Morden Mine News. In This Issue ... SAVING MORDEN MINE: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY. 1-4 Saving Morden Mine, Eric Ricker

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1 Morden Mine News SAVING MORDEN MINE: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY By Eric Ricker, Co-president, Friends Morden Mine This is story in three prts. Any resemblnce to wellknown spghetti western is purely coincidentl. First, however, some bckground: In This Issue 1-4 Sving Morden Mine, Eric Ricker 5 Cruise Ship Bus Tours, Shiloh Durkee 6-8 Unexpected tresures, Vncouverislbeyondvictori.com Erlier this yer I circulted discussion pper which outlined four options for FOMM s future. Reders will recll tht t time it ppered s though BC Prks hd decided tht Morden ws no longer worth boring bout. A request to fund next step in Morden s rehbilittion nmely, detiled engineering study recommended lst yer by Herold Engineering, government s chosen consultnt hd been refused one our supporters hd been informed by ADM Lori Hlls tht it ws up to FOMM to find money to fix structures. At directors meeting in Februry this yer, which I could not ttend, position pper ws discussed or ides were lso considered. But no ction ws tken. Shortly refter, I commenced discussions with RDN Are C Director Mureen Young, long-time supporter Morden. We decided to find out wher locl governments would help fund needed study ccordingly, four RDN directors, including Chirmn Joe Stnhope, met with John Hmn myself to ssess sitution consider options. As result this meeting John I mde presenttion to RDN s Select Committee on Trils Col Gypsies, Leigh Hirst Morden Mine News is published by Friends Morden Mine, registered chrity. or info@mordenmine.com At sme time it ws greed tht John I would seek dontions from FOMM s well s from City Nnimo. The ide ws to emulte pproch to funding tht ws utilized for site pln study bck in 2010, but with two importnt differences. First, funding would be put in plce loclly before pproching Province insted or wy round; secondly, dontions from ech source would not necessrily be equl. Cont.d on p

2 My 2014 The Good: Shoring up locl support At our Mrch meeting bord pproved dontion $1000 for engineering study. There followed successful presenttions by John I to RDN uthorities to city council. The result ws totl $23,500 pledged, which $15,000 ws to be provided by RDN $7,500 by city to go with FOMM s $1,000. It s interesting to note tht motions in support se dontions pssed unnimously t both councils despite obvious budget constrints despite fct tht Morden is provincil rr thn locl prk. Clerly people s representtives in this re wnt Morden sved. However, quite resonble qulifiction ws dded to resolutions. They were mde conditionl upon government lso prticipting. No prticulr mount ws set for provincil contribution becuse ctul cost study will not be known until bids from n RFP process re evluted. John Hmn, who hs hd mny yers experience with studies kind needed, hd erlier estimted for ministry n mount in order twenty to thirty thous dollrs. This now mens, in effect, tht under terms locl government resolutions Province would be sked to provide token mount, if chosen bid were to come in t low end rnge, upwrds $6,500, should it come in t high end. About sme time s se three dontions were being firmed up, by hppy coincidence one fternoon I met Hugh Nicholson, new publisher Nnimo Dily News, t Erl s Resturnt which, by wy, now sports two Morden photos on its wlls with third to come. It proved to be cse serendipity. Hugh ws rised in Cpe Breton, Nov Scoti,, s y sy, hs some col dust in his veins. Being firly new to isl, he hd been prompted to write n editoril bout bsence museum to celebrte our col mining heritge. So he ws immeditely interested in Morden when I mentioned my involvement he editor Mrk McDonld, who ws lso present, ccepted my invittion to privte tour followed by discussion our site pln or hopes we hve for property djoining regionl tril. John Hmn joined us for tour on dy when much snow ws still on ground we retired fterwrds to Crow Gte for lunch converstion. I mentioned to Hugh tht BC Prks hd refused to fund engineering study tht we were in process trying gin with reduced request. I lso mentioned tht we needed more support from community leders to get government engged. Within two or three weeks, Hugh hd ssembled group community leders for express purpose dvncing n gend for ction. John I mde presenttion to this group, which prt from four us just mentioned, includes VIU President Rlph Nilson, Chmber Commerce CEO Kim Smy, Nnimo Economic Development Corportion CEO Ssh Angus, Dily News Sles Mnger Andre Rosto-Tylor (who will lso be joining FOMM s bord), Community Futures CEO Jolynn Green, City Councilor Bill Bestwick (not ll whom could ttend our presenttion). Hugh hs lso lined up dte for us to mke presenttion to members Yes committee, group community-minded leders interested in furring Nnimo s economic prospects. Beyond tht, he hs pledged $50,000 in dvertising spce for cmpign to rehbilitte develop Morden property Jolynn Green hs fered short-term lons to fcilitte funding pplictions

3 All this is very good news indeed. But tht, unfortuntely, t lest for moment, is where good ends. Morden Mine News The Bd: Trying to engge government fter its re-election Lst summer, following election t dvice retiring MLA Ron Cntelon I endevoured to rrnge meeting with new minister, Mry Polk, through her chief stff. My purpose ws to sk minister to ct on Herold s study to involve her in considertion Morden s potentil; in or words, to crry on from where we left f with former minister Terry Lke. The minister would hve none it. The stffer refused to return telephone clls request for meeting ws ignored. This winter, lso cting on Ron Cntelon s suggestion, I ttempted to engge his successor s MLA, Michelle Stilwell, in discussions bout Morden. As condition for meeting her stff requested virtully demed some bckground informtion, which I supplied in sufficient detil to get her up to speed on wht needs to be done how she might help out in trdition her predecessor. After number weeks she eventully replied with non-committl letter which in effect fered nothing not even requested meeting. The Ugly: Trying to get BC Prks government to do nything consequence In Mrch renewed request for much scled-down contribution to much-needed engineering study ws denied following nor internl submission mde by our BC Prks liison representtive: without explntion without even slightest hint tht nominl dontion could be rrnged. The RFP process is thus effectively frozen even though BC Prks, despite pproving RFP process, relizes tht this process cnnot be strted if funding is not in plce for study. But, most unfortuntely, tht s only prt story. It turns out tht lst summer, when key ministry stffer ws refusing to return telephone clls, BC Prks ws busy putting in plce millions dollrs worth public funding to exp one three provincil prks locted on tiny Qudr Isl. The purpose cquisition ppers to be minly if not solely to prevent cler-cut n inlet mountinside in n re frequented by summertime boters. According to recent Times Colonist report, Qudr Isl del involves $4.6 millions in government csh plus gift to vendor, logging compny bsed in Portl, Oregon, more thn couple hundred hectres forest l on nerby isl. There is lso privte money involved for totl csh outly $6.6 millions, plus l. All protests from BC Prks ficildom notwithsting, it s now cler tht government s refusl to provide wht mounts to spre chnge for needed engineering study for Morden is bsed not on budgetry considertions but on bsic vlues. For some reson Qudr Isl is deemed importnt Morden is not, even though Morden fers fr more potentil s prk site due to its convenient loction, its connection to n importnt regionl tril ( in future, possibly Trns Cnd Tril), its inherent rre heritge vlue, s well s yer-round ccess

4 My 2014 Despite this sitution, we re ppeling to minister directly to overturn unfvourble decision recently rendered by BC Prks ficils. And our new community group, which Hugh is now referring to s Tsk Force on Morden Mine, will exmine or lterntives. Relisticlly, however, without government s prticiption it will be very difficult for this group to ttrct privte dontions grnts. We mde this point very clerly to Minister Lke when we met with him in But so fr, BC Prks hs refused to listen. In fct it persists with its quite ludicrous rgument tht it s entirely up to smll friends society to rise funds to preserve wht is supposedly Clss A provincil prk over forty yers sting -- while shelling out millions dollrs for new cquisitions, ten in remote res reltively few will ever visit. The immedite future wht reders cn do: Morden needs its friends to spek up. Our orgniztion hs s mtter policy dhered to non-prtisn pproch. For number resons this should not chnge. However, if Morden is to be sved ors must become involved. Clerly government s clcultion is tht not enough people cre; orwise it would t lest tke very smll step tht we hve requested. Letters cn ten do mtter. Plese consider submitting one your own to minister consider sking your friends collegues to do likewise. There re rguments plenty tht cn be dvnced. Our website hs bundnt mteril for reders to consult. I will keep you posted vi website on nything new we might her from minister or from BC Prks. And new community tsk force will continue to exmine options hopefully exert effective influence in senior government circles

5 Cruise Ship Tours to Morden Colliery Historic Provincil Prk A commentry by Shiloh Durkee Morden Mine News Cruise ship seson in Nnimo is quickly pproching with Gr Princess scheduled to rrive t 10:00 m on My 16th from Astori. As tour guide for locl outfit, Trcks Outdoor Adventures, I m mentlly prepring myself for very busy dy pier mnging leding two buslods guests on Best Nnimo Sightseeing Tour. This is my fvourite tour tht is fered, which I cn sy in firness hving done lmost ll tours Trcks fers. New this yer will be length time ship is in Nnimo s port. The Gr Princess is scheduled to leve t 11:59 p.m., mening tht we will be doing evening s well s dytime tours. Included in my tour will be stop t Morden Mine. This mens tht pproximtely 100 people on my tours will hve chnce to experience this specil site with pproximtely 100 more visiting with our or guide, Ry (we operte on lternting schedules to void overlp). Two hundred people in one dy. Most will be interntionl tourists. Most will never visit gin. However, s tour guides, one our jobs is to interpret communicte vlues our heritge so tht not only is this culturl site seen s mrker our identity but lso, perhps, provides chnce for tourists to visit ir own pst. I hve seen this numerous times when visiting Morden with our guests. Mny hil from estern United Sttes or res where mining ws (or is) primry economic driver this isn t just bygone history for some; this ws ir life. When wer is on our side, mny visitors will tke ir time exploring site, wlking pths, tking pictures sking questions. In sense, to borrow relevnt term, we re cpitlizing on economies nostlgi. Of course, nostlgi does not lwys imply utopi but rr time uphevl, trum, beginning new socil order. I try to rely this in my commentry. This ws time strife but it is our untic pst one tht helped led Nnimo surrounding re into its contemporry inception. I m interested in this spect Nnimo s I do my best to mke sure my guests re interested. It is with renewed sense purpose tht I go into leding this yer s tours fter recently completing University Victori s Grdute Pressionl Certificte in Culturl Heritge Studies designed to strengn understing integrtion culturl heritge, community enggement, sustinble development. The coursework highlighted relevnt res study tht I hve found pplicble to my work, very likely to those tht work tirelessly on behlf Morden Mine, including struggles conflicts to identify wht heritge mens s concept how to effectively nvigte minefield heritge mngement. Five yers bringing guests to visit Morden ( still going strong!) I m excited to embrk on busy tourist seson with firm commitment to highlighting specil history tht mkes our City so unique

6 My 2014 Nnimo s Morden Colliery Historic Provincil Prk delivers unexpected Article courtesy originlly posted on ir website on April 2, Emphsizes historicl importnce this still too little known 101 yer old tresure industril heritge on Vncouver Isl, five minutes drive from Isl Highwy to estern end Morden Rod, s well s plesures 1.2 km Morden Colliery Regionl Tril leding to Nnimo River. It s interesting tht when most us think provincil prks we envision pristine beuty, wildlife, perhps some sort wterscpe. About lst thing I expect to see in such prk re mmmoth century-old structures reinforced concrete but tht, long with ll or forementioned ssets, is exctly wht we encountered when we visited Morden Colliery Historic Provincil Prk just south Nnimo. There re pretty views too. The mrsh is full wildlife

7 Morden Mine News The prk isn t lrge just four hectres (nine cres) but it fers n interesting glimpse t sheer mss some equipment required to extrct blck tresure from ground century go. Morden Colliery ws never prticulrly successful or productive col mine due to number mitigting fctors (including lbour unrest), but it does bost North Americn first use reinforced concrete for surfce mining structure. The 74-foot high hedfrme tipple re min fetures t prk, even 100 yers lter, left us we-struck t ccomplishment such mssive construction with wht must hve been very primitive equipment The huge boiler smokestck bse sts sentry in woods behind pit hed. After spending few minutes reding bout history plce t pit hed site we meered long 1.2 km (just little less thn mile) tril tht wends its wy through woodl, over mrsh concludes t Nnimo River. The tril leding to river ws originl ril bed Pcific Cost Col Mine. In erly 1900s rilwy crried col from Morden cross long-gone trestle over Nnimo River out to Bot Hrbour for export. The tril is pretty one tht fered, on dy we were re, glimpses trumpeter swns, bever dms vriety wild vegettion. There is n interpretive plque tht describes locl flor fun long wy, rustic bench t river s edge

8 My 2014 We hve, ll people, n industrilist to thnk for preservtion this most engrossing site. In lte 1969 George Wilkinson, president Interprovincil Construction in Vncouver, begn lobbying provincil government to help sve finl remining remnnts wht hd been Vncouver Isl s mjor industry in erly 1900s. At time site ws owned by compny tht ws using it to dump rubble from logging opertions. Wilkinson even, t one point, proposed to purchse l himself in order to preserve wht ws left site for future genertions. It took two yers $10,000, but eventully l (including rilbed on or side river) ws purchsed by provincil government designted s prkl. Testment to presence bevers, this dm is found in mrsh re Sdly sitution with concrete hedfrme tipple is not looking promising t present. The concrete is deteriorting t rpid rte due to lck mintennce without reinforcement imposing impressive structure is in dnger complete collpse. It hs been estimted tht somewhere between $250,000 $500,000 would be required to ensure continued existence this historic monument to thriving industry tht contributed so much to Isl s economy. Perhps it s time for or industrilists who hve benefitted from ir existence here on Isl to step up to plte. Furr informtion on Morden Colliery Historic Provincil Prk cn be found t excellent website operted by Friends Morden Mine t Access to prk is t end Morden Rod, south Duke Point ferry turnf. GPS co-ordintes re: Lt Long N W

9 Morden Mine News Col Gypsies: migrtions my fmily to Nnimo, by Leigh Hirst. In 1852 Hudsons By Compny, which hd estblished fur trding posts on wild west cost wht is now British Columbi, Cnd, discovered col outcroppings t n Indin villge clled Nnimo. Scottish col miners, including Robert Dunsmuir with his wife Jon, were recruited brought to this remote wilderness site by siling ship to develop mine. Two yers lter 22 miners, who hd been recruited in Brierly Hill, Stffordshire, rrived with ir fmilies fter grinding 5-month voyge bord three-msted brgue. They found Nnimo to be rough collection log dwellings clustered round Hudsons By Compny fort surrounded by n Indin settlement. This ws genesis col mining on west cost Cnd. It quickly becme British Columbi's most importnt industry it lsted for nerly 100 yers. Tody col mines re just memory but Nnimo hs become thriving city 100,000 people. I took Mom by cemetery to visit some people. This took while s re re lot grvesites to look t. All members my four ntecedent fmilies re buried re. Except my gret, gret grfr, John Hirst, whose hedstone is in wll t tiny Pioneer cemetery furr down hill. The Nnimo cemetery, to me, is finest piece rel estte in city. It is situted t high point comms fine view hrbour djcent isls. The people re hve beutiful plce to rest. We strted with Hirsts, Willim, Ad, Dyson Elizbeth, my fr Jmes. (Mom wept briefly left this grve quickly) who fll in direct line from old guy who is buried t plce down hill. Then we visited Shentons, n Rurfords. We took brief detour to look up Annie (Brimble) Rurford, Mom s Kiwi unt. Finlly we cme to her fr s, Andrew Prker s, grve. It hppens to be where her mor, Lillie, rests s well. In old dys, view from this grveyrd included, in number loctions, surfce structures col mines tht defined Nnimo. I cn remember, s child, t funerl one my reltives, gzing cross city t skeleton old Number One mine smokestcks, tipple huge spindled elevtor wheel unused for six yers in decy s mine hd been closed in It ws one lst t lest 55 different col mines tht hd operted in Nnimo re over period 100 yers. All se buried reltives eir cme from, or hd, ir roots, in Britin. In middle 19 th century, t pex Industril Revolution in Engl, borders cste system were under siege. Victori s reign hd embellished sliver slim lyer noble clss. Beneth tht, however, ws still tiny but burgeoning upper clss, vitlized by titns new industries, some whom were buying ir wy into nobility. Then re ws lrger, but within overll socil context smll, middle clss - merchnts, pressionls, rtisns, intellectuls (people like John Ruskin Friedrich Engels), who were roiling surfce this enormous se chnge tht ws rising through British society. Beneth this surfce, veritble vst bulk iceberg, ws reltively new, desperte working clss workers in brickyrds, foundries, iron mills textile mills Revolution s cnnon fodder. This working clss, from rurl origins, hd its own subtle cste distinctions. At top were skilled people, men who could use ir hs to crete useful objects were even literte. At very bottom were col miners. The Untouchbles. Such ws lot col miners ir fmilies tht y were shunned. A significnt portion British working popultion (once re were over 3,000 col mines in opertion t sme time in Britin), y tended to keep to mselves. They were poorly educted mny were illiterte. They intermrried. They drnk too much y sng too loud. They were hrd people

10 My 2014 A few yers go I, with my wife, Gillin, went down into col mine, pit, t Cphouse in South Yorkshire 1500 feet into blck chill retired miner explined wht used to hppen down re. The surfce buildings hd been converted into museum which housed myrid interesting mchines rtifcts. The wlls were hung with illustrtions quotes. This is one I wrote down: Even within mixed working popultion, re ws brrier between miners ors. The shift system, knowledge shred dnger miner returning home in his pit dirt ech dy to be scrubbed clen by his witing wife, creted very obvious difference. by --- Leigh Hirst. John Hirst ws born in He ws rised in Gwber slums Brnsley (Blck Brnsley) in South In 1852 Hudsons By Compny, which hd estblished fur trding posts on wild Yorkshire. As young boy he worked in nerby Huskr Colliery in Silkstone ner Brnsley. In 1838, west cost wht is now British Columbi, Cnd, discovered col outcroppings t n 26 children Indin working villge in this clled pit were Nnimo. killed Scottish when col mineshft miners, including flooded. Eleven Robert Dunsmuir were girls, with his youngest, wife Srh Newton, Jon, ge were 8. recruited Of 15 boys, brought youngest to this remote ws wilderness Joseph Birkenshw, site by siling ge ship 7. His to bror, develop George, ge 10, ws mine. lso Two killed. yers Most lter 22 miners, children who were hd 10 been yers recruited old in younger. Brierly Hill, Stffordshire, rrived A member with ir Shftsbury fmilies fter Commission grinding investigting 5-month voyge conditions bord in three-msted Brnsley pits brgue. in They 1840 s wrote found Nnimo to be rough collection log dwellings clustered round Hudsons By this: The men work in stte perfect nkedness re ssisted in ir lbours by femles ll Compny fort surrounded by n Indin settlement. This ws genesis col mining ges, from on girls west six cost yers old Cnd. to women It quickly twenty. becme These British femles Columbi's being quite most nked importnt down industry to wist... one most it lsted disgusting for nerly sights 100 I hve yers. ever Tody seen ws col tht mines femles re just dressed memory like but boys Nnimo in trousers, hs crwling on become ll fours thriving with belts city round 100,000 ir people. wists chins pssing between ir legs. All my I sisters took Mom hve by been hurriers. cemetery I to hurry visit in some clos people. I hve This took now got while on, s trousers re re lot rgged jcket. The bld plces grvesites on my to look hed t. is mde All by thrusting members corves. my four ntecedent I hurry corves fmilies re mile buried or more re. underground. Except They my weigh gret, 300 gret cwt. grfr, I hurry eleven John Hirst, dy. whose I wer hedstone belt chin is in t wll workings t tiny to get corves out. Pioneer The getters cemetery tht furr I work down for re ll hill. nked except ir cps. Sometimes y bet me if I m not quick enough. The boys tke liberties with me. Ptience Kershw, ge 17, testifying before Ashley s Mine Commission, The My Nnimo 15, cemetery, to me, is finest piece rel estte in city. It is situted t high point comms fine view hrbour djcent isls. The people Friedrich Engels re hve wrote beutiful t this time plce bout to rest. physicl We strted circumstnces with Hirsts, Willim, miners, Ad, ir Dyson utter exhustion, especilly Elizbeth, children wering my fr home Jmes. from (Mom pits. wept The briefly miners left worked this grve 12-hour quickly) shifts, who never fll seeing in dylight for direct six dys line from week, for old mny guy who months is buried t yer. plce They down did piece hill. work Then we were visited pid by ton col produced. Shentons, Thus y n sometimes Rurfords. employed We ir took fmilies. brief Wives detour to look children up Annie s young (Brimble) s ge four worked s Rurford, unit. Their Mom s lives Kiwi were unt. brutl. Finlly Their we bodies cme by to mturity her fr s, were Andrew crippled Prker s, disesed. grve. Men It becme old hppens by ge to 28. be Life where expectncy her mor, ws Lillie, in rests erly s 40 s. well. This is existence from which John Hirst, his wife Hrriet, ir infnt dughter, Louis fled. First to Bllrt gold rush in Austrli in 1855 n, In eight yers old dys, lter, to view Nnimo from - this grveyrd rough, remote included, outpost in number Hudson s loctions, By Compny, where col hd been surfce discovered. structures col mines tht defined Nnimo. I cn remember, s child, t funerl one my reltives, gzing cross city t skeleton old Number All my people One were mine col miners. smokestcks, Refugees from tipple Industril huge Revolution spindled elevtor in Britin. wheel Yet y unused didn t escpe becuse it for emigrted six yers brod in with decy m. s They mine followed hd been closed col mines in It y ws found one m to lst be s godforsken t lest in 55 new different world col s in mines old. tht They hd drifted operted on in se Nnimo on l re out cross over period world. The originl fmily, 100 yers. Hirsts, trveled directly to Nnimo by siling ship. The ors siled to Pennsylvni New York, n moved through Montn, Wyoming Colordo over to New Zel Austrli before All se eventully buried settling reltives in Nnimo. eir cme from, or hd, ir roots, in Britin. In middle 19 th century, t pex Industril Revolution in Engl, borders I hve ten cste wondered system why were Nnimo? under siege. Why Victori s did my fmilies reign hd cese embellished ir werings sliver re? slim lyer Perhps it ws becuse it ws noble mjor clss. col Beneth center? tht, It ws however, min ws source still tiny col but for burgeoning west cost upper North clss, Americ, Sn Frncisco vitlized being by mjor titns mrket, new industries, it mde Robert some Dunsmuir s whom were fortune. buying (He ir becme wy into richestmn nobility. in British Then Columbi re ws possibly lrger, ll but within Cnd). overll Nnimo, socil lso, context ws smll, rel community, middle clss not just cmp tht - would merchnts, dispper pressionls, once col rtisns, rn out. As intellectuls well, col (people miner could like John own his Ruskin own home in Nnimo Friedrich not be Engels), vulnerble who to were eviction roiling from surfce compny this house enormous should he se go chnge on strike. tht His ws wife could hve vegetble rising through grden British some society. properties were lrge enough to keep domestic nimls ll which provided degree stbility to wht ws essentilly life bre subsistence

11 Morden Mine News Still, life col fmily, while better thn in Britin in col cmps estern slope Rocky Mountins, ws hrd. Work ws dependent on col mrkets py ws substrd. Attempts to orgnize unions were thwrted by importtion chep lbour, minly Chinese, by owners. The col ws gssy. Methne gs explosions were common. One, t Number One mine in 1887, killed 148 miners, decimting town brely 1500 people in size. During 25-yer period, from 1884 to 1909, col mines killed n verge 25 men ech yer. Although records re incomplete, re re 657 nmes in Book Ded in Nnimo Museum. Andrew Prker s is one m I ws born in 1939, yer number one mine ws shut down. I grew up in Townsite, newer, upmrket prt Nnimo. My school, North Wrd Elementry, ws cross bridge close to downtown, it drew children from djcent working clss neighbourhoods. Tough kids. Col miners kids. On cool, wet dys, or when it snowed, my mor dressed me in woolen, hip-length cot, breeches rubber boots. My legs were wrpped, from nkles to knees, in puttees long, khki coloured, four-inch wide strips woolen cloth tht soldiers in World Wr I wore. Thus bundled bedecked, sttement ws cler I ws not col miner s kid. Insted I ws rich trget for my clssmtes who wore non-descript, even rgged, clothing. I quickly lerned to hit bck. And I lerned things bout Nnimo tht I never herd t home. It wsn t tht Audrey, my mor, ws shmed her bckground. It ws just tht it ws very pinful. She my fr, Jimmy, hd bootstrpped mselves up out col mines, s hd most ir friends. Dd quit school in grde eight he vowed he would never work in mines. He hd number jobs before he found one in funerl business. He eventully bought his own business. Mom worked longside him. They were fun-loving couple with host friends, most whom shred sme bckground. They loved to dnce. Life seemed good. The col mines were never mentioned. So, until I went to school, my perceptions were bit illusory. It ws s if, in 1939, curtin hd been dropped on pst. When I ws old enough to underst, I crwled under it. There, for yers, I hve poked round in scnt remnnts tht remin. I hve tried to cobble toger history, most it orl, from people ten reluctnt to spek. The trgic events my fr s fmily re for nor chpter. --- There were mny pupers grves in Nnimo cemetery. In recent yers some modest hedstones hve been replced. Still, mny remin. Including one on my mor s fr s grve. It ws rough piece concrete with nme PARKER stenciled into it. Nothing else. Not nor word. I didn t know my grfr. He died eight yers before I ws born. His wife, Lillie, remrried few yers lter. Stnley Frye, jovil longshoremn from Settle, ws mn I knew s my step-grfr. They lived toger in Settle until he retired n y moved bck up to Nnimo. Andrew Prker, in 1883, ws three yers old when he embrked with his prents from Liverpool on siling ship, bound for New Zel. They survived shipwreck f Irish cost. They n siled bord nor ship, Wild Deer, which delivered m, fter five grinding months t se, to Dunedin. In New Zel, Prker fmily grew to 10 children. My sense is tht Andrew ws proverbil blck sheep. He ws only one his siblings to leve New Zel. In 1900 he turned up in Nnimo went to work in col mines. He mrried Lillie Rurford, col miner s dughter. Not long fter, he his fmily were evicted from compny house during prolonged strike t one Robert Dunsmuir s mines in Wellington. He decided to move bck to New Zel. Thus retinue Prkers Rurfords, including Lillie s prents brors, pcked up heded 8000 miles south. The men worked in col mines ner Greymouth, on South Isl. Andrew Lillie hd two sons my mor ws conceived re

12 My 2014 One Rurford boys mrried Annie Brimble, locl publicn s dughter. Then, inexplicbly, y ll pcked up gin cme bck to Nnimo This ws in The returnees settled in South Wellington, ner Nnimo, where Andrew went to work in nor one Robert Dunsmuir s mines. He ws ble to buy five cres re - fine property tht slopes down to smll lke. He built rough dwelling. No electricity, no running wter, n outdoor privy, wood stoves for het. Audrey, fourth child, ws born (eventully re would be seven). They rised livestock, cow, pigs chickens. They hd two horses, Bbe Pete. In 1912, Nnimo col miners went on strike. In nnls Cndin lbour history, this strike ws most violent longest. It lsted two yers when it ws over, fmilies hd been decimted, mny miners were sentenced to prison terms mny businesses in Nnimo were bnkrupt. The worst incident occurred t Extension in August There, rmed strikers confronted strikebrekers, lso rmed, who hd built brricdes round pid. The ensuing gunfight lsted ll dy ended only with intervention militi. Mrtil lw ws declred in Nnimo djcent communities. Soldiers mnned mchine guns on street corners. Hundreds striking miners were rrested. Andrew Prker ws striker. He didn t work for nerly two yers. His originl house ws destroyed s were mny houses in South Wellington, by fire tht swept up down both sides Minto Street shortly before strike ended in At ge three, Audrey, my mor, lived in tent for yer. World Wr I ended strike wr effort incresed dem for col. Andrew Lillie were ble to rebuild ir lives. Work in mines ws stedy. After wr, col mrkets stened work ws spordic but by this time yers toil underground hd tken ir toll on Andrew. Though not broken mn, he hd become hrd. My mor remembers his violent temper his hrsh tretment his sons. Yet within tht temporl community, he ws respected. He ws lbour orgnizer he ws chir locl school bord. He, being Kiwi, introduced rugby he coched locl tem. He hd sense humour. When one his horses, Pete, died he buried him t bottom property. Unfortuntely hole wsn t deep enough when gred ssembly heved him over edge into his grve, he led on his bck. So for months view from porch house ws Pete s four legs sticking up out ground like forlorn fence posts. Andrew told his sons to mke sure y did better job burying him. In 1931 he ws working in Alexr mine in South Wellington when lrge outcrop col fell from ceiling tunnel crushed him. He ws one very lst men to die in Nnimo re col mine. Hundreds people ttended his funerl, following cortege through streets Nnimo. Andrew Prker with his son Stnley grson Stnley, Jr., tken week before he ws killed in mine shown in bckground

13 Morden Mine News It ws plesnt dy, dy I took Mom by cemetery. As we stood looking t tht simple piece concrete tht red PARKER, I could sense her suppressed frustrtion. Her pin. Her nger. Yet, to my surprise, she begn to reminisce ws trgic yer. First her grfr, Jimmy Rurford, died her grmor, Anne, n cme to live with Prkers. At time, Mom ws 20, working in Nnimo, but still living t home, sleeping in sme bed with her two younger sisters. Then Aunt Annie (Annie Brimble, bducted Kiwi) died during menopusl birth. Her bby dughter, Bonnie, ws lso tken in by Andrew Lillie. Then Andrew ws killed. My grmor, Lillie, ws left penniless col miner s widow, with her own mor five children t home, plus her bror s infnt dughter. My mor her older bror, Normn, hd jobs, which helped hold things toger. This ws during Gret Depression. When Audrey finished tlking, I could see some relief. The long yers silence hd finlly ended. Lillie proved to be resilient womn. She died t ge 92, outliving two more husbs. I remembered her, in her finl yer, sking Mom who her, Mom s, fr ws. Mom sid, Andrew, your first husb, ws my fr. Oh, yes, Lillie replied. I remember him. So Andrew Prker ws buried in puper s grve with only his surnme s identifiction. When Lillie s Second husb, Stnley Frye, died, he ws cremted, conveniently, his shes went into grve with Andrew. Lillie defied grim reper for mny more yers, but when her time cme she too ws cremted she joined her first two husbs in tht common grve. There y were. All buried toger. All lbeled PARKER. As I gzed t tht simple hedstone sensed rge memories tht it conjured up in womn sting beside me, I sid, Mom, we should do something bout this. She greed. Now fine smooth mrble hedstone grces grve. It is divided into three seprte comprtments. The center bers Lillie s nme her birth deth dtes. On her right sme ppers for Andrew. And Stnley Frye is on her left. Underneth ir nmes inscription reds: United in Life Resting Toger Andrew Prker told his sons to bury him properly. It took while but now, I hope, he cn rest in pece. Lillie with her dughters. From left to right: Olg, Lillie, Audrey (my mor), Eileen