Newsletter#4

Otago School of Mines & Metallurgy

1950s Graduates Newsletter September2003 Editorial Hi. Another year come and gone . . . .”another day older and deeper in debt” as the song “Sixteen Tons” would have it. Hopefully not too many of us are in that position. I don’t know if it’s reality or my world shrinking with age, but there doesn’t seem to have been much mining news over the last 12 months; not in Australia anyway. Perhaps this is because mining isn’t mining anymore - it’s mostly common old earthmoving. And what “real” mining there is is largely automated and operated by IT wallahs. What’s more mining engineering no longer seems to exist as a distinct discipline – there’s a plethora of specialist occupations in its place. The days of the mining engineer doing everything on a remote minesite from road building to basic exploration to astronomical surveying to mineral dressing and so on, are long gone . . . . . along with the mining schools which taught them. I don’t know much about the world of the metallurgist, but I imagine similar things have been occurring there. We’re living in a world of specialists. In terms of everyday living I don’t suppose it makes much difference. But I have a sense of nostalgia for the “good old days” when it meant something to be a miner. Like timbermen, farmers and fishermen we worked in or on and with the earth and its products. There was a resulting camaraderie which simply doesn’t exist among accountants or rocket scientists. On the other hand there has been plenty of action in the world of politics; from illegal wars and the politics of deceit, to aids-ravaged continents and bombings by fundamentalist loonies. Thank goodness we live in a quiet little backwater where the likelihood of terrorist attack is minimal. Just so long as the loonies don’t start letting off nuclear bombs. Somehow I think it’s probably a good thing that none of us will be around to see the end results of the mess our generation has made of the world. Still, as an erstwhile colleague of mine used to say “we’re not in bad shape for the shape we’re in”. This issue again has as it’s main contributors myself, John Bullamore Mackie, Rex Guinivere and the Sydney Morning Herald. I must admit to a degree of disappointment that others are not contributing more – there have been about 5 or 6 who have done so in the last few months. And it’s not so much a personal disappointment as a concern that the content may end up as being of little interest to the recipients and that as a result the effort will become futile. The intended purpose is to keep the friends of our university days in touch with one another. If that is seen as worthwhile by a significant number of members, then it needs communication of relevant information between them, via the medium of the newsletter. Perhaps another reunion will answer this question. This newsletter is being sent as a “pdf” (Portable Document Format) file. If you don’t have Adobe Acrobat or Acrobat-Reader installed you can get the latter free from www.adobe,com or just about any CD or website which contains “pdf” files. I am sending it as two emails : the Newsletter itself, and another with three OSM photos (1951, 1953 & 1955) and a substantial file of reminiscences by Rex Guinivere. If anyone would like it as in any of the following formats, please ask by email: Microsoft Word (V2.0 to V2000), MSWord for Macintosh, Word perfect V5.0 to 5.2, MSWorks V3.0 to V2000, Rich Text Format or Plain Vanilla Text (no formatting – text only) Enjoy!

John Neilson

1 st September2000

If You Can't Afford It, Make It The Assay Room in the Mining School also had other uses! One particular year -- possibly 1931 -- the Mining Students' Association decided to make its own beer ("home brew") for Capping. A company was formed (unlisted!) with half-crown (25c) shares and a capital of about 2 pounds ($4) to buy the necessary ingredients of hops, malt, etc. An empty whiskey cask (42 gallons or 182 litres) was donated by the Bowling Green Hotel, and the brew was made one night, using the assay furnace to heat it (in a series of 4-gallon kerosene tins) to the correct temperature. While this was going on, a couple of students put a gallon of boiling water into the cask and rolled it around for 10 minutes. By doing this, a strong whiskey liquor was supposed to be produced. Those who drank this Devil's mix not only became raving drunk but got somewhat poisoned as well. However, to proceed. The empty cask was taken up to the dusty attic, and the ten 4-gallon tins of brew poured into it to work away quietly in proper seclusion over the next ten days or so. In the final stages, a quantity of "isinglass" was procured to clarify the brew which showed all signs (and odour!) of being successful. The fragrance of the working beer filtered down into the lower floors of the School, and Professor Park was heard to remark one morning as he came in the front door, "Dear me, this place _does_ smell like a brewery!" The next job of the company was to bottle the ale. We had accumulated a motley collection of receptacles, mostly ordinary beer bottles with crown-type tops, but these were insufficient, so a wider search was instituted. Remarkably enough, we managed to acquire six dozen empty champagne bottles to make up the necessary quantity, although who was drinking such quantities of expensive French wine in a time of great financial depression was not recorded. The bottling operation was carried out over a long night, in the School. A half-loaf (about a small teaspoonful) of sugar and a raisin were placed in each bottle with the beer before sealing. The crown toppers presented little problem, but the champagne bottles were a curse. We had to use the correct corks -- they were hard to get in -and wire them in place, a process which took a long time, and much cussing. Eventually, however, the job was done and the 200-odd bottles were stored in the cool of the lower basement of the School, among the debris of the foundations, in the dark, to be left untouched for two weeks. At last, the great moment of "the tasting" arrived one afternoon. The President of the Mining Students' Association (who was also Chairman of the Board of the company) called for two bottles to be brought to the Assay room where we had all gathered (with "Herbie" well out of the way). Ceremoniously uncapping one of them, he poured the light brown brew into a clean glass beaker where it looked and smelled like the "real Mackay". It foamed, it sparkled, as he took a long draught. As he smacked his lips, a strange look passed over his face. He excused himself for a moment and came back with something in his hand. When he held it up to read the label, we could see it was one of the bottles of Wilson's Malt Extract we had used. Peering at the label, he said, "I bloody well thought so, malt and cod-liver oil!!" There was pandemonium. We thought our brew would have to be poured into the nearby Water of Leith. But all was not lost. The first mouthful had a slightly fishy taste, but after a few swallows it was no longer obvious. "Health-giving!", one wit exclaimed. Apart from this slight flaw, it was a good, strong brew which had the desired effect of producing an alcoholic exuberance. The news of our special vintage beer spread around the University, and just before Capping we sold 100 bottles to the Dental students at ninepence (7.5c) each, thereby paying a handsome dividend to the share-holders. It is worth noting that, during the two-week period when the bottles were in the basement, we would hear an occasional, muffled "boom" from that direction during classes as one blew up. Even "Herbie", somewhat deaf as he was, heard some of these and enquired nervously, "What was that?" No one knew, of course. The foundations of the School were slightly below the level of the Water of Leith a few metres away, and untoward sounds from below always worried Herbie. There was a sequel, though, which could have had dire consequences. Frank Turner who knew about the brew (and had probably tasted it!) was either on, or had some connection with the University's Board of Discipline which got to hear somehow (not _via_ Frank) of our exploits. Frank tipped us the wink that there was to be an inspection of the School by a sub-committee of the Board, and told us to remove any evidence "pronto". So there was a hurried clean-out of the bottling gear, the cask, and other bits and pieces. Shortly afterwards, several members of the BOD arrived and went through the School with a fine-toothed comb, but all they could detect (I believe) was a very faint aroma of hops! [Ed.: The writer of this article wishes to remain an anonymous retired professor of surveying.]

Speaking of professors . . . . . You Can Call Me Sir From the “Letters to the Editor” Sydney Morning Herald 14 June,2003 I am sure I am not alone in being annoyed by the computer companies' habit of using first names with their clients all the time. There is a simple work-around: when you fill in the questionnaire giving names, contact addresses etc, all you do is insert the way you want to be addressed in the box marked “First Name". The person at the other end will then have no option but to follow the training manual and call you by that name. I have an academic title and henceforth that is going to be my whole “First Name" but it would be just as easy to enter “Mr Smith" or even “Sir" if that is your desired form of address. A bit Pavlovian, perhaps, but far better than being called “Michael." by someone who (a) you have never met and (b) you are seriously thinking of getting into litigation with over sloppy and artificially expensive service & (c) whose obvious contempt for the non-corporate client is made more irritating by such familiarities. M. ("Professor" to you) G. Carter Leichhardt, NSW Tassie Tin Mine Falls Victim To Dollar Sydney Morning Herald June 25 2003 By Barry FitzGerald The surging dollar has made Murchison United's 41-year-old Renison Bell tin mine in Tasmania its latest victim. MU had hoped the mine could make a quick return to production after it suspended operations on 27 May pending the conclusion of recapitalisation plans. But uncertainty in forecasting cash flows from the mine because of the rise in the dollar has prompted the decision to place the subsidiary that operates the mine, Renison Bell Ltd, into voluntary administration. Recapitalisation will now be pursued by the administrator, Mark Reilly, of administration workout specialist Featherby Reilly. MU said the 28 workers remaining at the mine would be sacked, although a small management team would stay "to prepare for a rapid recommencement of operations". The tin price has improved 7 per cent to $US4700 a tonne ($7074) this calendar year, due in part to Renison Bell's woes. But exchange movements have slashed the local dollar tin price from $7593 a tonne to $7067. Renison Bell was producing at an annual rate of 5600 tonnes of tin (in concentrates) in the March quarter. Its total costs of $7170 a tonne for the period gave it no room to absorb the lower prices. The rise in the dollar has already prompted big production cutbacks by Australia's steaming coal exporters and caused Pasminco - which went into administration in 2001 - to approach the Tasmanian Government for help in keeping its zinc operations in that state going. Questions about the willingness of Xstrata to continue zinc production from the Northern Territory operations that come with its MIM takeover have also been raised. West Coast mayor Darryl Gerrity said the placement of Renison Bell in the hands of an administrator came as no surprise after the May 27 suspension of operations. The suspension, expected to last just six weeks, came two weeks after a miner was crushed by a rockfall. About 150 jobs have been shed since the May shutdown. Some workers have taken redundancies, while others have moved to find work at mines interstate.

Bushfire Losses From the Sydney Morning Herald 12 October,2002 Mike Carlton’s Column The saddest story I heard from the bushfire at North Engadine* was the loss of a Changi POW diary. Written on flimsy rice paper, tissues rendered still more fragile with age, it was consumed in the flames which swept so swiftly up the ridge from the Woronora River and, among others, razed the home of the Harwin family; at 45 Thurlgona Road. Lyndall Harwin had only recently borrowed the diary from her brother to transcribe it, typing the fading words into a computer to preserve them. It had been the work of their father, Cyril Hanneman, a digger of the 8th Division, captured in Singapore 60 years ago. All through the Changi years he had recorded his thoughts, somehow keeping them hidden from the Japanese, writing closely to the very end of the notebook and then reversing it when space

ran out. Just personal stuff;" said Harwin. He cut out some bits when he came back after the war; we don't know why. But we are devastated at losing it." Hanneman's discharge papers went with it, precious family history- and a fragment of our national history -now so much ash. In fact, the Harwins lost everything but, like their neighbours, their first reaction was relief that they had escaped with life and limb. Husband Robert had a gutsy determination to start again, unbeaten. Sadly; that relief may not last. A listener named Olive rang me on air the next day to talk of the loss of her home at Mulgoa, near Penrith, in last summer's fires. "Over time you feel anger, frustration and despair," she said. "When you lose your home it is like grieving for a death in the family. These people will have dark places to go." I was struck by that phrase and asked what she meant. She told me. One day she had found herself weeping uncontrollably in the shoe department at Grace Bros. "I didn't want their stupid shoes," she said. "I wanted the ones that were gone in the fire." Dark places, indeed. Ed: Apparently started accidentally by Waterboard employees. It destroyed several homes in one street.

Discovering them Good Ol’ Boys Robb (aka Charlie) Webb recently made contact with the Kings High School Old Boys’ Association in Dunedin – and through him, so did I. Following a number of email exchanges I enquired about other old boys and was surprised to see the name of George Lyon pop up in the list. He’s in his 80s and living in retirement in Tauranga. I talked to him on the phone and sent him floppy-copies of the newsletters to date. He was not in the best of health (still in bed at noon!) but doing OK for a rare survivor of two bouts of lung cancer. I’m still waiting on a “potted history” from him. He didn’t mention Hermione so I don’t know if she’s still around or not. (Ed.) Ed: please forward any discoveries to me – email &/or postal addresses .

Understanding Engineers Understanding Engineers - Take One [Not mining engineers!] Two engineering students were walking across the campus when one said,"Where did you get such a great bike?" The second engineer replied, "Well, I was walking along yesterday minding my own business when a beautiful woman rode up on this bike. She threw the bike to the ground, took off all her clothes and said,"Take what you want." The second engineer nodded approvingly, "Good choice; the clothes probably wouldn't have fitted." Understanding Engineers - Take Two [Mechanical engineers ?] To the optimist, the glass is half full. To the pessimist, the glass is half empty. To the engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be. Understanding Engineers - Take Three [Mining engineer!] A priest, a doctor and an engineer were waiting one morning for a particularly slow group of golfers. The engineer fumed, "What's with these people? We've been waiting for 15 minutes!" The doctor chimed in, "I don't know, but I've never seen such ineptitude! " The priest said, "Hey, here comes the green keeper. Let's have a word with him." "Hi George, what's the matter that group ahead of us? They're rather slow, aren't they?" The green keeper replied, "Oh, yes, that's a group of blind fire-fighters. They lost their sight saving our clubhouse from a fire last year, so we always let them play for free anytime." The group was silent for a moment. Then the priest said, "That's so sad. I think I will say a special prayer for them tonight." The doctor said, "Good idea. And I'm going to contact my ophthalmologist friend and see if there is anything he can do for them." The engineer said, "Why can't they play at night?" Understanding Engineers - Take Four [Engineering Management] A man in a hot air balloon realised he was lost. He reduced altitude and spotted a woman below. He descended a bit more and shouted,"Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago, but I don't know where I am." The woman below replied, "You are in a hot air balloon hovering approximately 30 feet above the ground. You are between 40 and 41 degrees north latitude and between 59 and 60 degrees west longitude." "You must be an engineer," said the balloonist. "I am," replied the woman, "How did you know?" "Well," answered the balloonist, "everything you told me is, technically correct, but I have no idea what to make of your information, and the fact is I am still lost. Frankly, you've not been much help so far." The woman below responded, "You must be in Management." "I am," replied the balloonist, "but how did you know?" "Well," said the woman, "you don't know where you are or where you are going. You have risen to where you are due to a large quantity of hot air. You made a promise, which you have no idea how to keep, and you expect people beneath you to solve your problems. The fact is you are in exactly the same position you were in before we met, but now, somehow, it's my fault."

Understanding Engineers - Take Five What is the difference between Mechanical Engineers and Civil Engineers? Mechanical Engineers build weapons. Civil Engineers build targets. Understanding Engineers - Take Six [Not a miner either!] An architect, an artist and an engineer were discussing whether it was better to spend time with the wife or a mistress. The architect said he enjoyed time with his wife, building a solid foundation for an enduring relationship. The artist said he enjoyed time with his mistress, because of the passion and mystery he found there. The engineer said, "I like both.". "Both?" Replied the architect and artist. "Yeah. If you have a wife and a mistress, they will each assume you are spending time with the other woman, and you can go to the lab and get some work done." “Man With a Dream” As you can see, I obtained this picture from the Sydney Morning Herald in 1973. I had it framed and on my office wall for many years. Whenever I felt “office bound” I used to gaze upon the far-away look in the old fellow’s eyes, and imagine myself out in the backblocks somewhere, prospecting with him. Some years ago a friend had a leatherwork artist make an excellent copy in leather, about A4 size, which I still have hanging in my living room. New Zealand Herald 15 February 1973

Caption: “A pioneer prospector of the type that sought riches in Otago after the 1861 goldrush. Note the prospector’s pan over his shoulder”. [Note: I was not able to trace the origin of the photo; it “came over the wire”. So the man is probably a Californian 49er.. . . JN]

Put a lid on it: old bores fight losing battle in war on salt and waste Sydney Morning Herald By Daniel Lewis, Regional Reporter Date: June 13 2003 They finally managed to shut up another of the state’s great bores near Lightning Ridge this week. It had been spouting off since 1911. Farmers and governments are trying to put the “great” back into the Great Artesian Basin. A five-year program offering $20 million in subsidies to farmers has capped and piped more than 100 bores in north-west NSW. The first bore was drilled into the vast subterranean water supply in 1878 and eventually about 1400 were sunk in NSW, said Neil Eigeland, an officer with the Department of Sustainable Natural Resources. At first they flowed from the ground at up to 80 litres a second, but as more people started to gain access the basin, water pressure fell and nearly half the bores have stopped flowing. The water poured into about 7000 kilometres of open bore drains that snake across the arid north-west, built by farmers to water stock. Up to 90 per cent of it, however, was wasted through evaporation, seepage and break-outs, leaving behind 150,000 tonnes of salt a year. The open drains cause erosion, exacerbate feral animal problems and help spread weeds and water-borne diseases. They are expensive for farmers to maintain. By capping the bores and piping water to troughs, farmers are helping restore and ensure the survival of the land and water. The Natural Resources Minister, Craig Knowles, was at Jomara Station, near Lightning Ridge, on Wednesday to shut the 1911 bore. It and two others had been discharging up to 39 litres a second. The three have been replaced by the $1.6 million Goondablui bore system, watering 65,000 hectares of farm land through 240 kilometres of pipes across 15 properties. Using only about four litres a second, it will save about 640 megalitres - or 640 Olympic pools - of water a year from going to waste, Mr Knowles said.

“Clearly, the Great Artesian Basin is a natural wonder that has been abused for too many years,” he said. It is estimated the NSW piping and capping scheme has already saved 24,000 megalitres a year, increased water pressure, stopped 65 tonnes of salt a day being dumped onto land and replaced 3000 kilometres of open drains. Somewhere recently, & I can’t rediscover where, I read about the pumps which were invented in the Murray Basin for providing the original irrigation water. They were known as Chaffey Pumps (after the inventor) or Tangey Pumps (after the manufacturer) Now get this . . . . . they moved 50,000 gal/min. Yes, that’s about 200,000 l/min or 3.333 cu.m. per second!! You can read all about the pumps at www.Psyce Bend Chaffey Pump.mht Some of the specifications were: FACTS: Triple Expansion 4 Cylinder Reciprocating Steam Engine& Pump

• • • • • •

Built in 1889/90 and installed and commissioned in 1891. Engine rated at 1,000HP at 160RPM. operated at 150psi saturated steam. Pump discharge 50,000gpm. (Nowadays) Steam for the rehabilitated engine is produced by a 1951 "N" locomotive boiler, unlike the original under fired multi-tubular (Hawke boilers) that operated at Psyche Bend prior to its closure in 1959. The "N" class boiler was purchased by the Mildura Lions Club from Steamrail Victoria Limited.

British find recipe from pasta July 17 2003 By Sue Leeman in London After a hard day’s jousting, what a medieval English knight looked forward to was ... a plate of lasagna. th Researchers have found a British recipe for lasagna dating from the 14 century - long before Italian chefs came up with their delicious concoction of layers of pasta topped with cheese. The researchers found the recipe at the British Museum in /The Forme of Cury/, commissioned by King Richard II in 1390 and regarded as one of the world’s oldest recipe books. No mention is made of meat or tomatoes, the latter because English cooks only began using them 200 years later. “This is the first recorded recipe for a lasagna-based dish,” said David Crompton, one of the researchers. “The Italian dish has tomatoes, which were only discovered two centuries later in the New World.” The researchers found the recipe while preparing for a medieval e f stival at Berkeley Castle in southern England later this month. Professor Crompton does not claim that the English actually invented lasagna, and other food historians have suggested that the dish has a very ancient history. “We prepared the medieval lasagna yesterday at the castle and it was delicious, although strangely sweet and spicy,” he said on Tuesday. Among its ingredients are cinnamon and saffron, not usually found in the Italian version. To create loseyns (pronounced lasan), /The Forme of Cury/ advises the cook to make a paste from flour of “paynedemayn,” a substance that has not been identified, roll it thin and cook it with grated cheese and sweet powder. Maurice Bacon, a spokesman for the Berkeley Castle event, said: “Very few people know lasagne was created in England. I defy anyone to disprove it because it appeared in the first cookery book ever written. When potatoes arrived in this country the use of these pasta noodles died out.” But the Italians are having none of it. The Italian embassy in London said: “Whatever this old dish was called, it was not lasagna as we make it.” Antonio Carluccio, the chef and restaurant owner, said: “This sounds a bit far fetched to be called lasagne. But I wouldn’t mind making it.” The Telegraph, London; Associated Press

Bring on an eruption, and trees go for gold June 10 2003 By Deborah Smith, Science Writer Volcanic eruptions in other countries show up in Australian trees as a gold-rich ring of growth the following year. Researchers who uncovered the link by studying 100-year-old pines and cedars in the Armidale region believe the finding could lead to a new way of determining patterns of atmospheric movement around the globe. Peter Grave, of the University of New England, said that if tree rings from the Northern and Southern hemispheres were compared, the results could “make a significant contribution to models of climate change.” He said the New England plateau was perfect for the tree research, because the marked change in seasons led to distinct annual growth rings. Armidale residents had also been helpful. “People are intrigued by the possible link between an individual tree in their garden or paddock and the history of the Earth’s atmosphere.”

Volcanic eruptions can spew heavy metals like gold particles into the atmosphere. But the mechanism that allows trees to take up gold from the soil or the environment is not yet known. Researchers in America were the first to note gold in tree rings that appeared to correspond to the massive explosions of two Indonesian volcanoes Tambora, in 1815, and Krakatoa in 1883. Dr Grave said he was sceptical of these preliminary findings, but decided to test the theory. Samples from century-old trees were analysed for traces of gold at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation at Lucas Heights. “I was totally surprised. The gold is located precisely and exclusively in growth rings relating to the years 1963-64,” Dr Grave said. This corresponded to the 1963 explosion of the Augung volcano in Indonesia, which Antarctic studies have shown resulted in the distant spread of large quantities of volcanic debris in the Southern Hemisphere. The Armidale team has begun to study trees planted in the 1860s to see if they can detect the Krakatoa event. The spikes, of about 3 parts per billion gold, have been found in cedars and pines, but not elms. Dr Grave said this may be because the cedars and pines are very ancient and evolved before most other flowering trees, during periods of intense volcanic activity on Earth. Tests for gold-spiked rings could be made on samples of Tasmanian and New Zealand native pines that provide a record of the past 12,000 years.

A Matter of Life & Death I guess death is on all our minds a bit these days as one after another of our old mates falls off the perch. Both death and birth can have their lighter sides though. This list of the euphemisms we use for both is from the Oxford English Dictionary publishers. ([email protected] ). To celebrate the publication of "How Not To Say What You Mean - A Dictionary of Euphemisms" we take a look at the many ways in which the English Language avoids talking about the most natural things in the world - birth and death. Birth Facts of life Gooseberry bush Happy event Hatch Little stranger Lie in Whelp

Death At rest Bite the dust Cash in your chips Conk out Diet of Worms Give up the ghost Join the great majority Meet your Maker Six feet under Turn up your toes

I guess the Ozzie lexographers could add a few home grown ones like cark it, be carried out feet first, croak, kick the bucket, snuff it, toss in the alley/marble . . . any more? Mind you, I'm not sure that these are all true Australianisms. Funnily enough there are very few similes for "be born" . Light up, drop a bundle, were the only colloquial ones I could find in the Macquarie Thesaurus. I guess by the time we are able to create euphemisms, we have forgotten all about the birth experience! But for being pregnant . . . . . banged up, bun in the oven, in pod, in the family way/pudding club, knocked up, preggers, up the duff . . . . . more ? Of "croak" have you heard about the 7 year old who asked his grandfather if he could croak. "I suppose so. Why do you ask?". "Well", says junior "Dad says when you croak we can go to Disneyland". To tune up your libido, you might like to think of the many euphemisms we (used to ?) use for sexual intercourse J Underground coal fires a looming catastrophe Danny Kingsley - ABC Science Online Wednesday, 19 February 2003 Coal burning deep underground in China, India and Indonesia is threatening the environment and human life, geologists have warned. These large-scale underground blazes cause the ground temperature to heat up and kill surrounding vegetation, produce greenhouse gases and can even ignite forest fires, a panel of scientists told the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Denver. The resulting release of toxic elements like arsenic, mercury and selenium can also pollute local water sources and soils, they warned. ”Coal fires are a global catastrophe,” said Associate Professor Glenn Stracher of East Georgia College in Swainsboro, USA, told delegates. But surprisingly few people know about them.

Coal can heat up on their own, and eventually combust, if there is a continuous oxygen supply. The heat produced is not dissipated and under the right combinations of sunlight and oxygen, can trigger spontaneous combustion. This can occur underground, in coal stockpiles, abandoned mines or even as coal is transported. Such fires in China consume up to 200 million tonnes of coal per year, delegates were told. In comparison, the U.S. economy consumes about one billion tonnes of coal annually, said Stracher, whose analysis of the likely impact of coal fires has been accepted for publication in the International Journal of Coal Ecology. Once underway, coal fires can burn for decades, even centuries. In the process, they release large volumes of greenhouse gases, noxious fumes and soot particles into the atmosphere. Panelists discussed the impact these fires may be having on global and regional climate change, and agreed that the underground nature of the fires makes them difficult to predict. One of the members of the panel, Assistant Professor Paul van Dijk of the International Institute for GeoInformation Science and Earth Observation in the Netherlands, has been working with the Chinese government to detect and monitor fires in the northern regions of the country. Ultimately, the remote sensing and other techniques should allow scientists to estimate how much carbon dioxide these fires are emitting. One suggested method of containing the fires was presented by Gary Colaizzi, of the engineering firm Goodson and Associates, which has developed a heat-resistant grout (a thin mortar used to fill cracks and crevices) known as Thermo cell, which is designed to be pumped into the coal fire to cut off the oxygen supply. Underground coal fire in Australia Australia is the home of one of the world’s few naturally burning coal seams, Burning Mountain Nature Reserve, in northeastern New South Wales. [Ed: near Scone]. The burning coal seam extends from the main coalfields of the Hunter Valley. The fire burns 30 metres underground, moving at the slow rate of one metre south every year. The lack of oxygen underground means the fire burns slowly, and with 6 km of burnt area, the fire is estimated to be about 5,500 years old. The seam was once exposed to the surface, so it is possible a bushfire may have ignited it, scientists say. Sulphurous smoke comes from fissures in the ground, and sulphur is known to be capable of spontaneous combustion if it is heated. The fire temperature reaches temperatures of 1,700°C deep beneath the ground. But the land above is also heated, and at the firefront reaches 350°C. The intense heat on the surface kills off vegetation, leaving a carpet of white sinter, alum and sulphur deposited on the surface through the condensation of the highly acidic gases. And don’t forget Godzone When I was a lad (in the 50s) I used to do vacational work work at Linton Colliery in the Nightcaps/Ohai field out of Invercargill. There was a hill of smoke nearby which had been burning for many years, During the 70s when I visited the area to advise the operators on drilling into old workings from the then open cut, it was still smouldering away. Any others you recall ?

2004 Reunion in Dunedin There has been some talk of another 40s-50s-60s Otago School of Mines Reunion next year. Bill Hunt and Jock Braithwaite have been negotiating with Gill Parata. From what I can gather, the best time would be in the May vacation 2004. When the plans are more concrete, you will be contacted by email with the details.

Miner slams industry’s dirty image

From “The Australian” 6 June 2003

University of Otago Alumni Meetings Those who live in Australia or Godzone, will no doubt have received emails or letters similar to this one from Gill Parata, the Head Honco of the Alumni section of the U-of-O. (I can’t say I’m much taken with the word “alumni” but I suppose it’s hard to find a succint word or phrase to encapsulate its meaning). I’m five hours drive from Sydney, so can’t justify the effort to go. However, those who have been have told me they were rollicking good shows. The next one is less formal than the recent Tatersall’s Club gatherings.

Greetings from Dunedin. After a range of successful functions in Sydney over the last three years - including another highly enjoyable pre-Bledisloe Cup cocktail party on July 25 - the Vice-Chancellor is pleased to be returning to the city for a University of Otago alumni function on Friday19 September 2003. This year’s reception will be at the Harbour View Hotel in the Rocks, a more informal environment than last year’s Tattersall’s event. Rather than a seated dinner, the University will provide finger food and a cash bar will be available. We will be mailing invitations in early August. Please forward this email to other Otago alumni you know in the area, in case the details we have for them are no longer current, or we don’t know they are in New South Wales. We would be delighted to hear from those we may have lost contact wi th, or alumni new to the area. Addresses can be

updated at http://www.otago.ac.nz/alumni Thank you for your help. We look forward to seeing you in September. Yours sincerely Gill Parata, Head,Alumni & Development Office University of Otago P O Box 56

http://www.otago.ac.nz/alumni [email protected] Phone: 64 3 479 8363 Fax: 64 3 479 6522

Dunedin New Zealand

La Vita Dolce – New Zealnd’s Oldest Surveyors ? Sue and I are still somewhat involved in the social round. Yesterday (12 December 2002) we were invited to Jock Braithwaite’s new house at Walter’s Bluff for afternoon tea to meet Rosemary’s father, Harold Jenks, who has been staying with them for a few days. Harold was formerly the chief surveyor for the old Ministry of Works and at present he lives by himself in Tauranga. At 96. nearly 97, he is even older than I, although he’s not as mobile on foot. I think he must easily be NZ’s oldest living surveyor and certainly our most senior Fellow. I gather Rosemary and Jock have persuaded him to come to live in Nelson in a retirement village near them. I have known Harold for many years and it was good to have a natter with him again. I am attaching a photo taken a couple of years ago at a Fellows’ Dinner in Wellington; Harold is on the left (if you can’t see much difference!) JBM December 2002

Sound Philosophy A professor stood before his Philosophy 101 class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full? They agreed that it was. So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was. The professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He then asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous - -"yes".

The professor then produced two cans of beer from under the table and proceeded to pour the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed. "Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognise that this jar represents your life: The golf balls are the important things - - your family, your partner, your health, your children, your friends, your favourite passions - things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, your car. The sand is everything else - - the small stuff." "If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out dancing. Play another 18. There will always be time to go to work, clean the house, give a dinner party and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first - - the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.” One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the beer represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of beers!” Vale Bill Dunne Margaret, Bill Dunne's daughter has just phoned from UK to say that Bill Dunne (W.T.Dunne) died yesterday (23 April). He was a contemporary of mine at OSM. He went to Papua New Guinea after graduating (see photo on page 29 of "One for the Tiger"). He then went to Malaya and worked at Pahang Consolidated for a while before joining Vallentine & Vaughan, consulting mining engineers in Kuala Lumpur. The Japs attacked Malaya not long afterwards and Bill, a sergeant in the F.M.S. Volunteer Armoured Car unit was taken prisoner during an action upcountry, some time before Singapore fell. He was held in the KL Gaol for a while before being sent to Changi POW camp in Singapore. He worked on the Thai-Burma railroad before gaining his freedom. After the war he returned to KL and took over Vallentine & Vaughan's practice, turning it into a very successful business which employed several OSM men. He was a Director of the London Tin Corporation and later moved to UK where he lived in Guildford. After retirement he moved briefly to Wanaka, NZ, but returned to UK where he built a house "Dunedin:" at Curry Rivel, Somerset. Sadly, his wife Lorna, a graduate of the OU Home Science School suffered brain damage and had to be put in a home not far from their Somerset house. She was 'non compos mentis' and could not recognise anyone. Bill's eyesight had deteriorated badly and he was getting blind. I used to phone him fairly regularly for a chat, but he got to the stage where he could not carry on a conversation. In his student days he played for the University A rugby team as a wing three-quarter and played in an All Black trial but left for New Guinea before the team had been selected. It was pretty certain he would have been in it. His brother Brian (ex Medical School) was an All Black. Bill also won a boxing Blue. He was a good bloke and a very successful mining engineer. I think there were four children, of whom Margaret (a geologist) was the eldest. Jack Mackie - 24 April 2003 Vale Cam White During the year I had an email from Cam’s daughter (24 March 2003) advising of his passing. I had picked up his address from someone during the preparations for the Normandy Reunion, and she found mine in his address book. She said that he suffered a lot with cancer for his last five years,. They “gave him a good sending off at Bath with a lot of music and flowers and a champagne reception afterwards. He would have preferred that – that we celebrated his life and not mourned his death” I didn’t know him well, but recall his sensitivity to the needs of a shy young fresher in my first year at university. His daughter brought his ashes, and those of her mother, to Blenheim, some to be placed in a columbarium in Blenheim at an appropriate ceremony.The rest were scattered in Malborough Sounds.(Ed.) Vale Dave Newick th David F Newick died on 6 Nov 2002 on the eve of his 70 birthday. Quite a long illness and we were unable to communicate with him over the past few weeks and certainly the last 10 days in hospital. Funeral next Monday (11 November) am and I will convey sympathy to Pam and family from OSM colleagues. MHB. 8/11/02 Vale David Tennent David collapsed and died on Friday 11th October,2002, while mowing the lawn after lunch. Robb Webster sent a copy of the announcement in the paper: TENNENT,David Cowper Beloved Husband of Rosemary, Father of Sally-Ann and Hayden. Father-in-law to Steven and Sue. Grandfather to Benjamin, Anna-Zara Bengston and David,Isobel, Elizabeth and Lucinda Tennent. Relatives and Friends are invited to attend a Memorial Service for David at St John'sCollege Chapel, College Road, St Lucia, on Thursday, 17th October, commencing at

2.30pm.

Vale Edith (Jenny) McKenzie (wife of Murdoch) “I am sorry to tell you that my wife Edith, who later called herself Jenny, died on 10/11/02. I met Jenny over capping in 1955 and we married in Jan 1960. Many of you will have met her. Jenny had cancer of the abdomen which went undetected until it spread to the liver. She died 4 weeks after being diagnosed and was spared pain. From a subsequent email: Jenny was only 65 which is unfair I agree. I was, as you know going to reitre at the end of the month but Cognis have asked me to say on - in a full time consulting role. I will do this until I move to Perth where my daughter and grandchildren are.This move should be complete in less than 6 months Then I will work part time out of the Cognis Perth office for a while. Cognis believe this will be good for me and for them. Yes it was good for all the family to be able to say goodbye while she was conscious and for two of us to be there right to the end. And from a more recent email: I have sold my house in the Macedon Ranges outside of Melbourne and I will move to Perth in December. My daughter and her family live there and I have many friends there. Many of these come from the African Mining Industry. Next year I will work 50% of my time for my present employer, Cognis. I may also consult for other organizations. I have been on a four week trip around the Americas, USA, Peru, Chile, Brazil and the Argentine. The first four were work related. The Argentine was a vacation. In Peru I visited their third largest gold mine, high in the Andes. They will pilot Cognis gold technology. It took six hours to drive the last 70 kms to the mine. The highlight of my trip, workwise, was a visit to Belo Horizonte. There I am very involved in a US$ 700 million nickel project. I plan to return in a few months. The project is being piloted and engineered in Perth so my location there will be convenient. There are a number of old guys involved in the project. The engineer heading the design in Perth is from the Zambian copper belt and is older than me. The external consultant is a retired Anglo American guy I first met in Zambia in 1973. He lives in the Channel Islands now. It’s a good thing the project manager is a young Brazilian lady. I liked Buenos Aires very much. A sort of mixture of Paris and London with a heavy overlay of Latin America. At the current exchange rate a real bargain right now. I imagine that will not last for long. It has great eateries and clubs. I went back to Whangarei in March. Saw my old school and some old school friends. Then I went to the Bay of Islands. I had not seen it for 45 years. It sure has changed. I got sobering news in Whangarei. In 1955 there were four of us from my school class who went to Otago University. Two for Dentistry, one for Phys Ed and me. The other three are all dead now. Time sure marches on. I keep working as that seems to cheer me up. Murdoch McKenzie

A Story of Two Sundials

The one on the right was made by the redoubtable John Bullamore Mackie for his son-in-law’s fiftieth birthday earlier this year . . . . . calculated and designed by him, and made by a local (Nelson) metalworking firm. Wasn’t that a lovely idea ? I guess it will become a treasured family hierloom.

The one on the left was designed by an amateur astronomer named Peter Knowles and made locally. The cost was between $25,000 and $30,000 which was raised via public subscription. It's quite something for a smallish place like Richmond, 18km south of Nelson. Dirty Industry Mining! Sydney Morning herald Date: June 10 2003 International environmental watchdog Greenpeace yesterday called on the coal industry to stop producing coal and to invest instead in clean and renewable energy. “The coal industry bears a heavy responsibility in inflicting damage to the environment,” a Greenpeace statement quoted one of its activists as telling a conference of coal companies in Bali. “This industry should stop promoting coal and start investing in renewable energy,” the activist, Red Constantino, was quoted as saying. Greenpeace said Constantino told delegates at CoalTrans Asia 2003, an annual gathering of the world’s largest coal companies, to act against the threat of climate change caused by burning coal. “The coal industry needs to clean up its act. Because of climate change, the only way it can do this is to phase itself out starting today, not tomorrow,” he said. He said the effects of climate change are expected to be greatest in developing countries in terms of loss of life and relative effects on investment and their economies. Constantino was quoted as citing floods, droughts and rising sea levels as among the effects of climate change. Coal accounts for over 40 per cent of the world’s annual carbon emissions, Greenpeace figures show. South East Asia is a large consumer of coal. The watchdog group said that coal imports to the region, largely from Australia, are expected to rise by 14 per cent a year to 30 million tonnes in 2010.

Here’s Something to Think About . . . . . God The Mathematician at Work ?

“Australian Geographic” #71, 2003

This beats the Queen’s underground visit to the Zinc Corporation in 1954(?) The showplace of the goldfield (Gympie) in the 1870s was the “New Zealand P.C.” - or “Maori” mine, as it came to be called-where the quartz always had a good showing of gold. When the Governor of Queensland, the Marquis of Normanby, visited the field at the end of April 1873, great preparations were made to entertain him at an

underground banquet in the “Maori” mine. The walls of the mine were swabbed down so the crystal and gold in the reef would glisten in the light of hundreds of candles mounted in clay. A huge banquet table was built at the 275 foot level, chairs were provided, and the directors' wives were lowered in the buckets by horse-driven whim to lay out the linen, silverware and crystal, and masses of freshly 'cut flowers. An ample cellar was laid in, ice buckets prepared for the champagne, and arrangemnts made to lower each course of the banquet, which was being prepared by a roster of cooks. But things did not go altogether according to plan. The Governor arrived, was received with speeches of welcome, and was taken in a buggy on a triumphal procession through the town to the One Mile. Roads were still very bad, and on the way back part of the buggy frame broke and a sharp piece of wood jabbed the horse, which bolted. Unable to hold him, it the driver steered into an embankment. The vehicle over-turned and the occupants were thrown to the roadway. The driver was severely injured, and the Governor received a sprained ankle and such a severe shaking up that he had to rest for several hours before returning to his hotel where he remained for the rest of the day. The underground banquet went ahead with the Attorney General (Hon. J. Bramston) deputizing for the Governor and, according to a contemporary report, "several toasts were honoured by a gathering of thirty-five, including a number of women". Some of those who waited above later recalled, however, that as time went on and nobody appeared at the pit-head, some anxiety began to be felt about what was going on down below, and a messenger was sent down the mine to inquire discreetly if everything was all right. More time passed, but the messenger did not reappear. A conference was called and a decision had just been reached to send another man down when the signal came from below to haul away. The first of the returning revellers reached the surface singing lustily and announced that they would be "down there yet if the brandy hadn't given out", and that the others were now ready to be brought up. In spite of the unfortunate absence of the Governor, the banquet was such a success that underground dinners in the Maori became part of the Gympie social scene, and some riotous revels resulted. From “Gympie Gold” by Hector Holthouse, Angus & Robertson, 1973, ISBN 0 207 19693 1, pp 160-161. The mine is still producing gold in 2003, and the nearby museum is well worth a visit. As I recall the Queen’s visit to the Zinc Corp involved whitewashing one of the levels, and she didn’t have to descend in a four-man bucket but a huge cage. Don’t know if they took her into a stope or not – does anyone else have details of the visit ? Ted Hart would have known, but alas, is no longer with us.

Rogues’ Gallery – Radium Hill 196?

The note on the back says “This is a snap of three menaces and myself taken in the Radium Hill wet canteen when they came down from Broken Hill to a small party one weekend. You are familiar with the names I think.” I got this photo from Allan McIntosh and I think the bloke on the left is Don Seaton. For sure the others are Michael Buckenham, Ted Hart and Allan McIntosh. Don’t you just love the collars and ties ! Must have been winter I guess.

There’s no special reason for including this . . . it just tickled my fancy & I thought it might yours too J

Prospecting for uranium About 1954 Alistair Blaikie and Yours Truly set off for the wilds of Central Otago with a pup-tent and a geigercounter, looking for uranium at the behest of some bunch of Sydney speculators. Just the latest in exploration technology! For reasons which now escape me, it had to be done again a few months later, so Jack Mackie and I went off again over the summer vacation, this time with a camera. These two views show, as well as the handsome young explorers, the magic box (JBM), the probe (JN) and beautiful downtown Waikikamoukau. It was mostly a matter of trudging about on an ill-defined grid hoping for a reaction from the geiger counter.

One of the most memorable events from the trip - which, incicdentally, produced no new uranium orebodies – was the night we got the giggles in the pup-tent. It took us hours to return to normality and drop off to sleep. That reminds me of the famous story of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson sharing a pup-tent. During the night Holmes asked Watson if he noticed anything unusual. “Oh, not really” said Watson. “The stars are particularly bright perhaps, and the moon is in the first quarter”. “Watson, you fool” said Holmes, “someone has stolen our tent!”.

The Mule

The battery operated lcomotives in Broken Hill used to be called “mules” – and they could be stubborn too! From the “Sydney Morning Herald” 1 April 2003 Fifties Photographs of the OSM Students & Staff There has been some correspondence over the last few months about the identity of the students in these photos of staff & students taken in 1951, 1953 and 1955. The photos are attached as “pdf” files, and the lists are as follows: 1951 Back row - Rahim, Hellam, Harraway, McConnell, Braithwaite, Kininmonth, Crosbie, McFee, Doig, McIntosh, Blaikie, Azizuddin, Blance. Fourth row - Buist, Abdullah, ???, Park, Russell, McDonald, Hutton, Kendrick. Third row - ???, Cunningham, Sparrow, Levinsohn, McIndoe. Second row - Tennent, Neilson, Colby, Dr Brown, Craig, Gordon, Jarvis, Hart, Buckenham, Laing, Peirson, Dr Stott. Seated- Smith, Pearson, Prof Nimmo, Trewern, Mackie, Prof Gabriel, Dr Grimm(USA), Dr Williams,Prof Graham, Prof Odell, Prof Benson, Buchanan, Emslie, Rogers, Wylie. 1953 Back row - Sinclair, Hallam, Donald, Hogg, Berry, Hitchon, Hirsh, Hunt, ???, Pierson, Tan Kim Bee, Harraway, Braithwaite, Buist. Second row - Floyd, Kininmonth, Azizuddin, Guinivere, Low, Price, Mansuri, Abdullah, Newick, Doig, Neilson, Rahim, Blance, Buckenham, McIntosh. Seated- Blaikie, Cunningham, ???, Sanderson, Watson, Mackie, Muir, Prof Odell, Dr Williams , Prof Baxter, Prof Nimmo, Buchanan, Elmslie, Trowern, Rogers, Wylie. 1955 Back row - Hitchon, Coleman, Blance, Newick, Cunningham, Floyd. Fifth row - Hill, Reid, ???, Donald, Low. Fourth row - Neilson, Harraway, Hunt, Jackson, Tan Kim Bee. Third row - Wodzick, Azizuddin, Inglis. Second row - Giggins, Huntly, Beh(?), McKenzie, Webster, Abdullah, Price, Mansuri, Croxford*. Seated- Watson, Rae Elmslie, Rogers, Prof Partin(?), Prof Graham, Mackie (Acting Dean), Buchanan, Sanderson, Russell, Stott. *Identified by some as Landreth.

Can anyone fill in the blanks “???” or make any necessasry corrections ? Some of these not-so-well-known fellows were probably only among us for one year or two - or they kept a very low profile J. Anyone wanting first names, I can provide an almost complete list. They would also be in the OSM_Bulletins of the time. Those highlighted in red are known to have gone to the Great Goldmine in the Sky. My apologies to anyone incorrectly highlighted!! No doubt there are others who have died, but that I have no confirmation of the fact. And there is a number who have passed on but who do not appear in these photographs. It’s a bit of a worry isn’t it ? Especially as some of them died quite young. 14 of the 59 students represented here have passed on; and eight staff members that I know of. I’m 72 going on 60 and planning on another 30 years or so. This is from one who’s still alive & kicking Jock Braithwaite left Otago in 1957 to start with Lime and Marble Ltd exploring the Buller Gorge uranium discovery followed by work on limestone, marble and dolomite resources in Nelson. Exploration for metallic minerals and petroleum culminated in the formation of L&M Oil in 1970, which later concentrated on successful alluvial goldmining in the Shotover River. He retired as managing director of L&M Mining in 1988 and became a leading alluvial gold consultant with work through Australia, Africa, Indonesia, Siberia, China and South America. His wife Rosemary graduated Dip HSc in 1958 and taught at Nelson College for Girls before leaving to raise their four

children, and later worked in the diet department at Nelson Hospital. Now retired in Nelson and enjoying developing a smaller section with the aid of a wheelbarrow with petrol engine. Ed: I’m not too impressed with the wheelbarrow -with-engine. Still I suppose it’s no worse than me using a lawnmower and trailer to put out the garbage bins!

Interesting Books There has been a number of what might be described as “popular science” books latetly. We have previously mentioned the “Surgeon of Crowthorne” (about the OED contributions by the Mad Doctor), “The Great Arc” (geodetic survey of India), “Longitude” (the invention of the chronometer), “The Map That Changed the World” (the genesis of geology) and “Time Lord” (time zones). A couple more of the same genre which have appeared in the last twleve months are: • •

Measuring America; Andro Linklater, Harper Collins, London, 2002; ISBN 0 00 710887 7, and Krakatoa (The Day The World Exploded 27th August 1883); Simon Winchester; Viking/Penguin, Australia, 2003 ISBN 0 670 91430 4.

The first is by the son of the famous Eric Linklater, and is the most fascinating story of property definition and development of the United States of America. It also explains a lot about systems of measurement generally, how the American system became different from that of the rest of the world, and why nearly all American towns are laid out in north-south streets & east-west avenues (I hope they’re the right way round ?). Not to mention how the Indians were robbed of their lands. The second is by the same author as “The Surgeon of Crowthorne” and “The Map That Changed The World”. It is a factual and engrossing story of that famous erupution in 1883. Prisoners of War Were Jack Mackie and Lloyd Jones the only POWs in our group ? After reading of their experiences, and hearing a series of anecdotal documentaries on Radio National early this year, I became quite interested in the subject. There has been a number of books published in recent months, spurred perhaps by a resurgence of interest in ANZAC by the grandchildren of the veterans. Those which have caught my attention are: • • • •

Prisoners of War - Australia Under Nippon by Hank Nelson ISBN 07333 0070 7 (the radio series) One Fourteenth Part of an Elephant, by Ian Denys Peek, ISBN 0 7329 1168 0 (Burma-Thai railway) Stolen Years, Australian Prisoners of War, by Dept of Veteran Affairs, ISBN 1 877007 15 3 (all wars) Changi Photographer (George Aspinall’s Record of Captivity), Tim Bowden, ISBN 0 7333 02874 4

There have been others, including a recent one about Weary Dunlop; you can find them at the National Library website: http://www.nla.gov.au/ What I find so interesting about these books is the triumph of the human spirit over the most apalling circumstances. I find that, after the passage of over 50 years, I can view the Japanese, Korean and Indian guards without hatred, while at the same time feeling disgusted and sickened by their sadistic and inhumane treatment of their prisoners. Australian prisoners survived in greater numbers than British or Dutch men & women because of their “mateship” - it was rare to see an Australian die alone, but quite common among the other nationalities. The Aussie sense of humour also helped to keep their spirits up. Much of the material in Jack Mackie’s autobiography is in similar vein to these books. Miscellany • A Brisbane brothel is offering discounts to pensioners! Must be a joke ? st • The soltices can vary by 6 hours per year. This year in Australia June 21 was not the shortest day. • Australian earthquakes are not so rare – several Mag-6 ones every 100 years, a Mag-7 every 1000 years. • The steam engine was born in 1698 and died in 1930. Hero of Alexandria first recorded the idea in 300BC ! • In the World Marbles Cup, England lost to Germany because of their hangovers! • “Limelight” was made by directing a stream of burning H2 over a block of quicklime, causing it to glow. • NZ’s last known WWI survivor (Bright Earnest Williams) was buried recently, a week short of being 106. • Peak Gold Mines seeks expressions of interest for the transport of bullion from Cobar to Perth. • Kerry Packer’s private village near Scone (NSW) is lousy with rubies & saphires. Wouldn’t you know it !! • Red wine produces more HDL (good cholesterol); white wine halves the risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease. • 28 miners killed in a Chinese coal mine blast . . . . making 2798 in the first 6 months of 2003 !!!!

Breakfast in the bad old days. None of us eats a breakfast today like the ones our grandfathers and great-grandfathers did. The amount of food those old boys (old girls, too) could put away was downright awe-inspiring. Farm breakfasts were not - and still aren't hard to understand. After all, before the farmer and his assorted sons and hired hands bellied up to the table they had already been awake for hours and done an assortment of chores sufficiently formidable to warrant quite an appetite. But how about the ordinary mortals who hadn't done anything more strenuous than (possibly) take a bath? Listen to the president of a railroad, writing to his wife in the 1880s concerning the first breakfast served to him on his new private car: “There was a nice pair of trout Cook had caught before coming on board this morning, with three rashers of bacon alongside. A couple of good mutton chops, the kind with the kidneys, to follow, with fried potatoes and fried tomatoes, and a batch of hot biscuits with honey, and some muffins with raisins in I didn't care much for, and a platter of fried eggs with ham on the side. Finished off with a stack of griddle cakes and sausage (not as good as your sausages, Annie) with maple syrup. Cook sent out to see if I wanted apple pie. I was near to full, but I had a piece, not to hurt his feelings, with cheese and lemon sauce. Very good.” Stunned, we can only wonder what he had for lunch.

Or is that Geology ?

(origin is lost)

Machines go dancing in the dusty heartland

As part of the 2003 Queensland Biennial Festival, 10 days of celebrations were held in several places trhoughout the state. This is a picture of the “Bob Cat Dancing” held at Mt isa.

From the Brisbane “Courier-Mail” 25 July2003

Moving On II hear on the grapevine that the Buckenhams are moving to Christchurch, the Sparrows to Thames, the Reids to Noosa and the Neilsons to Brisbane - generally to be closer to family &/or to get out of the lousy city environemnts and traffic conditions. Please tell me of any changes of addresses, email or postal you know of.

Epilogue Well, that’s it folks. Hope you enjoyed these reminiscences and mining-related stories. Let’s hear more from you about your careers, family life, retirement activities, news of O.S.M. graduates . . . whatever.

John Neilson

1 st September2000

Addresses Azizuddin: [email protected]

McQuillan: [email protected]

Blaikie: [email protected]

Metcalf : [email protected]

Braithwaite: [email protected]

Neilson: [email protected]

Brown: [email protected]

Parata: [email protected]

Buckenham: [email protected]

Price: [email protected]

Farhadian: [email protected]

Reid: [email protected]

Graveson: [email protected]

Riley: [email protected]

Guinivere: [email protected]

Sparrow: [email protected]

Hannah: [email protected]

Taylor: [email protected]

Harraway: [email protected]

Thomson T: [email protected]

Hitchon: [email protected]

Webster: [email protected]

Hogg: [email protected] Hunt: [email protected] Jackson: [email protected] Jones L: [email protected] Kininmonth: [email protected] Lee: [email protected] Levinsohn : [email protected]

Floyd, Doreen (Bob Deceased) 384 Busby Road, Katikati, New Zealand McGregor ,Wally 129 Curtis Road, North Tamberine, Qld, 4272.

Lindqvist: [email protected] Mackie : [email protected] McKenzie M : [email protected]

Peirson, Bob 13 Park Avenue, Chatswood NSW, 2067