Summary
Archive footage of unknown origin featuring loosely related historical footage of underground coal mining, railway locomotive manufacturing, Australian railways and more contemporary haulage of coal.
Historical underground coal mining footage from the 1950s depicts miners picking and shoveling coal, miners being transported below and walking in a tunnel with pit lamps switched on, miners operating power borers, shot firing and erecting props. Some of this footage appeared in Hewers of Coal (1957). This is followed by extensive archive of locomotive and wagon production in the railway workshops.
Preceded by a title card of The State Coal Mine, there is some archive footage of pit ponies descending and of coal picking, which is derived from On The Powlett footage of the Wonthaggi coal mines. This is interrupted by more footage of train manufacturing in the railway workshops, as well as random footage of the Alice Springs railway terminus. More underground footage, possibly of the State Coal Mine follows, which is then followed by colour footage of unknown railway trucks loaded with coal on the move, coal being thrown into the locomotive boiler and an aerial shot of an open cut mine.
Special Notes/Achievements
The exact date of this compilation is difficult to determine as it comprises footage filmed from the 1920s through to the 1950s.
Author: J Bird, 2023