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13/10/09Collinsville remembers it sons on Miners Memorial Day
Minister for Natural Resources Mines and Energy Stephen Robertson said the lives of the 26 Collinsville miners who have died since mining began in the area in 1919 are today being commemorated.
The annual Collinsville Miners Memorial Day ceremony will be held tonight in the northern Bowen Basin town.
In Collinsville to attend the event Mr Robertson said Collinsville has had a major influence on the union movement in Australia as well as the coal industry.
"Collinsville has much to be proud of in the history of Queensland's coal industry and we must remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the development of the industry," he said.
"An influence out of all proportion to its population.
"People here have fought at the forefront of the political and the industrial struggle.
"Black Wednesday - 13 October 1954 - is a day of great significance for the people of Collinsville.
"A tragedy that day affected all the Collinsville community; disrupting many families and leaving none in the community untouched.
"There were many stories of heroism in the rescue work and news of the Collinsville disaster prompted widespread expressions of sympathy."
Mr Robertson said the Collinsville disaster was the worst in Queensland since the 1921 Mount Mulligan disaster some 33 years earlier and was to remain so for 18years till the underground explosion at Box Flat near Ipswich on 31 July 1972.
"All mining deaths, no matter how long ago, have a lasting impact on the community," he said.
"The tragic loss of lives on the Collinsville coalfields is a sad part of Queensland's collective history.
"The history of workers and their struggle, and sadly the ultimate sacrifice of workers, should never be forgotten.
"I strongly support a mine worker's fundamental right to a safe working environment, to go to work and return home safely at the end of a shift.
"Nothing is more important than that.
"We - industry, unions and government - will always remain vigilant about protecting the safety and health of our coal mine workers."
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