Eric Thomas interviewed by John Meredith for the John Meredith folklore collection [sound recording]
- Bib ID:
- 1499411
- Format:
- Audio
- Author:
- Thomas, Eric, 1906-, interviewee
- Online Version:
- National Library of Australia digitised item
- Access Conditions:
- Access open for research and personal copies; written permission required for public use.
- Description:
-
- 1987 Oct. 21
- 2 sound tape reels (ca. 47 min.) : analog, 7 1/2 ips, 2 track, stereo. ; 7 in.
- Series:
- John Meredith folklore collection.
- Summary:
-
Eric "Shrewdy" Thomas, miner and long-time resident of Queenstown, Tasmania. Thomas speaks of his working background being confined to the Queenstown Region having never worked in a town; how he started working in the silver-lead Magnet Mine at Waratah, then from 1927 worked in the Tulla silver-lead mine, later returning to Waratah to drive horses for Tyson-Garrett delivering food supplies; how in his early days he mined osmiridium in the alluvial fields in the Waratah-Korina area; how Prouse found the biggest nuggest ever of osmiridium now in the London Museum; how his grandfather, a Welsh miner, came out to the Bendigo goldfields and later to Beanconsfield, Tas.; where his father was born in Sept. 1883; the problems of driving horses in the country, later returning to the Magnet Mine at Waratah; how Bishoff discovered the richest tin mine in the world in 1871, Zeen discovered silver in 1883 before copper was discovered in 1891 at Mt. Lyell; how the sulphur dioxide, erosion and bushfires destroyed the local vegetation; how Robert Ditch became famous for their fuel-efficient method of direx and printing smelting, wood consumption in the region in the early part of the century; the demand for accommodation in the area and the proliferation of hotels; how horses were replaced with cars in the 1920's; how he settled in Queenstown in 1930 working the copper Nth. Lyell Mine then later the Comstock Mine.
Thomas recalls the filming of Jewelled Nights, a 1925 silent film shot at Nineteen Miles and based on a novel written in 1923 by Marie Bjelke Petersen; how the people of Waratah used to go out on Sundays to watch them shoot the film, the film has since been lost; he recalls some of the cast such as Louise Lovely as the female lead, Colin Ridge as the hero, Madeline Onions as the bar maid, Higginson as cameraman; he recalls when the first movies were shown in Queenstown from around 1917; how a young man called Bluey Hampton became a well-known local celebrity in Queenstown; he recalls the 1912 mining disaster which started with a fire which killed 42 miners who died from sulphur fumes; how the fire had to be put out by flooding the mines, the Loongana's record voyage from Melbourne with fire rescue gear followed by a record run by train; the 1911 Strike which resulted from Norm White, the union representative, punching the boss on the site; he describes the customs common in the pubs of those days where the barman would drink with his customers and provide nightcaps or a billycan of beer; how "Billy Bong" the local blacksmith found his teeth; how dances were conducted in those days and the local music bands; how football was conducted at the time.
- Notes:
-
- Recorded on 21 October 1987 at Queenstown, Tasmania.
- Also available online http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-221516885
- Subject:
-
- Thomas, Eric, 1906- -- Interviews
- Copper mines and mining -- Tasmania -- History
- Gold mines and mining -- Tasmania -- History
- Lead mines and mining -- Tasmania -- History
- Miners -- Tasmania -- Interviews
- Silver mines and mining -- Tasmania -- History
- Lost films -- Australia
- Queenstown (Tas.) -- History
- Other authors/contributors:
- Meredith, John, 1920-2001
- Related Records:
-
This belongs to the John Meredith folklore collection.
This collection contains 574 records. - Copyright:
-
In Copyright
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- Reason for copyright status:
- Until 2057 [Created/Published Date + 70 Years]
Copyright status was determined using the following information:
- Material type:
- Sound Recording
- Published status:
- Unpublished
- Creation date:
- 1987
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