Coalmine(s)

Henry had an aversion of being underground ever since the collapse of the underground hut he helped to build - Errol had nearly died! Then during a geology course he had to go underground into a coalmine ‘for the experience’. Experience alright! There was an earth tremor while they were down there! Later at Reefton he fell down a forty foot vertical shaft, probably the only dry one in the area - and they said he was lucky!

He knew there was a coalmine on Diamond Hill because there was an access track to the old hut that had served as an office. The piles of dross around, indicated that the coal was low grade lignite.

They needed to poke a road around the hill for access to facilitate land preparation and planting but Henry was a bit windy about traipsing through the gorse to survey the line in case he fell down another shaft.

The mines office were not much help because they were moving to another building so all their information was packed up in boxes. They were able to say there were thirty two shafts, but could not identify the location without the records!

Henry with Mick driving the dozer and sat on the armrest with his abney level to roughly scrape out the line. Half an hour in, whap, the right hand track flopped down a narrow mineshaft [probably wide enough to push a trolley down] and dozer reared like Jackie! This meant Henry and a team had to dig a dead man to anchor the winch. A dead man is a slit trench with a stout log wedged in the bottom. The dozer popped out like a cork but they had to do this three more times, luckily none being over-dangerous.

There was a swampy area where water seeped out of the main shaft and they knew to drive in there would be to risk the dozer becoming bogged. While Mick pushed up a heap of dry clay, Henry and his team dug a trench through the swamp and laid culvert pipes. They cut Manuka poles to lay down at the mouth of the pipe – so fill did not block it - and then they laid a thick layer of branches, slash and small logs – fascining it’s called. Mick then covered the scrub with the stockpiled clay - they completed the road with no further out-of-the-ordinary issues.

Henry knew about the other, more substantial shaft on the other side of the ridge, at times water from it flowed onto Rodman Road.

The forest had an open gate policy and 1% of its spending vote was allowed for ‘amenity’ work or plantings. The walking tracks and the picnic area down at forest HQ were already well utilised. Hooks, always interested in mines nagged at Henry to at least drain the Rodman Road mine to see what happened. Henry acquiesced, so they opened up the entrance and water gushed out causing considerable damage to Rodman Road!

With the road fixed, Hooks nagged again to enter the mine! The last manager from the Shag Point mine advised them that it was safest to take a candle and if it goes out – get out quick!

The bloody candle went out and they made a quick retreat! Safely out, Hooks claimed it was a drop of water that had extinguished the candle and he wanted to give it another try but Henry asserted it was too dangerous and he would have the entrance sealed up – no argument.

Fooling with sanity, Henry took a team to clear the scrub and make a walking track to the mine entrance and deciding not to give in to fear, told Hooks to bring his candle.

Henry made a holder out of a tin can to protect the candle from overhead drips.

The shaft went slightly upwards into the hill for about thirty metres and Henry kept looking back to that ever decreasing circle of daylight.

About thirty meters in, the shaft divided sharply, so they decided on the left fork, which circled into the hill for maybe twenty metres to where there had been a rock-fall and their way was blocked – the daylight circle had gone and Henry felt a strong urge run!

At the end of the right fork, someone was standing at the base of another rock-fall! Goose bumps covered Henry’s flesh and his hackles rose!

‘Shit’ gasped Hooks.

The last miner in there must have stood his shovel, and then fashioned a cross to hang an old coat, then he placed a dead man’s hat on top – in the half-light it looked for all the world to be a real person! Yes, someone had been lost in the rock-fall!

They decided to close off access into the mine.