A third generation mine worker admits it’s fantastic to see a tangible piece of the industry’s heritage standing proud in West Wallsend again.
Lake Macquarie City mayor Adam Shultz, community representatives and volunteers from the West Wallsend District Heritage Group (WWDHG) gathered in Gregory Park on Monday 15 December to officially unveil a giant wheel in a high-profile nod to the suburb’s rich mining history.
Once a common sight in the area, albeit a little further off the ground, it was originally used at West Wallsend Colliery No. 2 in the 1970s and 1980s, mounted on a headframe to guide cables down a mine shaft.
Nigel Perry, who spent 36 years at the town’s site before its closure, praised the installation.
“It’s a symbol of all the hard work of so many,” he said.
“A lot of great people worked there and a lot of them aren’t with us anymore.
“They spent their working lives underground.
“It was hard work… and this is a tribute to them.”
Cr Shultz explained Glencore Australia donated it to council after the mine shut down in 2016.
“The wheel highlights a key part of its operational background and provides a glimpse back to a time when West Wallsend and surrounding suburbs were a hive of coal mining activity,” he said.
The installation has been dedicated to Leah Buchanan.
A WWDHG volunteer, she was pivotal in the wheel’s preservation.
But, sadly, she died earlier this year.
Her sister, Chrissie, who is also a member of the group, said Ms Buchanan would have been proud.
“She waited so long to get it,” she added.
“It’s part of the history of our town and it’s what we’re all about.”
An interpretive sign also teaches visitors more about the installation and how mine pit head wheels worked.
To find out more about the history of West Wallsend and mining, visit the Sugar Valley Library Museum, kirantakamyari, at the Cameron Park Shopping Centre.
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