4 feet wide. The screens and its steam engine were supported on a "concrete formed" bridge over the rail sidings underneath the gantry. The perforated plates of the shaker screen doubled as the "picking area". A cam contraption operated by a 2 inches diameter crankshaft driven by a flat leather belt from the "15 inches stroke" steam engine, moved the plates backwards and forward. The plates were slightly tilted to assist the movement of the larger coal to finally load into wooden hopper coal rail wagons. In the mid 1930's a crusher plant was installed near the screens. This crusher plant was driven by a 50 H.P. 2200 volts English General Electric Company electric motor. This crusher was to ensure the best formation of "cobbles" class coal.

A coal holding box, divided into four compartments, was constructed in late 1930 by Mr Fred Lawson, a contractor of James Street, Cessnock. This box (bin) is reported to have been some 120 feet long, 60 feet high and 40 feet wide, and was erected over two sets of colliery rail sidings. Coal passing through the perforated plates of the shaker screen was caught in a bin. A bucket elevator conveyor system was installed to transport coal from this bin to the coal holding box. The buckets were 24 inches long, 12 inches wide and 12 inches deep, and were bolted to a chain. This chain was "sprocket-driven" by a 30 H.P. Compton-Parkinson electric motor. A steel grid plate was placed along the top of the large elevated timber holding box. This grid plate had small holes over the first compartment. Slightly increased sized holes over the next compartment. Then still larger sized holes over the remaining three compartments. A flat double chain conveyor dragged coal over the holes on the box top grid plate. This chain ran along the perforated grid and at the end returned overhead to recommence and repeat the drag. This flat double chain conveyor was powered by a second Compton-Parkinson 20 H.P. electric motor.

The buckets rose up and at the box top level turned over to return, the coal was tipped onto the grid plate. Coal in the compartments was graded as "fines", "small", "nuts", "cobbles" and "best". When required, coal stored in the holding box was bottom discharged into wooden hopper rail coal wagons. In the late 1930's, alterations were made so that in addition to the "large" coal, other classes could be loaded direct into wooden hopper rail wagons.

During the mid 1940's, Millfield Greta Colliery had problems with its shaker screen. The vertical steam engine operating the screen had compound cylinders providing high and low pressure. P.G. King Limited, engineers of Bulwer Street, Maitland, corrected the situation by converting the vertical engine to a single cylinder operation.

In the skip movements on Millfield Greta Colliery pit-top, the next loaded skip to reach the tumbler from the weighbridge, pushed out the "now emptied skip". The empty skip continued on by gravity force to run around on a skip rail track, laid in an arc to a slightly lower level of the gantry to await the return trip back down the mine. Some mines on the South Maitland field had utilised "creeper chain conveyors" to assist in the skip movements on their pit-tops. Millfield Greta Colliery never had such a luxury as a creeper chain. The skip speed or retention was accomplished by the use of wooden or steel sprags. Skips were clipped to the endless haulage rope for the trips up or down the haulage heading. By 1940 Millfield Greta Colliery is reported to be utilising a fleet of 400 small wooden skips and employing 22 pit-horses.

Back on the pit-top, just past the weighbridge, a set of skip rail points allowed some loaded skips to be diverted and held on a skip shunt, which arced around outside the main skip haulage track. This holding shunt opened out on a covered extended pit-top area into three skip shunts, which in total accommodated 30 loaded skips under the pit-top roof, on the work level. These loaded skips were diverted, when the "skip run surge" was beyond the immediate capacity for the unloading and screening process. These stored loaded skips were pushed or "shoulder shunted" back to the skip track for advancement to the tippler, when the coal production flow allowed such action and procedure. Also on this "holding" track reasonably close to the entry, a "trailing reverse" set of skip rail points allowed a loaded skips to be run into a short skip shunt to a second skip tumbler. In this tumbler, the skip was manhandled and "coped" to unload its coal into a chute running near the boiler, to provide the coal fuel. (Author's note: "Coped" is a slang mining term meaning "tipped over").

First ventilation in R.W. Miller's workings at Millfield Greta Colliery had been made by natural means. As the main headings (haulage and travelling) continued to be driven forward, and the side headings were made particularly on the "west" side, an underground furnace was installed beneath a 60 feet deep shaft sunk in the out-cropping seam. A parallel companion heading on the north side of the haulage heading did not reach the surface direct but ended near the air shaft. This companion heading was utilised as the "return airway". Ventilation in the side headings, bords, cut-throughs and the coal face workings was greatly assisted by the use of "brattice" sheeting. The Mines Department 1929 Annual Report informs that by the end of 1929, 151 men were employed of whom 113 were engaged underground. The 1930 Mines Department Annual Report states that during that year, ventilation was still being made by the underground furnace, but that an electric fan was on hand, and that it would be installed early in the next year (1931).

R.W. Miller had been a forward thinker, particularly as to the use of electricity in his coal mines. Both Ayrfield No. 1 and Ayrfield No. 2 Collieries in the Testor's Hollow area, had "Bellis and Morcom" 100 kW direct current electricity generation plants, (see pages 91 and 107). R.W. Miller had also initiated an electricity generation plant at his Millfield Greta Colliery. The Mines Department 1930 Annual Report informs that a similar type to the Ayrfield No. 1 Colliery unit, a 100 kW Bellis and Morcom direct current electricity generation plant had been installed at Millfield Greta Colliery on Thursday 20th February 1930. Mines Department 1931 Annual Report records that the direct current electricity generation plant at Millfield Greta Colliery was producing 415 volts to supply 112 light lamps on the surface and 6 lights underground. This same Annual Report stated further that this electricity drove one underground haulage rope in a side heading and four underground pumps.

During early July 1930, R.W. Miller and Company requested Caledonian Collieries Limited to connect their Millfield Greta Colliery to the new "Cockle Creek" high tension electricity transmission line erected by Caledonian Collieries. During my research I sighted in Caledonian Collieries Limited Company seal register book, that a contract agreement for the erection of the transmission line to Millfield Greta Colliery was signed on Thursday 31st July 1930. The "Newcastle Morning Herald" newspaper in its issue dated Wednesday 22nd October 1930 that the transmission line from Aberdare Extended Colliery sub-station to Millfield Greta Colliery running along the Kalingo Railway mining lease (P.M.L. 12) was progressing well. The 8 miles in length 33000 volts transmission line was completed to Millfield Greta Colliery during November 1930.

One of the early advantages of this electricity supply was the installation during early 1931 of a Sirocco electric fan on the air shaft. Mines Department 1931 Annual Report records that the underground furnace was withdrawn and demolished when the new electrically powered Sirocco fan commenced working on Monday 18th May 1931.

As briefly outlined in the "Brief History" section of the Ayrfield No. 1 Colliery précis on page 99, R.W. Miller during the early 1930's adopted a new company policy in an endeavour to circumvent a proposed Government tax legislation shortly to be introduced in Parliament. R.W. Miller personally considered that if this tax was introduced, it would be assessed on the total number of employees by a firm, and it would prove a burden on any company. Further that this would greatly add to the costs of all entrepreneurs of that period. R.W. Miller's answer and proposal to meet these increased costs was to have his various organisations divided into smaller entities or units. In his mining industry involvements, R.W. Miller's collieries were to be shown as being operated by a lessee-manager. The lessee-manager engaged his employees, produced his coal to the surface, where it was taken over by R.W. Miller for sale and distribution.

Mines Department's records shows that on Friday 24th March 1933 a change of ownership of Millfield Greta Colliery was made to James and Edward Fallins of 16 Gordon Avenue, Hamilton. A further change of ownership was made on Friday 11th May 1934 following the death of Edward Fallins. Transfer of ownership was made to Henry (Harry) Jenkins Thomas, Post Office Box 38, West Maitland. Mines Department Correspondence (M 1939/7103) records that ownership of Millfield Greta Colliery reverted to the Millfield Greta Coal Company in late 1939. At this time, Mr H.J. Thomas resigned as Millfield Greta Colliery lessee-manager to develop his own Preston Colliery at Gunnedah.

One of the "mining method" alterations made during the period of the lessee-ownership by Messrs J. and E. Fallins was the purchase of two "Jeffrey" brand coal cutters. A notation made by an inspector on a mine record card held at the Newcastle office of the Mines Department, informs that Millfield Greta Colliery purchased two "Jeffrey" coal cutting machines on Friday 3rd November 1933. These coal cutters were used to under-cut the coal seam face before the "boring and shooting", and greatly assisted the burdens of the contract miners.

"Dust" was found to be a serious problem in Millfield Greta Colliery particularly in the haulage heading, and was the subject of many "union" discussions and industrial conflicts. One of the miners designed a tank to fit inside a skip and which was suggested should be equipped with a cross pipe spray. Two Millfield Lodge representatives in early 1940 met Mr R.W. Miller personally at Millfield Greta Colliery and requested that the colliery should construct this spray skip and that it should run up and down the haulage heading several times a day attached to a skip set. For whatever reason the request was turned down. Mr R.W. Miller told the Federation representatives, that he alone made the decisions as to the needs and equipment required for Millfield Colliery. The representatives immediately called its members out of the mine, and a needless 6 weeks long strike took place. Finally Mr R.W. Miller directed his mine management to construct this watering arrangement to relieve the dust problem. A procedure and practice that continued and was carried out whilst the mine operated. In 1946 the Local Coal Authority Tribunal decided that employees using the water spray skips in bords and side headings to lay dust should be paid full "water money" allowances.

A well known area within the Millfield Greta Colliery was "McPherson's Dip". Jimmy McPherson was originally a miner at Millfield Greta Colliery, who educated himself in mining methods and operation, and became a mine deputy. The pit manager and his fellow miners had paid a tribute to Jimmy McPherson by naming this dip area or lower seam region as "McPherson's Dip". This particular heading branched off to the left about 500 yards from the surface entrance. A 100 H.P. electric haulage motor was installed at this junction to transform skips to and from the "Dips" area. This haulage motor had been made by P.G. King Limited of Maitland, and it was installed in October 1941 under the supervision of Mr Sam Tennant, Millfield Greta Colliery engineer. This 100 H.P. Compton-Parkinson motor, using a "main and tail" rope with a 12 feet diameter drum, hauled loaded or empty skips in sets of 12. A "set-rider", (a mining employee classification), rode on the set to detach empty skips at appropriate "flats" and attach loaded skips on the return journey. During early 1946 the Local Coal Authority Tribunal directed that "set-riders" were to be promoted as scraper loader operators in order of seniority. On Thursday 2nd September 1948 this same authority directed that scraper loader operators were to be promoted as miners again in order of seniority.

At the junction of McPherson's Dip, the empty skips planned for this Dip area were unclipped from the Main Haulage Heading endless rope. On the return of the loaded skips to the junction, they were clipped to the rope for the journey to the surface. A second small electric 20 H.P. winch haulage ran the skips in a side heading diverting from the McPherson's Dip Heading. This particular winch with a one inch diameter steel rope and an 8 feet diameter drum hauled skips in sets of 6, to and from a flat on McPherson's Dip Heading.

Following the return of "direct" ownership to the Millfield Greta Colliery Company, pit examinations were made during March 1940 by Mines Department inspectors as to possible areas for the installation of scraper loaders and the introduction of that type of working. In late 1940 a "Joy-Sullivan" scraper loader was placed in the "West" section. With the loss of shipping sunk in the war, together with America's entrance into the world conflict following the Pearl Harbour attack, and the consequent American war effort including the retention of their mining machinery, the supply of scraper loaders was lost to Australia. Mr Bede Kelly, R.W. Miller and Company's representative on the Greta coal seam field, suggested to P.G. King Limited of Maitland, that their firm should construct a scraper loader for Millfield Greta Colliery. P.G. King Limited declined on the basis that this would be too costly for the mine due to the need to set up "special tooling". Mr B. Kelly then requested Morisson and Bearby of Newcastle to make the scraper loader unit. When this loader arrived at Millfield Greta Colliery, its operation and application was found to be "hopeless". Following a further request from Mr Bede Kelly to P.G. King Limited, this Maitland firm designed and fabricated their own improved scraper loader. Over the years, P.G. King Limited constructed in excess of 60 scraper loaders for R.W. Miller and Company. Fifteen of these were utilised at Millfield Greta Colliery and Millfield North Colliery. The winch on the scraper loaders manufactured for these pits used a 20 H.P. Compton-Parkinson electric motor.

As stated earlier, the first scraper loader at Millfield Greta Colliery operated in the "West" section. Almost at the same time electric borers were introduced. Following the manufacture of the "prototype" P.G. King Limited's scraper loader, and its very successful trial in practical conditions in Millfield Greta Colliery, other scraper loaders were made and installed. All miners, deputies and managers contacted, described the scraper loader as a "top job", very efficient and a great productive unit. The methods used were fairly simple. Coal was undercut utilising the "Jeffrey" coal cutter, the face was bored using the hand held electric borers, the coal was shot down by explosives, and this was lifted out by the scraper loader into the small wooden Millfield Greta Colliery skips. Later it became the practice at Millfield Greta mine to undercut, bore and fire in a face working on the afternoon shift, and to load out by use of the scraper loader on the day shift. Pit-horses were utilised to bring the skips to and from the haulage ropes. Miners in most pit sections laid their own temporary skip rail tracks using 6 feet lengths of rail to the coal face in the bord or heading. Little short skip shunts or coping places were made for skip movements to cross. The colliery road layer came into the developing bord or heading, removed the short 6 feet rail lengths, and put down a semi-permanent skip rail track consisting of 18 feet rail lengths and light timber sleepers. In difficult steep areas, special methods were developed to get the skips to the workplace. Wedge blocks carrying a steel "eye" were fixed at the face, so that by the use of a rope, the weight of the loaded skip gravitating out of the workplace or face pulled the empty skip into the "loading" position. For this type of heavy work, the miner was paid an additional penalty of one hour's pay per day. In some of these steeper areas, 2 horses working in tandem were required to perform the skip wheeling.

A scraper loader wheeler was expected to perform work usually carried out by a first class shiftman. He did not work in front of the loader, except to assist in erecting timbers, cleaning up coal spillage from the loader, and to pack skips with large coal. If he was instructed to go forward to bore or load coal, the scraper loader wheeler was paid the "mechanical unit" rate.

As indicated earlier on page 1146, the Mines Department 1931 Annual Report shows that four electric underground pumps were being utilised during that year. These early pumps were the "Ajax" type. Later underground water was brought to a small sump located about ¾ mile down the "travelling" heading. This sump point was roughly under the shops on the main road at Millfield and it had an overburden cover of 450 feet. The small Ajax pumps were driven by either a 5 H.P. or a 10 H.P. electric motor, depending on the distance from the sump. These small pumps had a 2 inches diameter suction pipe and a 2 inches stroke thrust. At the sump, a vertical pump with three cylinders, each of 12 inches diameter driven by a 15 H.P. electric motor raised the water to the surface. My research has failed to reveal the manufacturer's name of this pump. All the electric motors utilised on the pumps were of Compton-Parkinson brand.

The roof strata at Millfield Greta Colliery at all times had required a good deal of timber, (pit-props). Over the whole life of the colliery, timber props were taken below on special trolleys. A skip rail track was laid from the racks and heaps of timber on the surface, and made entry to the mine by a set of "reverse trailing points" on the empty skips track, just prior to the tunnel entrance. Timber trolleys were clipped to the endless rope, and detached, where required, at "flats" below at the entry to side headings. Pit-horses were utilised to transport by trolley haulage or to "snig" to the locations for the shiftmen's needs. Following the general practice of the industry, shiftmen erected pit-props for the miners' safety, usually on non-productive shifts.

Scanty records researched appear to indicate that Millfield Greta Colliery early in the life of the colliery supplied its underground employees with "2 cell Edison" miners cap-lights. About 1948 this type of cap lamp was replaced by a "3 cell Edison" light. The lamp cabin was part of the workshop building. The charging area was a revolving table. Miners placed their battery light at the own "appropriate number position" to be connected to the charger later by the lamp cabin attendant. An "M.G." set was utilised for the charging. Battery cap lights used by the Millfield North Colliery miners were returned daily to the Millfield Greta Colliery lamp cabin for charging.

Millfield Greta Colliery appears to have employed a minimum number of mine deputies to supervise the various sections underground on all shifts worked. Actual records are not now available, however some older ex-Millfield Greta Colliery miners have suggested that between 4 and 8 deputies were so employed. Mr Ken Simpson, of Ellalong Road, Pelton Village, an ex-Millfield Greta Colliery employee, tells of one deputy, Mr Fred Morton, employed at that pit about 1940. Mr Fred Morton was very deaf and carried a walking stick. By placing the end of his stick to his ear and putting the other end of the stick onto the roof or to the rib wall, Fred Morton could hear and feel all the pit sounds and movements. By this action Fred Morton was able to forecast impending falls with much accuracy. A "trick" somewhat similar to that used by motor mechanics to detect motor car engine internal problems and defects.

Upon reading his "Memoirs", it does seem that Professor T.W. Edgeworth David gave special attention to the directions and changes of the geology of the Hunter River Coal Measures. Late in 1907, Professor David, with a class of his students, sunk shafts in the Parish of Millfield. This appears to indicate the special interest Professor David placed on the major alterations to the seam in this area. The seam, within a very small region, has twisted, bended and faulted, quickly sloping downwards. The seam incline at the adjoining Stanford Main No. 2 (Paxton) Colliery was 1 foot in 20 feet; the incline at Maitland Main Colliery to the east was 1 foot in 10 feet; both differed from the sharp slope of 1 foot in 6½ feet at Millfield North Colliery on the Millfield Colliery lease. As a layman, it does seem to me, that the R.W. Miller and Company management, by its use of smaller sized pillars and heavy coal extraction at these depths, had used the wrong mining tactics. This caused the problems of "creep", "crush" and "floor thrust". (Author's note: The meanings of these mining terms are -

"Creep" is the gradual rising of the floor or the sagging of the roof,

"Crush" is the breaking-up of coal and rock overhead,

"Floor Thrust" is an upward heave of the mine floor due to strata pressures).

Colliery card records maintained by mine inspectors at the Newcastle office of the Mines Department show their observations in late 1943 as to signs of "creep and crush" at Millfield Greta Colliery. These phenomena intensified and caused considerable mining problems not only to Millfield Greta Colliery, but also to its neighbouring pits, particularly Stanford Main No. 2 (Paxton) Colliery. These problems resulted in a strata roll, which ran over the barrier, and caused Stanford Main No. 2 (Paxton) Colliery to close its "4 West" section.

It is difficult for non-mining people to appreciate the problems, the dangers and the hazards encountered by coal miners in their daily endeavours in their industry. It would seem that nature itself resisted the efforts of the miners to win coal production. In an environment where strata movement made every moment dangerous, this industry continued its normal work, driving into solid coal, extending their work area, forming pillars, making passages and headings, hauling out the coal won.

The effects of the "creep and crush" was sometimes gradual, and at other periods quite dramatic. Although most headings were 8 feet high or more, the creep had squeezed and narrowed the headings or passageways to an extent that required the miners to drop the floor levels, and thus the skip rail tracks, so that the 3 feet high skips could pass through. In other areas the floor between the track was lowered, so that the pit-horses could work. A more exciting incident was experienced by a former primary school class mate of mine. Fred Gellwiler, (now deceased), was a wheeler at Millfield Greta Colliery, who took two empty skips into a workplace with a pit-horse. When Fred returned with two loaded skips, that particular skip track disappeared into a solid wall in front. When the horse "propped", and despite a few hits it would not budge, Fred inspected and found the "new" solid wall. He was very upset by this discovery. An alternative way out was found via other bords and cut-throughs. This shock greatly affected Fred, so much that he lost the balance of that week's work.

The disturbance of the "creep and crush" forced the management of Millfield Greta Colliery to seek another area within the lease as an alternative source of coal production and supply. On Tuesday 3rd October 1944 a site was selected in virgin country some 2 km north-west of the original Millfield Greta Colliery entrance for the driving of this new tunnel. A team of Millfield Greta Colliery miners, (some of the previous contract men), were chosen to commence the drive. Amongst this group was George Liddell, Ted "Tedger" Hill, William "Wizzy" Mowatt, George "Geordie" Stephens, plus others. Whilst R.W. Miller and Company considered this new workings to be a separate pit, which was eventually renamed "Millfield North Colliery", the Millfield Greta Lodge of the Miners Federation insisted on retaining only one Lodge for the new mining operations. The Federation won the point before the Coal Tribunal Authority, and this finally resulted in the miners to be "cavilled" for work places in either mine on the Millfield lease. The operation of Millfield North Colliery will be discussed in a separate history (see pages 1185-1205).

Like many other collieries, over its history Millfield Greta Colliery had found periods, when it was embarrassed by lack of coal sales, shortage of wagons for rail loading transport due to shipping hold-ups, etc. With the mine working, and production continuing, coal accumulated. When this accumulation overflowed the coal holding box, a local carrier "dumped" coal on grass at appropriate open level areas adjoining the pit-top. Instead of loading from the screens into wooden hopper rail coal wagons, the coal ran into the carrier's truck. A ramp and a timber chute was erected on the Cessnock side of the pit-top on the "large coal" loaded wagon siding. This ramp allowed the reloading of the dumped coal into wooden hopper rail wagons for transport to the shipping cranes at Port Waratah.

The continued problems of the creep and crush at the Millfield Greta Colliery, the expensive production methods at the second mine, Millfield North Colliery, the poor quality of the coal produced at both mines, with its high content of sulphur, and the difficulty in finding work places underground, forced R.W. Miller and Company to consider the closure of both these mines. The Millfield area was well separated from other R.W. Miller and Company mining operations. Its great distance from the shipping market and thus long rail haulage resulted in high freights, which were a costly factor in the coal sales price. Some mining forecasters had foretold of the possibility of the introduction, in the near future, of a levy on coal sales by the Joint Coal Board to finance its "Stowage Tests" in selected mines. On top of all this, the industrial militancy of the Millfield Colliery employees and their "Lodge" lost much pit time due to petty stoppages, snowballing costs in production with only small outputs. In early 1955 R.W. Miller and Company had requested the Joint Coal Board and the Mines Department, that the two mines on the Millfield lease, namely Millfield Greta Colliery and Millfield North Colliery should be closed, because the mining operations at both had become uneconomic. The Joint Coal Board conducted a "time and motion" study at these mines under the supervision of Joint Coal Board's engineer, Mr W. "Bill" Seward. At this period, the daily average of production by a mining mechanisation unit on the South Maitland field utilising a scraper loader was 80 tons per day, and just prior to this study, the unit average at the Millfield Collieries dropped to 20 tons per day. During the actual test study trial of some three weeks, the unit production average at the Millfield Collieries dropped to 20 tons per day. With some regret, the Joint Coal Board approved the closure of both Millfield Greta Colliery and Millfield North Colliery. Actual mining operations ceased on Friday, 4th November 1955.

Following the closure of Millfield Greta Colliery, all scraper loaders, mining machinery, electric motors, armoured cable, winches, pumps, etc., were brought out from below in skips and trolleys by the endless rope steam haulage. Much of this equipment was transported to either Rhonda Colliery or Ayrfield No. 3 pit-top. The balance of equipment remaining including the steam haulage engine, the Bellis and Morcom electricity generator and other pit-top gear was sold as "scrap" to Balcomb Brothers metal dealers of Sandgate Road, Wallsend. The main entrance heading was sealed with light soil and earth fill. A heavy timber door was erected on the Travelling Heading entrance and secured by a large padlock.

The colliery houses, pit-top buildings and structures, workshops, sheds, etc., were abandoned and left unattended. Over a period of years, vandals caused much destruction. In the summer of 1968, a large bush fire in the regrowth trees on the colliery yard and the adjoining area destroyed much of the pit-top, the large timber coal holding box (bin) and other timber building structures. The following summer (1969) all the colliery mining cottages were destroyed in a second bush fire blaze.

On Wednesday 25th February 1976 Hetton-Bellbird Company commenced to operate the "Millfield Lease". This company had run out of workable areas within its own "old" colliery. Its coal sales agent at that period, R.W. Miller and Company had suggested that Hetton-Bellbird Company might consider winning coal on the then disused Millfield Lease. It was a fairly easy process for the Hetton-Bellbird Colliery to use its own mine front end loader to remove the light soil and earth fill from the Millfield Great Colliery main haulage entrance. Because of the "1968" bush fire damage to the gantry and the pit-top at Millfield Greta Colliery, Hetton-Bellbird Company erected an "A" frame structure right at the haulage heading entrance to support a conveyor belt system. In this new proposed "re-working", the coal produced was transported out of the mine on the belt, then to pour over into a heap on the ground. Later this heap was lifted by the Hetton-Bellbird Company's own front end loader for transport by motor lorry. This cartage was made by the firm, R. and P. Mitchell Limited of Bellbird.

The 36 inches wide conveyor and its 415 volts twin drive "Hanaford" system had been transferred from Hetton-Bellbird pit. The belt had a tension loop. The electric motor was installed and positioned on a disused wagon's timber frame. A "cat-walk" was made form 6 inches by 3 inches channel iron and rough timber planking. This cat-walk ran up to the top of the "A" frame on each side of the conveyor belting. It is of interest that this particular conveyor structure utilised had been fabricated earlier at Bellbird Colliery for use in the Bellbird mine. Hetton-Bellbird employees, who first worked on the re-opening of Millfield Greta Colliery, suggested that the project was made on the "cheap". One senior Hetton-Bellbird Colliery official thought the whole exercise had been more a "tax deduction" scheme rather than a sincere mining operation.

The entrance to the Millfield Greta Colliery travelling heading tunnel during the "1955" closure had been equipped with a padlocked heavy timber door. In this area the preparation for resumption of working was a simple matter. It only required a clean up of debris from the small falls that had occurred over the years of closure. Ventilation for the renewed working was provided by the transfer of a Bellbird Colliery "aeroplane propeller" exhaust fan and its installation over the original Millfield Greta Colliery air shaft. The fan was driven by a 50 H.P. electric motor.

Hetton-Bellbird Company transferred its two "Le Norse" continuous mining machines (a "48H" and a "48Y" type), and two shuttle cars to operate the new workings. The 48H type Le Norse had special equipment to keep the oil level up, and this was of special advantage when working in steep seams. Only one Le Norse machine was underground at any one time, whilst the other Le Norse was being repaired or serviced on the surface. About 100 miners moved from Bellbird pit to the new Millfield Greta operation.

At first whilst the conveyor belt was being installed, the mining operation was confined to winning coal close to the main haulage heading near the surface and bringing this coal out in the shuttle cars. As the conveyor installation continued, mining progressed on the northern side of the main haulage heading. The conveyor installation was made through the fault, through the creep, through the mess and debris until McPherson's Dip was reached. Then and there the thrust of this mining operation turned towards the south side of the Millfield Greta Colliery. Even whilst this development advanced, "creep and crush" conditions were met. Looking down through some side headings, one could see examples of the previous "strata roll". Frequently the previously laid 25 pounds to the yard skip rail tracks could be seen twisted far up in the strata. Some pit props in the new Bellbird development were pushed into the floor by the strata heave to only show the tops of the props. In such cases a new route, close to the mean line, was made through adjoining headings for use as the "belt road". Sometime the new route had to be cut and lowered into the floor. Over the period of the Bellbird operation, the conveyor belt in the main haulage heading had to be moved 5 or 6 times to parallel headings due to the "creep and crush" movement. In these particular "heaves" in the conveyor belt headings, the strata did not crack, just layer after layer of rock strata rose or moved down. When the strata obtained its own balance, the "creep and crush" movement ceased. However it only required the removal of coal in some pillar extraction to re-start the whole "creep and crush".

Hetton-Bellbird Company transferred some of its old Bellbird pit "Mono" pumps plus a 30 H.P. electric motor to handle the underground water. This water was not brought to the surface, but was pushed around by small pumps and motors in 3 inches diameter PVC pipes to the goaf and the previously worked sections in-bye. This water was very acidic and required stainless steel pumps and the PVC piping.

When only 18 inches of the 8 feet long pit props were visible in some areas, it became time to retreat. Finally heavy "creep and crush" conditions forced the closure of the Bellbird operation in Millfield Greta Colliery. The "project" manager, Mr Alec Rutherford, who now resides at 41 Government Road, Weston, whilst using measuring sticks, could literally observe the floor moving up and the roof coming down. The machinery and the equipment, such as the Le Norce mining machines, shuttle cars, "Case" tractor, transformers, cables, etc., were transported out on the conveyor belt. The belt and its structure was also withdrawn and progressively recovered.

Hetton-Bellbird Company sought another area of Millfield Greta Colliery lease to further continue its Millfield operation. In the early 1970's Maitland Main Colliery, the neighbouring mine to the Millfield Greta Colliery had obtained a small area of the "then idle" Millfield Greta Colliery lease adjoining the railway crossings on the Cessnock to Wollombi Main Road, in which to operate a small open-cut mine. When it was forced out of the Millfield Greta Colliery main workings by the creep and crush conditions Hetton-Bellbird Company decided to work that section of the old workings of Millfield Greta Colliery adjoining this Maitland Main Colliery open-cut. Using their own small front-end loader, Hetton-Bellbird Company made a box drift in this open-cut into the seam out-crop. The "A" frame, its "cat-walk", the conveyor belt and structures, its Hanaford electric drive motor, were transferred by a Bellbird Colliery crane from the Millfield Greta haulage tunnel entrance to this new box-cut drift. As this development progressed in this section of the old workings of Millfield Greta Colliery, the new rubber belting conveyor heading was driven directly under and along the Wollombi Road towards the Maitland Main Colliery fan shaft.

Within this new box-cut drift workings, the pillars were made long and narrow being 18 yards long by 6 yards wide; bords and headings were 6 yards wide; cut-throughs were only 6 feet wide. All bords, headings and cut-throughs were driven to 8 feet, the full height of the seam. Later permission was obtained from Coal and Allied Limited to take-over a small section of the Stanford main No. 2 (Paxton) Colliery lease. Hetton-Bellbird Company broke into the Paxton workings in that company's "top north-west" section. This area was very wet with a "clayey" floor. Mostly due to these pit conditions up to 4 feet depth of coal had to be left. Here on one occasion, the Le Norce mining machine sunk at least 3 feet, and became bogged. The machine was extricated with much difficulty.

Once more, underground water was turned around by small pumps within the old workings. Water that seeped from behind the Maitland Main Colliery barrier was very polluted and most acidic.

Finally again after only a short period of operation the Hetton-Bellbird Company's new Millfield working also became plagued with creep and crush. When these conditions deteriorated quickly, all the machinery, the Le Norce mining machines, shuttle cars, etc., were withdrawn. The only item not recovered was the "Tiger" boot-end. This was a home made item, that is thought to have been designed and construction authorised by an earlier Bellbird Colliery manager, Mr Athol Lightfoot, whose nickname was "Tiger". This boot-end placed the coal onto the conveyor belt. The boot-end was manufactured in Bellbird Colliery workshops.

When the Hetton-Bellbird Company's "box-cut drift" workings ceased on Wednesday 18th January 1978, the remaining timbers of the gantry, pit-top and coal holding box, all of which had been badly burnt and damaged by the "1968" bush fires, were demolished. In addition the earlier rail tracks and the wagon holding sidings of Millfield Greta Colliery were scrapped and cleared away. The whole length of this Millfield Greta Colliery pit-top outcrop was made into a small open-cut mining operation. Coal produced in this open-cut was transported by the firm R. and P. Mitchell of Bellbird. The open-cut mining operation ceased on Monday 14th May 1979.

MINE HAULAGE:

Early records researched do not reveal the "system" utilised for haulage during the driving of the tunnel headings in the pit's early days under the mine's first owner, Millfield Mining Company, in 1921. My research did not reveal the haulage methods first utilised by R.W. Miller and Company in 1929. Some information advises that in late 1929, the mine haulage was a "direct haul" in sets of 10 skips. Under this arrangement, the set of 10 empty skips were returned underground by gravity force. This advice did not include manufacturer's name, size, etc., of the steam haulage engine utilised. It does seem fairly reasonable to assume that this first steam powered haulage engine was the same engine that was used for the haulage over the whole life of Millfield Greta Colliery. There were two skip tracks laid in the main haulage heading. Loaded skips rose on the right-hand side skip track as one looked down the mine. The empty skips returned below on the left-hand side track.

In early 1930, Mr Fred Lawson, a contractor, who had resided at James Street, Cessnock installed the endless rope haulage. With the introduction of this endless rope, skips ran up and down the haulage tunnel heading in sets of two. This system had been adopted to avoid strain and uneven loading on the haulage rope, thereby eliminating any "slip". This haulage heading and endless rope eventually ran in just over a mile in length in a west of south-west direction.

Millfield Greta Colliery only ever had two haulage engine drivers under R.W. Miller and Company operation. The first was Mr Tom Orchard, who retired with the introduction of the Miners Pension Scheme on 6th July 1942. He was replaced by Mr Lee Sweetman, who now resides at hall Street, Paxton.

The haulage engine is described by the last Millfield Greta Colliery steam engine driver, Mr Lee Sweetman, as being a large unit about 20 feet long, 10 feet wide and 6 feet high. Some other advice informs that this steam engine had been manufactured by "C. Hopkins Giles" of Glasgow, Scotland. This advice has not been documented or supported by colliery records. Mr Lee Sweetman could not confirm the maker. He did state that the engine had twin cylinders, each 20 inches in diameter. This engine was situated under the gantry almost directly under the weighbridge, and did not have other weather protection. The steam engine had a 7 feet diameter 4 feet wide drum to operate the endless rope. A large cement block was used to tension the tail of the rope. five rolls of the 1¼ inches diameter endless haulage rope ran around the drum. A 44 gallons container of oil was positioned near the rope drum, and this allowed the engine driver to "tap-drip" onto the rope when he thought necessary. The rope completed its upward haul, just near the end of the gantry. A 6 feet diameter "return-wheel" situated here brought the rope to the steam engine's drum. Another 6 feet diameter return wheel was located near the "empty skips road" for the journey back down the mine.

The engine driver doubled as the boiler fireman, performing the duties of both positions.

Steam for colliery use including the steam engine operating the endless rope was provided by a large boiler. This boiler was a Babcock and Wilcox brand type, 30 feet long and 8 feet diameter. It had two fire box doors. As outlined on page 1145, a loaded skip was shoulder shunted from the "excess numbers" of loaded skips holding shunt on pit-top, and placed back into a short skip shunt adjacent to and above the boiler area. Here a skip tumbler tipped coal into a chute to run below to a bin near the fire box. The fire box doors faced the gantry, and the boiler body ran back at right angles to the gantry, with the stack at the rear end. After being raked from the fire box, the ashes were barrowed away and taken to a nearby dump heap. Ashes were used by the colliery for its needs for packing in its rail sidings, and in the short rail branch track. The ash heap never caused a problem, because there was always some local Millfield Village resident or pit employee seeking ash fill.

In the colliery's early days, water for use in the boiler came from a small dam, located to the west behind the stables. This small square shaped dam was only some 25 yards by 25 yards. It caught surface run-off water from the gullies in "Ewen's Paddock". The overflow ran back along under the gantry into a small creek, heading towards Maitland Main Colliery. In the mid 1930's the Hunter District Water Board town supply was connected to Millfield Greta Colliery, and this replaced the dam source.

Whilst the steam haulage engine was not weather protected except by the gantry, a boilerhouse had been erected. This structure was about 20 yards wide, 10 yards deep and 12 feet high. It ran parallel to the gantry, and it covered the boiler and its fire boxes. The chute running coal from the pit-top to the boiler coal holding bin was also covered and weather protected. The stack stood clear at the opposite end of the boilerhouse and away from the gantry. The stack was a circular iron pipe originally 60 feet in height and 2 feet 6 inches in diameter. Some unsupported information suggested this stack had been a funnel from a small ship, and had been brought to the site in early 1929 by R.W. Miller. The stack was stabilised by guy wires at an iron band 40 feet from the ground. When the stack was found to be badly rusted just above the iron band line, and was considered to be dangerous, Mr Bede Kelly, Mr R.W. Miller's representative on the South Maitland field, in late 1932 requested Peter King to cut out the rust section and the surplus pipe above the band. Peter King, the original and senior partner of P.G. King Limited of Maitland, engaged his cousin, Mr Rex King, a building contractor of East Maitland, to stand a 6 inches by 6 inches Oregon pole right up along the stack's length. Peter King, using oxy-acetylene gear carried out the cutting operation himself. Utilising a "crab" winch on the ground, the top piece was secured. After it was cut off, it was gently lowered to the ground alongside the Oregon pole.

The stack's story did not end with the closure of Millfield Greta Colliery in 1955. The "1968" bush fire, which badly burnt the gantry, pit-top structure and the timber holding box at Millfield Greta Colliery, also burnt out a railway bridge culvert on the Maitland Main Branch. In order to speedily repair and quickly make the railway again trafficable, with the permission of R.W. Miller and Company, the iron pipe stack standing at the "idle" Millfield Greta Colliery was demolished by J. Williams and Sons, of Millfield Street, Cessnock, using their mobile crane. It was found that the stack was being held aloft supported only just by the guy stay wires. All the base welds, which evidently had originally only been flimsily constructed, had fretted and rusted away. After its demolition, the 40 feet long 2 feet 6 inches diameter stack pipe was cut into 3 equal lengths and "snigged" across country to the burnt out bridge culvert. It made an excellent railway bridge base in the gully depression. From my own observations in 1991, whilst the railway track is not now used, the "unexpected" pipe culvert still remained in situ and was effective.

Right from the very start of R.W. Miller's Millfield Greta Colliery operation, pit-horses played an important part in the haulage of the coal production. Pit-horses were utilised to bring to and return skips from "flats" through the side headings to and from the bords and the work face places. Millfield Greta Colliery never used "trappers" to open ventilation doors, such as "brattice drops" for the passage of the pit-horses. This task, where required, fell to the wheelers. Even when the scraper loader working was introduced in the early 1940's, the pit-horse skip haulage was still a very important factor in the Millfield Greta Colliery workings.

Pit-horses were taken in and out of the mine each day. In some difficult steep work places, pit-horses were required to perform the skip wheeling in tandem. Pit-horses were also very much engaged in the haulage of timber trolleys loaded with "props", or in "snigging" props to the required locations.

As outlined on page 1146, R.W. Miller in mid July 1930 requested Caledonian Collieries Limited to provide electricity to his new "Millfield Greta Colliery" workings. The high tension transmission power line was completed to Millfield Greta Colliery during November 1930. This power was progressively used for colliery needs including electric haulage motors. In October 1941 when the "Dips" or "Lower Seams" sections to the south-west were being further developed from McPherson's Dip, the colliery engineer installed a 100 H.P. Compton-Parkinson electric motor haulage. Although it is not supported by documentation, a strong item of information advises that this heavy unit was pulled below on a slide by Mr Walter Lumby of Ellalong and his team of bullocks. The McPherson's Dip haulage system was fabricated and constructed by P.G. King Limited of Maitland. It had a "main and tail", 1¼ inches thick rope winding onto a 12 feet diameter 3 feet wide drum, to haul loaded or empty skips in sets of 12. A mine employee, "the set-rider" rode on the set to attach or detach at appropriate "flats". At the McPherson's Dip junction the skips were clipped or unclipped to the Main Haulage endless rope. Sidlers with their pit-horses were used in the "Dips" and "Lower Seam" sections. At an important side heading diverting from the McPherson's Dip heading, a small electric winch moved skips towards the west in sets of six. This winch utilised a one inch diameter steel rope and an 8 feet diameter drum.

Millfield Greta Colliery never used a "creeper chain" on its pit-top. Skip movements were made either by "shoulder shunting" or by gravitation where the track had been constructed for this purpose. Once unloaded by the single tippler-tumbler, coal was moved forward by the shaker screen. The large coal by a slight tilt and the shaker motion to run into a timber chute and thence direct into the wooden hopper rail coal wagon. In late 1930 following the erection of the Millfield Greta Colliery electricity transmission line, a contractor, Mr Fred Lawson of James Street Cessnock and his two sons, had constructed an elevated timber coal holding bin (box) on the Cessnock side of the pit-top. This bin (box) was 120 feet long, 40 feet wide and 60 feet high and was located over two sets of colliery rail sidings. The box was divided into four compartments to hold coal other than large. coal was dropped from beneath the screens into a small bin. From here this coal was carried by a bucket elevator conveyor to the top of the holding box. The buckets were 24 inches long, 12 inches wide and 12 inches deep, and the buckets were bolted to a chain. The chain was "sprocket-driven" by a 30 H.P. Compton-Parkinson electric motor. Along the top of the box a flat steel grid plate ran over the compartments. This grid plate had holes bored to grade the coal. Over the first compartment the holes were smaller to take out the "fines". The next compartment was to hold "nuts" and the holes had been increased in size to meet this requirement; the third compartment was to hold "small coal", and its "grid hole" size was suitably made; the fourth and last compartment was for "cobble" coal, (a class slightly larger than the "nuts"). The buckets of the conveyor, as they reached the top and turned over to return, tipped as they reached the top and turned over to return, tipped its coal content onto the steel grid plate. A flat double chain conveyor running along the top of the grid perforated plate dragged the coal along. This chain conveyor was powered by a 20 H.P. Compton-Parkinson electric motor. When required, the classed coal was bottom discharged via doors into wooden hopper rail coal wagons for transport to the Company's customers.

"Mans Transport" was never introduced at Millfield Greta Colliery. The underground employees walked in and out of their various work places.

In brief, coal production from Millfield North Colliery was transported about 2 km over a private colliery road on the Millfield Greta lease to the pit-top at Millfield Greta Colliery. Two R.W. Miller and Company trucks previously involved in coal cartage between the Maitland Extended Collieries and Ayrfield No. 3 pit-top were transferred to the Millfield North Colliery cartage project. One truck was a 10 tons capacity "Leyland" petrol engine rear tipper lorry. The other was a 20 tons capacity "Mack" diesel engine side tipper semi-trailer. This type of vehicle used at the

Maitland Extended Collieries coal cartage were rear end tippers. The semi-trailer transferred was altered by Ayrfield No. 3 workshop fitter, Mr Ray "Monty" Thomas to be a hydraulic side tipper. At the Millfield Greta Colliery pit-top, this semi-trailer tipped from the right-side (driver's side) into a bin (box) at the surface level near the gantry's bottom. A specially converted scraper loader with a cradle positioned at the holding box. This 60 feet long chain with bars 1½ feet apart raised the coal to a second converted scraper loader to take the Millfield North Colliery coal to the screens. Thence to be loaded into wooden hopper rail coal wagons.

When Hetton-Bellbird Company in February 1976 took over the Millfield Greta Colliery lease and commenced mining operations through the main original haulage tunnel, this company had installed a rubber belt conveyor coal haulage system. An "A" frame was erected at the tunnel entrance to support the conveyor belt. The coal produced ran up the belt and poured onto a heap on the ground surface, and was later lifted by the Bellbird Colliery's own front end loader into motor lorry transport. In the first few months, this coal was taken to Bellbird Colliery for rail loading. From 1st July 1976, the road transport contractor, R. and P. Mitchell of Bellbird Village, carried this coal to Ayrfield No. 3 Washery for treatment and rail loading.

The 36 inches wide conveyor belt was powered by a 415 volts twin drive Hanaford electric motor, which had been transferred from Hetton-Bellbird Colliery. This motor was positioned on a disused wagon timber frame adjacent to the "A" frame (see page 1154 for further details).

To win the coal below in the Millfield Greta workings, Hetton-Bellbird Company had installed a Le Norse continuous mining machine. Coal production from this machine was transported to the conveyor belt in two shuttle cars up to a maximum distance of 250 yards. The "creep and crush" conditions that had been met in the Millfield Greta Colliery in the 1940's and 1950's, were again experienced in the Hetton-Bellbird Company operations. "floor thrust" in the main haulage heading forced the Hetton-Bellbird Company to make a new "belt route" through adjoining parallel headings. After some five or six changings of "belt routes", the Hetton-Bellbird Company realised that it could no longer continue to operate its coal mining in the areas selected. Consequently in early March 1977, the machinery and conveyor belt system was progressively withdrawn.

Hetton-Bellbird Company obtained another area of the Millfield Greta Colliery lease and drove a "box-cut drift" through an open-cut mine to re-enter and recommence operations. The "A" frame, the rubber belting conveyor system and structures, the Le Norce mining machine, the shuttle cars, etc., were transferred from the Main Haulage Heading to this new "box-drift" operations. Again the coal production was carried by road transport to Ayrfield No. 3 washery for treatment. Working in this area ceased on Wednesday 18th January 1978, and the machinery and conveyor belt system was recovered.

PIT-HORSES:

Millfield Greta Colliery always used pit-horse haulage as an important part of its mining operations. It would appear that the highest total number engaged at any one period was 22 horses. Mr Bill Cagney, the colliery ostler, fed and cared for the horses. The colliery had provided adequate housing for its pit-horses in stables erected to the western side of the pit-top buildings. My research has revealed little detail as to the type of constructions, materials used, size, etc.

VENTILATION:

The first and original owners, Millfield Colliery Coal Mining Colliery Company, had commenced its operations in 1922. The Mines Department 1923 Annual Report informs, that during that year 7 men were working underground in the "prospecting and developing" with ventilation provided by natural means. The "1924" report states that the small mine was still developing with natural ventilation. Following the purchase of the lease area by R.W. Miller in 1924, all development appears to have been placed in "moth-balls".

Early in 1929 when R.W. Miller recommenced mining operations at Millfield Greta Colliery, the main thrust then appears to have been the driving of the main haulage heading, and in developing and mining the areas along the outcrop, close to the surface. At this period the mining ventilation was still being made by natural means. The main haulage heading and the travelling tunnel heading were always down-cast airways. An up-cast air shaft about 60 feet deep had been sunk in the outcrop area into these first workings. An underground furnace was installed beneath the shaft. The Mines Department 1930 Annual Report advises that Millfield Greta Colliery ventilation was still being made by the underground furnace, but that an electric fan was on hand ready for installation early in the next year, (1931).

In November 1930, Caledonian Collieries Limited had erected a high tension transmission power line along the Kalingo Branch Railway to connect its Aberdare Extended Colliery sub-station to the Millfield Greta Colliery. The Mines Department 1931 Annual Report informs that the new electric Sirocco fan had been installed early in that year, and that ventilation by the underground furnace had finished on Monday 18th May 1931. The underground furnace was demolished shortly afterwards.

The Sirocco fan was a double inlet unit, 12 feet in diameter and 8 feet in depth. This fan was driven by a 50 H.P. English General Electric Company electric motor. The fan was situated in a concrete construction building over the up-cast air shaft. An "evasee" was built through the concrete roof for the air flow of "exhausted" foul air. This fan room had an entrance way, which opened into an air lock, made by the two large strong timber doors at each end. This air lock made easy access for entry to allow the oil ring bearings to be checked daily. The fan's 6 inches diameter driving shaft protruded through a concrete side wall into the adjoining "electric motor room", that housed the English General Electric Company motor. In its first years a leather belting 7 inches in width drove the fan. Later this leather belting was replaced by a "Bellato" composition of canvas and rubber belting.

In the mid 1940's the Sirocco fan was replaced by an aeroplane propeller on the original fan shaft to exhaust foul air. World War II had interrupted speedy replacement of defective imported machinery and equipment. Australian industry had to adapt and improvise to enable production in all fields to continue. In the mines of the R.W. Miller and Company, an inventive engineer had utilised the propellers of Gypsy Moth Aeroplanes to substitute for "non-operating" ventilation fans, which required repairs and workshop attention. A scheme that proved economic and helpful to other mining companies.

One of the later years Mines Department regulations was that all mines should have an alternative electricity power supply, particularly for "fan" ventilation, and more especially for mines that had electrically powered shaft cage haulage. One of the pioneers in providing an alternative electricity supply was R.W. Miller. At Millfield Greta Colliery a 100 kW Bellis and Morcom steam powered generator was installed on Thursday 20th February 1930. The main purpose of this unit at that time was to provide lighting both on the surface and underground. During November 1930, Caledonian Collieries Limited erected a high tension transmission line to Millfield Greta Colliery. With this abundant new electricity supply, R.W. Miller did not withdraw the 100 kW direct current electricity generator at Millfield Greta Colliery. The steam powered generator was maintained during the whole life of Millfield Greta Colliery. A 30 H.P. direct current electric motor was installed in the fan house engine room to be available as an alternative power supply to operate the colliery's fan ventilation. Over the years on quite a number of occasions, this alternative power was utilised for this emergency role. A simple chore by just moving the belt from the regular motor to the emergency direct current motor. A very wise decision and provision by R.W. Miller.

The customary and normal methods of using return airway headings throughout the bord and pillar system was utilised in Millfield Greta Colliery. In addition, the hessian brattice was erected and used to create return airways in new developments in driving headings and bords. In a few areas, "drop doors" made from brattice were utilised to ensure air flow below made the right passage to the return air heading.

When Millfield Greta Colliery ceased its underground mining operations on Friday 4th November 1955, the concrete fan house building was allowed to stand and remain. The English General Electric Company 50 H.P. electric motor was recovered and transferred to Rhonda Colliery.

In February 1976 when Hetton Bellbird Company took over the Millfield Greta Colliery lease and commenced mining operations there, it transferred a propeller type fan from its Bellbird mine. It installed this fan in the old fan house in the situation and location as the previous Millfield Greta colliery fan. The "Bellbird" fan was driven by a 50 H.P. electric motor, which was also transferred from Bellbird Colliery. Mr Jack Tolfrey, the Hetton-Bellbird Colliery engineer erected mesh steel barricades on all openings on the old Millfield Greta Colliery fan house to prevent any unauthorised entry. This mesh steel was also placed over the "evasee" in the building's roof.

When Hetton-Bellbird Company completed its underground mining on the Millfield Greta lease on Wednesday 18th January 1978, it recovered its propeller fan and the 50 H.P. electric motor.

ELECTRICITY GENERATION:

As outlined on page 1146, R.W. Miller had been a progressive thinker when he planned the use of electricity at his pits. It was not surprising then that on Thursday 20th February 1930, a 100 kW Bellis and Morcom electricity generation plant was installed at his Millfield Greta Colliery. This unit produced direct current electricity to supply during that year, 112 light lamps on the surface and 6 lights underground. The Bellis and Morcom generator was located in a timber framed fibre plaster clad building situated quite close to the boilerhouse. It was some 12 feet long, 12 feet wide and 12 feet high. The plant was driven by steam. Even after Caledonian Collieries Limited had connected its electricity supply, the steam driven Bellis and Morcom generator was retained and maintained. In the case of a town supply electricity failure, it was a simple procedure to change over the belt to a direct current motor to keep the mine's ventilation fan working. The Bellis and Morcom generator was kept operable until Millfield Greta Colliery ceased mining operations to cover as an emergency alternative.

In 1927 Caledonian Collieries Limited completed the construction of its large electricity generation plant at Cockle Creek and the erection of a 33000 volts high tension transmission power line from Cockle Creek to a sub-station at its Aberdare Extended Colliery. In early July 1930 R.W. Miller and Company requested Caledonian Collieries to connect the Millfield Greta Colliery to their new electricity supply. On Thursday 31st July 1930 R.W. Miller signed an agreement with Caledonian Collieries Limited to ratify the supply of electricity. This agreement is shown as Number 88 in Caledonian Collieries Limited Company's seal register book. In the next few weeks Caledonian Collieries Limited had arranged with various coal companies for the "right" to erect an electric high tension transmission line to cross their properties to run from the Aberdare Extended Colliery sub-station to the Millfield Greta Colliery. In the route of this transmission line from Aberdare Extended sub-station it crossed the Cessnock No. 2 Colliery lease to join alongside the Kalingo Branch Railway; thence along this rail track to the junction with the Paxton Branch Railway to the junction with the Maitland Main Branch Railway; then along this branch railway to Millfield Greta Colliery. The various authorities and agreements with the constructing company also appear in the Caledonian Collieries Company seal register book thus:

No. 102 - Agreement with East Greta Coal Mining Company for permission for a power line to travel alongside the Paxton Branch rail track.

No. 103 - Agreement with Maitland Main Colliery Limited for permission for the power line to travel alongside their Branch Railway.

No. 105 - Agreement with Cessnock Collieries Limited for permission for the power line to travel alongside their Kalingo Branch Railway.

No. 124 - Agreement with Hetton-Bellbird Company for permission for the power line to cross the Bellbird Branch Railway at the Kalingo Branch Railway bridge crossing.

No. 136 - Agreement with the Mines Department for permission to run on Mining Lease No. 9, an area of 3 roods, 36 perches, during part of the transmission line route.

The transmission line was approximately 8 miles long. Its construction was completed during November 1930. It was of pole and cross bar style to carry 3 wires. The poles were of ironbark logs, 50 feet in length. These were erected on the average 4 chains (88 yards) apart. The cross bars were of steel, 10 feet long, 4 inches wide and 3 inches deep. The cross bars carried 7.064 gauge copper cables held on porcelain insulators to carry the 33,000 kVA volts. The three cable lines were on the cross bar, with the middle line alternating its position on the bar, so that it changed its place on the side of the pole at each following pole. An earth 7.080 gauge steel cable ran on a bracket fixed to the top of each pole. An "earth" piping ran to the ground from the "earth" cable at every 5th or 6th pole. The theory in this 1930 period was that the earth wire along the top of the poles removed the risks, threats and hazards of storm lightning damage. At certain locations due to the topography of some areas, stay wires were required to firm and secure the poles and transmission line. In all 26 stay wires were utilised along its length. It is known that the Caledonian Collieries Company's erecting team included Jack Rumford (Junior), Jim Durie, Charlie Regan, Wally Stevenson, plus others.

On Thursday 24th April 1934, an agreement was made between Stanford Main No. 2 (Paxton) Colliery and Caledonian Collieries Limited to connect Paxton Colliery to the Millfield Greta Colliery transmission line at the Maitland Main Junction on the Paxton Branch Railway (see page 1096, Stanford Main No. 2 Colliery section of this history). The transmission line from this junction to Paxton Colliery was erected by Stanford Main No. 2 Colliery employees.

A "tee" junction was made on Tuesday 30th June 1936 to the Millfield Greta Colliery transmission line at a point near the Kalingo Junction signal box to connect to Cessnock No. 1 Colliery (see page 1028 - Cessnock No. 1 Colliery section of this history). This short extension was erected by a team of Caledonian Collieries electrical employees, headed by Jack Rumford (Junior). During August 1938 a transmission line was extended from this Cessnock No. 1 Colliery sub-station to provide domestic electricity supply to Ellalong Village. Another Caledonian Collieries electrical employees team, headed by Charlie Regan, erected the street lighting poles and ran the house supply. In early 1938 this same team had connected Pelton Village by another line "teed" off from the Millfield Greta Colliery transmission line.

Jack Rumford (Junior) and a team of Caledonian Collieries electrical employees installed a "tee" junction to the Millfield Greta Colliery transmission line at the Cessnock-Wollombi Road to run domestic supply and street lighting to Millfield Village.

An entry in Caledonian Collieries Limited's company's seal register book dated Monday 2nd December 1946 records an agreement with Maitland Main Colliery Company to provide an electricity supply. The 33,000 kVA transmission line was connected to a transformer installed near the Maitland Main Colliery haulage winding engine house. The electricity there was reduced to 2200 volts.

In late 1930, in anticipation of the Caledonian Collieries Limited's alternating current electricity supply, R.W. Miller had acquired a Sirocco fan. In early May 1931 the previous underground ventilation, a furnace, was discontinued, and the Sirocco fan was installed. This Sirocco fan was driven by a 50 H.P. English General Electric Company motor.

The main endless rope haulage at Millfield Greta Colliery continued to be maintained by steam power. However some auxiliary or side heading haulages installed were driven by electric motors, mostly Compton-Parkinson units. Of these perhaps the most important side heading haulage was the installation in October 1941 at the entrance to McPherson's Dip, when a 100 H.P. Compton-Parkinson electric motor was placed there to drive a haulage system fabricated by P.G. King Limited of Maitland. The first electric cable used underground at Millfield Greta Colliery had been second-hand armour proofed cable purchased from the Sydney Harbour Bridge Authority, after the bridge was opened.

The first electric appliance installed by R.W. Miller and Company at its Millfield Greta Colliery is said to have been the electric motor to drive the bucket conveyor elevator at the "small coal" holding box. A 30 H.P. Compton-Parkinson motor was utilised for the "bucket" section, and a 20 H.P. Compton-Parkinson motor on the double chain conveyor on the "box" top. This second motor was housed in a small shed built on top of the box. Other early electrical equipment were the Ajax pumps driven by 5 H.P. or 10 H.P. Compton-Parkinson electric motors. Later the main vertical pump, which had 3 cylinders each of 12 inches diameter, was driven by a 15 H.P. Compton-Parkinson electric motor.

In the early 1940's scraper loaders were introduced at Millfield Greta Colliery. These loaders had been constructed by P.G. King's of Maitland. The winch section of the loader was driven by a 20 H.P. electric motor. In mid 1942 an electricity sub-station was constructed underground with power coming down the travelling tunnel. This sub-station was situated about 200 yards from the surface in a cut-through linking the main haulage and travelling headings. In the early days of "loader" working the electricity was in along the headings and bords by open wires on insulators fixed to the pit props. These wires were placed some 9 inches apart, the colliery electrician hand-spanning the distance. The early cable utilised was rubber insulated and braided, and this was supplied in 100 yards rolls. Insulators were of the "bobbin" type.

In extending the reticulation lines, the colliery electrician, the "eleco", threw down a rubber insertion mat to stand on. The "power take-off" box was cut off and taken to the other end of the new "open-wire" run extension to be re-erected. The electricians returned and rejoined the lines whilst standing on the mat. One such electrician, Charles Goode, now residing at 60 Burg Street, East Maitland, told me that he had received only one "shock" over the years. He was working with Jack Healing, who later became Superintendent of Burwood Colliery. Whilst Charles handed Jack a foil covered roll of insulator tape, the foil attracted electricity and both were thrown over with a "hit", (an electrical charge). From 1950 onwards, Millfield Greta Colliery used as "electricity take-off" boxes manufactured by Electric Controls, an engineering company of Newcastle. This firm was noted for its flame proof machinery. Also from 1950 rubber insulated PVC sheeted cables, one inch in diameter were utilised.

In early 1950 R.W. Miller considered it required a better electricity supply underground for the various reticulation areas, particularly in the "West Headings". A bore was sunk about 1 km from the Millfield Village shops on the south side of the road. A transmission line was run from Millfield North Colliery and placed down the bore. A transformer below reduced this current to 415 volts, especially for use by a winch and a coal cutting machine.

When Millfield Greta Colliery closed in November 1955 all the electric motors, including the 100 H.P. unit at McPherson's Dip junction were recovered. All scraper loaders were recovered as well as most pumps. The 3 cylinders main pump was left underground in Millfield Greta mine. Most electric motors, pumps and scraper loaders were transferred to Ayrfield No. 3 Colliery.

Hetton-Bellbird Colliery commenced mining operations in the Millfield Greta Colliery lease in February 1976. One of its first requirements was to have Hunter Valley County Council connect electricity mains to their proposed workings. Underground haulage to the surface for this new operation was provided by a rubber belting conveyor driven by a "Fox" drive-head powered by two 50 H.P. squirrel cage motors. Coal production was won by a Le Norce continuous mining machine and transported to the conveyor belt by 2 shuttle cars. Again the project appears to have been made on the cheap. One Hetton-Bellbird mine electrician informs me that at the Millfield project the electricity power take-off boxes, were made from old Arnott Company biscuit tines, – "Rosella branded, parrot and all". When the Bellbird operation was completed, all the electrical equipment was recovered. The conveyor belt system, the Fox drive-head and electric motors were sold to the Great Greta Colliery, and were transferred to that colliery at Rix's Creek.

An aeroplane propeller exhaust fan, driven by a 50 H.P. electric motor was installed on the previous Millfield Greta Colliery fan shaft to provide the ventilation during the Hetton-Bellbird mining operations. At the completion of this project, the fan and electric motor were recovered.

Hetton-Bellbird Colliery transferred some of its "Mono" pumps, plus a 30 H.P. electric motor, to handle underground water encountered during the mining operation on the Millfield Greta Colliery lease. The pumps and electric motor were all recovered at the end of the project.

PUMPS:

Underground water is said by both the management and the mine workers not to have been a major problem within the Millfield Greta Colliery. Consequently with only a small volume of underground water, there was not a treat number of "in-bye" pumps. These pumps were mostly Ajax brand types, driven by either 5 H.P. or 10 H.P. electric motors. These pumps were utilised to shift the small quantity of underground water to a small sump located close to the travelling heading. These pumps had a 2 inches suction and a 2 inches thrust. This sump is said to have been roughly in a position under the Millfield Village small shops, with a cover of some 450 feet of overburden, and at about ¾ mile from the surface.

This water was said to have been very acidic. It was pushed to the surface via the travelling heading in 4 inches diameter pipes. Originally these pipes were of steel. However the acidic water caused corrosion and forced replacement by 4 inches diameter asbestos piping. At the sump, a vertical pump with three cylinders each of 12 inches diameter, driven by a 15 H.P. Compton-Parkinson electric motor, pushed the water up the asbestos piping. Such pumping was usually made about every second day depending on the fill in the sump. At the surface, the underground water was allowed to run away to the nearby creek.

The cylinders of this vertical pump had been moulded from ¾ inch thick cast iron, and were bolted down to hold in position. Over the years, these cast iron cylinders showed evidence of attack from the acidic water. In some spots, it was found that the cast iron had softened like carbon, and allowed "squirt-holes", the size of a pencil thickness to appear. To repair this damage, the cylinders were unbolted, and their tops and rubber seal rings removed. The softened areas were then sand papered clean. A mixture was made consisting of cement, "Isinglass", (an egg preserver), and a little sand, to form a "gooey" paste. When this mixture soon hardened on the hole, the cylinder became as good as new, and was quickly brought back into use.

One other difficulty in pumping was found on occasions in removing the underground water. This occurred when due to an electricity failure, with the pump stopping, the water already in the pipe being pushed up the heading ran backwards, causing an increase in the water pressure. Such pressure invariably caused splits in the asbestos pipeline. These splits required the insertion of a replacement length of 4 inches diameter asbestos, or additional lengths depending on the distance of the split.

When Millfield Greta Colliery officially ceased its mining operations in mid 1956, most of the small Ajax pumps, together with the smaller electric motors driving the pumps, had been recovered when the pit closed in November 1955. The larger 3 cylinder vertical pump at the sump was allowed to remain, but the 15 H.P. Compton-Parkinson electric motor utilised to drive the vertical pump was also recovered. All the pumps and their electric drive motors are said to have been transferred to Ayrfield No. 3 Colliery.

Hetton-Bellbird Colliery, when it commenced its mining operations on the Millfield Greta Colliery lease in February 1976, transferred some of its "Mono" pumps together with a 30 H.P. electric motor to its Millfield project to handle possible underground water problems. These pumps and the 30 H.P. electric motor were recovered when Hetton-Bellbird Company ceased its Millfield lease mining operation.

RAIL CONNECTION:

The development of coal mines on the western sector of the South Maitland "Greta Seam" coalfield had shown the need for extension of the coal railway branch tracks. The Kalingo Branch Railway had been completed to the mine site in late August 1919. On Wednesday 11th August 1920 East Greta Coal Mining Company had sought permission from the Mines Department to extend a branch railway from the Kalingo Branch Railway. This spur branch was completed on Friday 8th September 1922. Another company, Gretamain Colliery Limited (later Maitland Main Colliery) also opened its mine and arranged for a 1½ mile branch track to join the East Greta Coal Mining Company's Paxton Railway. This branch was opened for traffic in August 1923.

Having obtained the Millfield Greta lease in late 1924, R.W. Miller on 12th August 1925 wrote to South Maitland Railways Limited requesting a quotation on possible rail freight rates to apply from these new workings. South Maitland Railways Limited replied that these rates would be the same as those then applicable to the neighbouring Gretamain Colliery (later to become Maitland Main Colliery). For some reason not yet revealed in my research, R.W. Miller appears to have placed his Millfield Greta Lease in "moth-balls".

In April 1929 R.W. Miller and Company recommenced its mining operations on the Millfield Greta lease. The first coal produced is said to have been transported by lorry and loaded into wooden hopper coal rail wagons in Cessnock No. 2 Colliery yard. An early South Maitland Railways record shows that some Millfield Greta Colliery's coal production in its first days was also transported by lorry and placed into wooden hopper rail wagons in Cessnock Goods rail yard sidings. Mr Bede Kelly, (R.W. Miller's representative) informed me that the Millfield Greta Colliery's short rail connection of 21 chains (0.42 km) to the Maitland Main Branch Railway, together with all the colliery sidings laid, were constructed by Glashen Brothers, contractors of Maitland.

South Maitland Railways Circular No. 193, dated Tuesday 2nd July 1929, informed its company employees that Millfield Greta Colliery sidings were open for traffic under temporary limited arrangements. The new sidings at Millfield Greta Colliery then had accommodation for 75 hopper wagons. This instruction circular stated that the new junction was located 60 chains (1.2 km) from the Paxton Branch Railway. The facing points entry and the safety catch points, (located on the colliery side of the Cessnock to Wollombi Road), were both operated by a single lever frame. This single lever frame was situated close by the facing entry points. The points were secured in their normal position by an Annette lock, located on the frame's single lever. This lock was released by an Annette key retained by the Millfield Greta Colliery manager. This Annette key was a separate key from the "staff key", also an Annette key, and which was the traffic working authority carried on the locomotive, whilst it was on the single branch track. The "staff key" operated the Annette locks on the catch points at Cessnock No. 1 Colliery (Kalingo), Stanford Main No. 2 Colliery (Paxton) and at Maitland Main Colliery. However due to its different setting, this "staff key" could not operate the Millfield Greta Annette lock.

When the Millfield Greta Colliery train departed Caledonia railway signal box, the officer there telephoned Millfield Greta Colliery advising of the train departure and its estimated arrival time at Millfield Colliery 50 minutes later. First actual rail traffic operation at this facing points entry was most unusual. When the Millfield Greta train arrived at the colliery junction points, the in-coming train was secured, the locomotive was detached and was moved forward on the Maitland Main Branch clear of the facing entry points. A Millfield Greta Colliery employee using the "colliery Annette key" opened the facing points. Then a bullock driver and his team of 30 bullocks pulled the empty wagon vehicles into the Millfield siding clear of the Cessnock to Wollombi Main Road. The locomotive then propelled the empty wagons further into the loading sidings. The circular stressed that after the wagons had been loaded, a second "light" locomotive and brake van lifted out the loaded vehicles. (Author's note: A "light" locomotive was one that did not convey empty wagons on its "down" journey).

South Maitland Railways Circular No. 195 dated Wednesday 28th August 1929 informed its employees that the construction of the Millfield Greta Colliery sidings had been further extended and advanced. The colliery track grades were shown as being "1 in 60" inclined back towards the junction points. No. 1 siding, the outside track on the northern side of the colliery yard was available to inwards trains consisting of not more than 40 four wheeled wooden hopper rail coal wagons. Locomotives were prohibited from proceeding on No. 1 siding, (the running road), beyond the East Greta Junction side of the pit-top. No. 2 siding was the locomotive run-around loop, and this siding was of sufficient length to clear the inwards train, and just short of the "throw-over" points for entry to the loaded vehicles sidings. The locomotive ran around its inwards train, and then propelled the empty wagons to a point near the pit-top, for the colliery staff to shunt as required, utilising pit-horse as the power, plus gravitation. The outwards train was lifted by the locomotive from either or both of the two loaded wagons sidings as directed by the colliery shunter. The colliery "entry" points continued to be controlled and released by the Annette key held at Millfield Greta Colliery office.

South Maitland Railways circular No. 199 dated Monday 14th July 1930 extended the allowable locomotive travel area in the No. 1 running road to a stop-board located at a point 68 yards past the pit-top building. The "extended" permission allowed the locomotive, after having run-around its inwards train, to propel the empty vehicles in a shunting neck just clear of the westerly entry to the empty wagons standage siding. The colliery shunter was later able to gravitate the vehicles into the loading siding required.

On Friday 25th March 1938, the colliery management and the colliery employees reported the loss of the Annette key, which released the Millfield Greta Colliery entry points. South Maitland Railways provided its "master" Annette key for use by its guards, whilst alterations were made to the Annette lock at Millfield Greta Colliery. On Tuesday 3rd May 1938, the changes to the lock were completed, and from that date Millfield Greta Colliery entry points were made operable by the locomotive traffic authority "key staff" Annette key.

South Maitland Railways Circular No. 385 dated Friday 21st February 1941 instructed all its employees that an additional parallel dead-end siding, approximately 70 yards in length, had been opened as "shunting necks" beyond the entry to the empty wagons loading standage. From this date, all the inwards Millfield Greta Colliery trains were propelled into either "dead-end shunting neck" to await later gravitation by the colliery shunter.

This rail connection and colliery yard sidings layout was maintained until R.W. Miller and Company ceased its mining operations on the lease in November 1955.

In the summer of 1968, a large bush fire in the then idle Millfield Greta Colliery yard burnt and destroyed, either partially or completely, the gantry, the pit-top structure, the elevated coal holding bin, and some other timber colliery buildings. The fire had started amongst the regrowth trees and high grass surrounding the area.

When Hetton-Bellbird Company commenced its coal mining operations on the Millfield Greta lease in February 1976, all coal produced was transported by motor lorry to the Ayrfield No. 3 washery. In late 1977 the remaining pit-top structures in addition to all the rail sidings tracks, were bulldozed clear by the contractors, Goodsir and Cooper of High Street, Cessnock to permit a small open-cut mine to be worked in the area. In this open-cut mine, coal was won by the contractors, Goodsir and Cooper, and the coal production was transported by the firm, R. and P. Mitchell of Bellbird to Ayrfield No. 3 Colliery washery plant for treatment and rail loading.

RAIL WAGONS:

At the commencement of R.W. Miller's mining operation on the Millfield Greta lease in February 1929, the new project had the benefit of the Ayrfield Nos. 1 and 2 Collieries wagon fleet. During the late 1920's, both these Ayrfield mines had met working problems underground mainly due to floodings and seepage. Consequently the production there had dropped, and wagons were in less demand at these points, and some portion of the Ayrfield fleet became available to meet a shortfall at Millfield Greta Colliery.

In addition R.W. Miller had acquired a number of second-hand wooden hopper coal rail wagons, which were repainted and rebranded "Millfield". These wagons were painted a dark red colour. The name "Millfield" was over-painted in white on the second top hopper board in letters 9 inches high and 1 inch wide. This word was divided on either side of the middle steel lifting strap.

An advantage was gained by R.W. Miller and Company in its further early development of Millfield Greta Colliery, because the need for wooden hopper coal rail wagons was stopped by the "1929 Miners Lockout", when South Maitland Railways employees went on a 9 months long strike in support of the miners. During this period all coal production from Millfield Colliery was carried by road for rail loading at Rothbury Colliery. When South Maitland Railways haulage resumed in June 1930, Millfield Greta Colliery's production was transported in the mine's own small wagon fleet, supplemented by Ayrfield vehicles.

The opening of the Ayrfield No. 3 workings on the previous Rothbury Colliery lease in the mid 1930's required an increase in R.W. Miller and Company wagon fleet numbers. With the closure of Ayrfield No. 2 Colliery in the early 1930's, and Ayrfield No. 1 Colliery on Tuesday 22nd November 1938, the wagons used at these mines were transferred to the Ayrfield No. 3 workings. Over the next following years with the increased developmen