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Coalmining

Read more about the article King Coal’s loyal foot-soldiers on the job
Left to right: Joel Fitzgibbon, MP, ALP Federal Member for Hunter; Stephen Galilee, CEO, Minerals Council of NSW; Mark Latham MLC, NSW One Nation Party leader; John Barilaro, NSW National Party leader. Photo from Joel Fitzgibbon's Twitter account.

King Coal’s loyal foot-soldiers on the job

Opinion by Greg Ray The photo tells you much about the coal industry in NSW. A bunch of political bottom-feeders in uniform for the fading but still wealthy King Coal. You’ve got old mate Fitzy on the left, still in shock from nearly losing his seat at the most recent election. The nominally Labor Member for the federal seat of Hunter wants to blame everybody but himself, and perhaps figures if he cosies up to King Coal and gets himself on the op-ed writing roster for Mr Murdoch’s media stable he might be able to future-proof…

Continue ReadingKing Coal’s loyal foot-soldiers on the job
Read more about the article James Gayner of Hamilton: coalminer, storekeeper and newsagent
James Gayner and his son Mathew at the family's general store in Tudor Street, Hamilton, circa 1880. Photo from Al Gayner.

James Gayner of Hamilton: coalminer, storekeeper and newsagent

In the photo above, the bearded gent is James Gayner, with his son Mathew, (born in 1875 and then aged about three), outside the family's general store and paper shop in Tudor Street, Hamilton. The family had the store for 83 years and members covered hundreds of thousands of kilometres on foot, delivering papers to their customers. James Gayner and his wife came from England in 1857, chasing work in Newcastle's coalmines. He started work at the Australian Agricultural Company's Borehole pit in Hamilton, later transferring to the Lambton pit where he worked until injury forced…

Continue ReadingJames Gayner of Hamilton: coalminer, storekeeper and newsagent
Read more about the article King Coal wants it all his way

King Coal wants it all his way

KING Coal is an outlaw, of the worst kind. The coal industry is so quick to invoke the letter of the law when it comes to stopping people protesting against the worst of its destructive activities, or taking over other peoples’ lives and land. But when it wants to steal water, or rip off taxpayers or ignore the occasional court decision that somehow doesn’t go its way, the law can get stuffed. You can quickly and easily make a long list of shocking examples of coal companies in Australia behaving with disregard for the law. But…

Continue ReadingKing Coal wants it all his way
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