Expanding Horizons: Mining

The 1970s began optimistically in the coal industry. Swanbank B power station came on line, with four units each of 125 Megawatts generating capacity - big units for that time. Box Flat was the largest supplier to the power station, producing 609,046 tonnes from four mines, one of them open cut. This was the equivalent of the entire Queensland production 50 years earlier. Power stations were now by far the largest customer for coal, but the situation was insecure. Demand from the outdated Brisbane stations such as Bulimba and Tennyson was decreasing. New Hope continued to supply them by barge and truck until they ceased operating in 1986.

Local collieries had geared up to maintain a supply for Swanbank but they were told in 1975 that a new power station at Gladstone would connect to the electrical grid in the near future. When that happened, the demand for coal for Swanbank would decrease. An ominous warning was added: proprietors should keep this in mind when planning expansion or purchase of new machinery. There were now only nine companies operating 27 different mines in West Moreton, half of them open cut. These proprietors remained positive and continued to invest in new equipment such as a new $2M preparation plant for Rhondda and $1.25M of new equipment for New Hope.  With the completion of Gladstone delayed, 1977 was a record year. The following year, a group of local companies signed a deal with the Queensland Electricity Generating Board which guaranteed some sales to Swanbank for the following 15 years. After that time, it was intended that Swanbank would be phased out. This was a help, but it was clear that new markets would have to be found. Oakleigh Mine at Rosewood was at this time the only “exporter” of coal, but this merely involved sending a small amount to New South Wales each year by road.

In 1978, a number of companies formed a consortium to try to find overseas markets and this was later formalised as the West Moreton Coal Exporters Pty Ltd. Small trial shipments were sent to Japan and Fiji using the “Maynegrain” grain loading facilities in Brisbane and by 1983, when a new terminal opened at Fisherman Island, significant amounts of coal were being exported from Ipswich. This terminal, operated by QBH (Qld Bulk Handling Pty Ltd) was initiated by New Hope Corporation who remain a 50% partner. The Coal Board had been actively promoting coal as a fuel and in the 1980s a number of local industries including the XXXX brewery at Milton converted to coal, providing a small extra market. However it was now a troubled industry in Ipswich. Some seams and mines were simply worked out or were no longer economical. Other mines were prevented from expanding by the vocal new urban population who did not want mines in their backyard. In 1978, there were protests about a proposed open cut at Tivoli and in 1980, PUMA (Prevention of Urban Mining) protested about plans for a mine in the Redbank Plains area. An application for urban mining was turned down in Ipswich Magistrates Court in 1988.

City grieves as 17 die at Box Flat
At 2.47am on 31st July 1972, many Ipswich residents were awakened by a deep loud bang and a feeling that their house had rocked. Some people thought there had been an earthquake and in fact, the event had registered on the University of Queensland seismograph at Mt Nebo. The cause was not an earthquake but the worst disaster in Ipswich history – a massive explosion at Box Flat mine in which 17 men were killed and several others were badly injured.

The previous evening, a small fire had started in the mine about 300 metres underground. The manager Alec Lawrie, the Inspector of Mines Mr. Hardie and several other people went down about 6pm but by this time, the fire had grown and was burning fiercely. Air was moving strongly through the mine and it was apparent that the fire was now too strong to be extinguished by water. When smoke began to come down the intake, everyone returned to the surface about 10.20pm to re-assess the situation. heir efforts now centred on trying to cut off air from the fire. After several attempts to close doors in a tunnel, a team of 14 men started to try to seal off stone drives about one kilometre from the entrance. Three more men were at the surface in the entrance to No 5 conveyor belt tunnel. The 17 men included nine officials and employees of Box Flat mine and eight men from the Mines Rescue Station.

Soon after they had entered, one of the men phoned the surface to say that smoke was backing against an air intake where previously the flow had been normal. A short time later, there was a huge explosion. A ball of flame came out of No 7 Tunnel mouth and a blast came out through No 5, killing three men stationed there. People started to gather at the mine site – union officials, family members, the Salvation Army and Women’s Auxiliary members, but there was little they could do. Smoke was still billowing out and as day came, they could see the wreckage of mine buildings with shattered concrete and twisted metal. On the side of Swanbank powerhouse which was in line with the No 5 tunnel, all the windows were broken.

Although rescue attempts were proposed, it was in reality clear that no-one could possibly have survived underground. With the danger of further explosions, it also became clear that the mine would have to be sealed. The grim decision had to be made by Chief Mines Inspector Bill Roach whose nephew was one of the men lost underground. A memorial service was conducted near the mine with black smoke still rising in the distance, then the mine entrances were bulldozed. The following day, a combined funeral service was held at St John’s Lutheran Church for the three men killed on the surface. Later, an ecumenical service was held in St Paul’s Anglican Church for all the men who had died. The whole city was sombre, and the disaster was deeply felt. The inquiry into the explosion made a large number of recommendations including the establishment of a safety in mines organisation.

Those who died were Kenneth Cobbin, William Drewett, William Drysdale, Andrew Haywood, Robert Jones, William Marshall, John McNamara, Walter Murphy, Brian Randolph, Brian Rasmussen, Darryl Reinhardt, Harold Reinhardt, John Roach, Leonard Rogers, Maurice Tait, Mervyn Verrenkamp, Walter Williams. Mervyn Jensen and Clarence Wolski were seriously injured.