Local residents Stacy Tranter, Peter Payne and Kay Stingemore have been invited as guest speakers for this year’s Night for Our Lost Miners event.
The now annual Night for Our Lost Miners is an important event on Cobar Shire Council’s Festival of the Miner’s Ghost program.
Instigated by former CSA miner Barry Knight in 2019, the event aims to provide an opportunity for the Cobar community to remember and honour those who have died in mining accidents and also those who have died from mining related illnesses.
Barry said he thought as a mining town, it was important to have an event to remember our lost miners.
“Broken Hill and Kalgoorlie have one and I think it helps as part of the healing process.
“People don’t talk about mining accidents too much.
“Mining is our life in Cobar, it’s our major industry and a lot of people are engaged in mining or businesses associated with mining.
“It’s an opportunity for families who have lost someone and, also the wider community, to come together.”
Barry said he tries to invite people who have a strong link with mining in Cobar to be his guest speakers and share their stories.
“Lots of people have interesting stories to tell about their time working in the mines, but unfortunately a lot of them don’t have the confidence when it comes to public speaking.
“I aim to get people with different opinions and perspectives, people from different mines with different stories.
“In 2023 we had Roger Jackson as a guest speaker. He came here as a school teacher and ended up as a contractor to the mines.
“He spoke about a cheeky kid he had in his class, Dallas Josephson, who ended up working in the mines and was instrumental in the Beaconsfield Mine rescue in 2006.
“We have so many people come through town, with so many different experiences and it’s interesting to hear their mining stories.”
Barry said his guest speakers are given “a blank canvas” and can talk about whatever they like.
“I don’t expect them to talk about the really personal stuff but I think it’s important that the community hears how mining accidents can affect families and how far reaching it goes which many people might not understand,” Barry said.
This year Stacey Tranter will be speaking this year on behalf of the Manns family, after Stacy’s uncle was killed in a mining accident at the CSA Mine in 1984.
Barry has also asked former New Occidental Hotel publican, Peter Payne to be one of this year’s guest speakers.
“The Occ was the miners pub.
“Peter grew up around miners, his father had the pub before him, it was always a miners’ pub,” Barry recalls.
“Back in the day there were no counsellors to talk to and a lot of the counselling was done over a schooner in the front bar.
“No doubt Payney has numerous stories from miners that he can recall.”
Local historian Kay Stingemore is also a guest speaker.
“Kay has a phenomenal amount of local knowledge about Cobar and its mining history and I’m sure will have another interesting tale to tell this year,” Barry said.
There is one change to this year’s program in that there will be a new emcee replacing Barry, who will be away.
“Colby Lawrence will be filling in for me and I’m sure he’ll do a magnificent job,” Barry said.
