Ipswich Coal Barons

Australian Workers Film Guide

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Summary

This micro film charts the rise of the coal barons on the Ipswich field and explores the disparity in wealth between the barons and the local miners. In addition to the Wright family at Tivoli, the film profiles prominent coal baron and politician Lewis Thomas, also known as the Coal King. Thomas built a castle on the hill at Blackstone that overlooked the surrounding Ipswich countryside.

Special Notes/Achievement

Released as bonus material for DVD and online distribution, this short film is one of nine micro documentaries constructed from unused material collected for the feature documentary Blood On The Coal (2015).

Author: J Bird, 2023

Film Topics:

Mining - CoalPoliticsUnions

Film Tags:

AustraliaBlackstoneBlood on the CoalClass struggleClass warCoal baronsCoal miningDigger MurphyIpswich coal fieldsLewis Thomas, Coal KingMiners FederationMiningPoliticsPovertyQueenslandUnionsWorking classWright Family at Tivoli

Film Type:

Documentary - Short

Duration: 3 mins

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Film Producer: Xanon Murphy, Sofia Madden,

Film Writer: Jeff Bird, Paddy Gorman,

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Film Executive Producer: Paddy Gorman, Piers Grove,

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Film Sound Recordist: Ben Cunningham, John Roy,

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