UPDATES AND EVENTS

CHRISTMAS BREAK

Our hardworking volunteers will be taking a break over the Christmas/New Year period.

The Museum will be closing for their Christmas Break at 2:00 pm on Thursday 19 December 2024 and reopening on Sunday 5 January 2025 at 10 am.

We wish everyone a happy and safe Christmas and New Year!

FUNDRAISER UPDATE

21 NOVEMBER 2024

Our fundraising has reached $3,811 towards our $5,500.

Special thanks to our Patrons:  Clayton Barr, Meryl Swanson, also Brad Brown, Cessnock Labour Party and Bernard Griffin.

Our thanks to Coles, Kurri Kurri and their employers for their support in allowing us to sell our tickets on a regular basis.

We also wish to thank the members of the Public who are supporting our raffles at Coles, Kurri Kurri. We only have a few more Raffles before our Christmas draw on December 17th. The First Prize is a Chiropractic Package valued at over $300 plus $50 Coles vouchers will be awarded to each of the winners of prizes 2 to 5.

LAUNCH OF OUR FUNDRAISER

On Tuesday 11 June 2024, our wonderful Patron, Clayton Barr MP for Cessnock, opened our appeal for funds to update our display cabinets. Our thanks to Clayton for his kind donation and his interest in and support of our efforts.

This photo is courtesy of Clayton.
Photo courtesy of Clayton Barr MP. Launch of Fundraiser.

Bellbird Mine Disaster Centenary

Edited Extract from the Media Release from Coal Services Pty Limited

Hunter Valley, NSW (Australia), August 2023 –  

Friday, 1 September 2023 marked 100 years since the 1923 Hetton Coal Company Ltd Bellbird Mine Disaster (Disaster) that resulted in the death of 21 miners.
 
This Disaster was the catalyst for the Bill to establish a mines rescue service which was tabled in the NSW Parliament in 1924 and the Mines Rescue Act 1925. The first NSW Mines Rescue station was established at Abermain in 1926.  

Coal Services (Mines Rescue) and the Mining and Energy Union (MEU), together with the Coalfields Local Historical Association, hosted an event to commemorate the centenary of the Disaster.

The ceremony took place at 11 am on Friday, 1 September 2023, at the Bellbird Miners Memorial Park (506 Wollombi Road, Bellbird NSW 2325) and was a great success.

Here is the full Media release.