VINCENT (Tinny) PAUL BOOTH

Interviewer: Jenny Campbell

Abstracter: Robyn Powley

Interview: 27 June 2013

TRACK 1

00:37 Interview introduction – Identification – VINCENT PAUL BOOTH – born 1926 – Recording agreement

01:32 Nickname ‘TINNY’ – started at school - Explains

02:42 Worked at BELMONT STATION – RUGBY – WAIRAKI MINE – BLACK DIAMOND MINE – lived in NIGHTCAPS – TINKERTOWN – three brothers ran the mine – ARTHUR – GEORGE – and HARRY TINKER - Explains

04:45 VINCENT’S parents lived at TINKERTOWN – brothers and sisters walked into NIGHTCAPS to go to CONVENT SCHOOL – 3KM – BLACK DIAMOND MINE at TINKERTOWN – GOVERNMENT bought the mine – OPEN CAST – WAIRAKI MINE -OHAI – underground – BIRCHWOOD MINE - LINTON MINE – opencast – Details

06:14 Underground at TINKERTOWN and WAIRAKI – first job – SCREENS – WAGONS – TRUCKING – WINCH HOUSE – TRUCKS - 5 to the ton – OHAI TRUCKS - 2 to the ton – Describes

08:50 Main Rope – ‘Run them in’ – winch – BUICK ENGINE – Describes

10:10 BLACK DIAMOND – HARD COAL – hand drilling – blasting – AJAX – MONABELL – EXPLOSIVES – DEPUTY’S TICKET – Explains

12:34 Bore the hole – Explosives placed – DUMMIES – Describes

14:13 Safety precautions – None – ‘Swallowed the dust’ – WAIRAKI MINE – dust sprayed down - CHEWING GUM – Explains

15:00 End of Track 1

TRACK 2

00:11 Paid by WAGON LOAD – TOKEN with NUMBER – Round of SHOTS – ‘DIPS’ – PAY RATES – SURVEYORS – directions/depths underground – COAL SEAMS - Explains

02:28 BLACK DIAMOND MINE – 9/10 miners – PROPS – VENTILATION SYSTEM – Explains

05:15 WAGES – best pay 3 pound/day – paid by the TON – Explains

06:04 BLACK DIAMOND MINE – 8/9 MINERS - WAIRAKI MINE – over 30 MINERS – MAIN SHAFT travelled on a MAN TROLLEY – 22ft PROPS – ‘Rabbit Warren’ – extracting the coal – ROOF BOLTS – AIR COMPRESSION MACHINES - Explains

09:19 MAINTENANCE PEOPLE – Roadways – lay rails – air to the miners – STOPPINGS – GAS – HARD HAT – ‘Late on’ MASKS supplied - Explains

11:52 40 Years (in the Mines) - Great Mates – Coal falls – Second Sense – ‘The LORD looked after us’ – FALLS – dust/racket – Describes

13:33 Wages – 5 Days a Week – 20 ton/day – UNION – Deer Stalking - Recalls

15:00 End of Track 2

TRACK 3

00:08 Limit on amount of coal – UNION – Fortnight Quota – Explains

00:38 Coal moved – LORRIES – TRUCK and TRAILERS - TRAINS – WAIREA/OHAI – private line – INVERCARGILL – Explains

01:41 Worked 8 HOURS/DAY – 10 AM BREAK – Snack at Dinner Time – stayed in own section – bottle of cold tea with lunch – Government gave miners a FLASK – Hot Drink – TEA CADDIES – Explains

03:18 UNIONS – Compulsory Membership – WAIRAKI MINE – morning meetings – UNION FEES – Earned 10 Pound/week – Family/Food/House – ‘Beautiful Wife’ – ‘Seven Kids’ – BOARDING SCHOOL – New job – Killing for the Butcher – Night Job – Needed 10-minute nap – Explains

06:08 TWO SHIFTS – 8.00 am/2.00 pm – AFTERNOON SHIFT – 2.00 pm – 8.00 pm – MAINTENANCE WORK – another shift started – 8.00 pm – 8.00 am – WIFE a ‘Mother and Father’ to the kids – Explains

08:05 MINE MATES – A BOND – OHAI and NIGHTCAPS Rugby teams – ‘TORRID’ GAMES – Recalls

09:34 Recalls – ‘Not so good things about mining’ – WAIRAKI MINE – PROUD COAL – ‘GUTTER UP’ – Describes

10:45 Had to buy own EQUIPMENT - FREE AMUNITION – MANAGERS – BILL ELLIOT (SP) – COMPASS – Explains

12:06 CAVE-IN worries – DEPUTIES – fire a shot - GAS – COAL FALLING – Details

13:04 ARTHRITIS – BUSHMAN’S SINGLET – CAPE – HOBNAIL BOOTS – CLEATED RUBBER BOOTS – Explains

15:00 End of Track 3

TRACK 4

00:09 Changes in the MINE – 40 YEARS – WAIRAKI – HORSES – WINCHES – DIESEL MACHINE – Explains

01:47 BROTHER HURT – COAL FALL – BROKEN PELVIS – HEAD DAMAGE – COMPENSATION – Explains

03:09 LINTON MINE – UNDERVIEWER GASSED – Explains

04:05 ‘Great Mate’ killed in WAIRAKI MINE – freak accident – single man – MARRIED MEN who were killed, their WIDOW received a lump sum – Explains

05:15 Left home at what time? - PIE CART – pulled from WAIREA to OHAI – NIGHTCAPS – left at 7.00 o’clock (am) – lots of smoking in the carriages – NO SMOKING in the mines – LUNCH eaten in the mine – lots of RATS – hung lunch up high on a PROP so RATS couldn’t get it – smell of APPLES very strong – Describes

07:30 WATER – Company supplied it – FRESH WATER EVERY MORNING – many miners took own water – TEA at home just after 5 (pm) – beautiful cook (WIFE) – Explains

08:25 Recalls - HOTELS – stream of them (miners) off the PIE CART (3 carriages) – go and have a BEER – ‘wash the dust down’ – ONE HOTEL in NIGHTCAPS – TWO BUTCHER SHOPS – TWO DRAPER SHOPS – THREE GROCERY SHOPS

09:54 Recalls – sent his children to the CONVENT SCHOOL – PRIMARY SCHOOL now the TAKITIMU SCHOOL – there were TWO SCHOOLS – most families had FIVE or SIX KIDS – some A DOZEN - met his wife at a BIRTHDAY PARTY – LOVELY LADY

11:10 Recalls - Mines under OHAI – MAIN STATION – NIGHTCAPS MINE going before he (VINNY) was born – other mines got bigger – SEAMS further down now

12:30 Recalls – STATE took over WAIRAKI – OPEN CAST – OVERBURDEN – good seams – new mine - OPEN DAY – BULLDOZER – not as good as the OHAI COAL – COAL at MINER’S RATES - $3/TON – now $15/$16/bag

14:29 Recalls – eldest son’s wedding - ENGLAND – met ‘LOVELY LADY ON THE PLANE’ – BANK JOB

15:00 End of Track 4

TRACK 5

00:10 Recalls - shifted to TOKOROA – got DOGS – BEAUMONT – PATRICIA – REDUNDANCY – shifted back down – BAR LICENCE – GOLF CLUB – BOWLING CLUB – PATRICIA DIED

01:29 HOUSE when first married – DAPHNE and VINCENT lived with his MUM and DAD – plus TWO BROTHERS – decided to BUILD – cost 2000 POUNDS – Explains

03:00 Recalls – gradually gone downhill (OHAI) – SHOPS closed – MINES closed – PENSION at 60 – parttime at BEAUMONT STATION – MUSTERING – DEER shooting – left the EARS on them – bullets - SET OF EARS

04:47 ARTHRITIS – SHOULDERS/KNEE – PAYOUT – BLACK DIAMOND MINE – BY-PASS – SMOKING – Recalls

06:12 RUGBY TEAM – McCORKINDALES – STROUDS – McDONALDS – Main occupations – MINING - FARMING – SERVICE INDUSTRIES – occupations – Explains

07:28 TINKERTOWN – TIN HOUSES – walked to school – PAT – hit on head – died at 19 – Recalls

08:58 Shifted into NIGHTCAPS – Mum and Dad – rented a house owned by TINKER BROTHERS – bought a house on other side of the RALWAY LINE – Describes

09:33 FATHER a MINER – TWO GENERATIONS – BROTHER – FRANK - a BUTCHER – JOE FENNEL (?) – delivered meat around town – VAN – also HORSE and CART – Recalls

11:38 Left the MINE after 40 YEARS – a GOOD LIFE – strong RUGBY players – strong BODIES – Recalls

13:28 “Should be still going today” (the mines) – BEAUTIFUL COAL – HEATHER’S COUSIN – SOLID ENERGY – massive block of coal around the MORLEY MINE – over 45,000 TONS – “You can’t beat that open fire!” – Recalls

14:20 Interview finishes