This website has been created by volunteers at the Ipswich Historical Society to enable future generations to gain on insight to their ancestor’s employment in what was once an important industry in Queensland. The Ipswich Historical Society has among its members a number of former West Moreton coal mine workers. These former mineworkers have an interest in preserving what is left of what was once a flourishing industry which started in 1843 at Redbank and finished in 2019 at Jebropilly.
Indeed the West Moreton was the first coal field in Queensland, consisting of the Ipswich and Rosewood areas. These mines contributed to the states rapid progress by providing the coal to power the steam engines of the 1800’s and early 1900’s.
During the late 1960’s, 1970’s and 1980’s our mines supplied the coal to Swanbank Powerhouse. This record was started when a former mineworker inquired at the Ipswich Historical Society if there was a record of his grandfather working in the local coalmines. He knew that his grandfather was a miner, but not where he had worked, or what he did at the mine. There are not many mine company documents still in existence, and the Society could not help him at that time.
This inquiry led to research which has continued for some years, and now there is a long, incomplete list of mine workers names.
This site contains the names of many mine workers. These range from boys who worked on the surface to miners, trades people, managers and colliery owners. Where possible, photos and snippets of the work and after work life are included.
Please feel free to make comment of more information, mistakes, omissions and whatever you think of the content.