Rosewood History
The Moorefield Colliery
Queensland Times (Ipswich, Qld.), Monday 5 November 1934, page 2
New Coal Mine
About 12 months ago a bore was put down on Mr. C. P. Hertweck’s property for the purpose of finding coal, with the result that a good seam was struck. A shaft and tunnel were then put down, and now several miners are working, and good coal is being sold from what is known as the Moorefleld Colliery.
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Telegraph (Brisbane, Qld. , Monday 22 July 1935, page 4
The Moorefleld colliery, in the Walloon district, which had been closed down in 1934, was reopened, and a small production regularly maintained.
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Queensland Times (Ipswich, Qld.) Wednesday 17 November 1937, page 1
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Queensland Times (Ipswich, Qld.), Wednesday 10 May 1939, page 6
COLLAPSED AT MINE. Young Man’s Sudden Death.
Two hours after he collapsed at the Moorefield Colliery (Walloon) yesterday morning, Jack Bailey (19), Ipswich, died in the General Hospital. Bailey, who is a single man living at Stuart-street, Cribb Estate, be came ill about three weeks ago, but did not consult a doctor. He suffered severe headaches, and was off work for several days. His health improved, however, and he returned to work. Yesterday morning, he was working with a man named Butterfield, and had just started to push a truck when he collapsed. Bailey was brought to the surface in a semi-conscious condition, and was admitted to the General Hospital, shortly after 11 o’clock. He died just before 1 p.m. The G.M.O. (Dr. M. S. Patterson) will conduct a post-mortem examination at 8 o’clock today.
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Telegraph (Brisbane, Qld.), Saturday 5 August 1939, page 11
COAL PRICES RAISED 6d. AND 8d. TON
May Increase Cost of Gas And Electricity
Consumers of coal in Brisbane were notified by the West Moreton District Coal Board today that prices had been increased by 6d. and 8d. a ton for coal from the Ipswich and Rosewood districts respectively. The reason given for the increase was that it was to cover a provision in the new Federal award granting annual leave with pay to employees. When the award was made it was estimated that this provision would cost Queensland colliery owners £3,0,000 a year.
Appeals will be made against the increases to the Central Coal Board, and it will depend on the result of these whether the price of gas or electricity will be affected by the increase in coal costs.
The West Moreton Coal Board advised consumers today that the price for coal from the Bundamba, Ipswich, and North Ipswich collieries had been, increased by 6d. a ton from August 1, while the price of coal from the Rosewood. Lanefield, Marburg, Amberley, Walloon, Mt. Elliott, and Moorefield collieries had been increased by 8d. a ton. The increase in coal prices will cost the Brisbane City Council and the City Electric Light Co. Ltd., which use about 150,000 tons of coal between them – an additional £3,800 a year. Added to the recent rise, in the basic wage, this amount means a substantial increase in production costs.
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Queensland Times (Ipswich, Qld.), Saturday 23 December 1939, page 6
FALL OF COAL.- Struck by a fall of coal at the Moorefield Colliery, Walloon, Robert Harold (51. miner) of Mustering Gully, received a fractured collarbone. He was admitted to the General Hospital.
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Queensland Times (Ipswich, Qld.), Wednesday 7 June 1944, page 2
COLLIERY IDLE.
Moorefield Colliery, in the Rosewood district, has been idle since Friday. Mr. T. M. Millar (President of the Q.C.E.U.) said yesterday that the stoppage was due to the refusal of the manager to obey an instruction from the Chairman of the Reference Board (Mr. F. E. Walsh) for the men to resume. He (Mr. Millar) had sent an urgent telegram to the Commonwealth Coal Commissioner (Mr. N. Mighell) yesterday asking him to direct the manager to re-open the colliery under pre-stoppage conditions, in accordance with the award.
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Queensland Times (Ipswich, Qld.), Wednesday 14 June 1944, page 2
MOOREFIELD COLLIERY DISPUTE.
Mr. Ogilvie, Assistant Production Manager of the Commonwealth Coal Commission will be arriving in Queensland today for the purpose of inquiring Into the dispute at Moorefield Colliery in the Rosewood district. Arrangements are being made for him to confer with District Inspector T. Sharp, the Manager of the colliery (Mr. Purnell), and Mr. T. Millar (President of the Queensland Colliery Employees Union), regarding points involved in the dispute. The conference probably will take place at Moorefleld Colllery.
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Queensland Times (Ipswich, Qld.), Friday 16 June 1944, page 2
WORK RESUMED AT MOOREFIELD COLLIERY.
As a result of a conference on Wednesday afternoon into a dispute at the Moorefield colliery, in the Rosewood district, the men returned to work yesterday morning under conditions prevailing before the stoppage occurred. Those at the conference were Mr. T. Sharp (Government Mines Inspector). Mr. R. Ogilvie (Assistant Production Manager for the Coal Commission), Mr. T. M. Millar (President of the Q.C.E.U.), and three representatives of the colliery concerned. All points in relation to the dispute were discussed. Directions were received from the Chairman of the Reference Board (Mr. F. E. Walsh) and from Mr. Mighell (Chairman of the Commonwealth Coal Commission) that the men must return to work and that the matters in dispute would be dealt with by the Chairman of the Coal Reference Board in Brisbane. At present Mr. Walsh is indisposed, but it is understood that the board will hear the complaints as soon as he is well.
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Queensland Times (Ipswich, Qld), Thursday 13 December 1945, page 4
S. G. Purnell, Moorefield Colliery Coy., asked for runners to be placed on the Five Mile Bridge as the company would be transporting coal over the bridge to be loaded at Walloon from the colliery at Amberley. A copy of the letter is to be sent to Moreton Shire Council recommending that the work should receive attention.
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Queensland Times (Ipswich, Qld.), Tuesday 12 December 1950, page 2
ROOF COLLAPSE AT COLLIERY
A collapse at the Moorefield Colliery, near Amberley, over the weekend has put two working levels out of production. The length of the fall is about 50 yards The collapse was discovered when the mine was being examined before production yesterday. Another section of the mine is threatened, but miners yesterday were slabbing in an effort to prevent further deterioration. Production was maintained at the colliery yesterday from the mine’s other working sections. Miners yesterday recovered pneumatic picks from the area where the fall occurred. The mine employs 11 men underground and two on the surface.
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Queensland Times (Ipswich, Qld.), Thursday 29 March 1951, page 2
AIRWAY COLLAPSE
Moorefield Colliery, Amberley. is out of production as a result of a collapse in the return airway. Men employed at the mine are driving a new airway. The colliery normally produces about 30 tons of coal a day.
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Queensland Times (Ipswich, Qld.), Wednesday 4 July 1951, page 3
MINER INJURED
R. Blandford, a miner employed at Moorefield Colliery, was only slightly injured by a fall of coal yesterday. Ambulance bearers treated the man, who resides at Smith-stree North Ipswich, for a badly contused wound to , the first finger of the right hand, and abrasions to the left arm. He was taken to the hospital for further treatment.
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Brisbane Telegraph (Qld.), Thursday 15 October 1953, page 26
Ipswich mine in protest
Another coal mine, Moorefield, in the Ipswich district is idle today as a protest against the proposal of the owners to introduce a rule that a miner absent for a day must produce a medical certificate. The secretary of the Queensland Colliery Employees’ Union (Mr. C. Tucker) said other mines still idle today were Eureka, Rylance No. 3 and No. 5 and Rylance Abermaine. These four were all within the Rylance group, and West Falen. This means that 16 mines have been idle at some time since the dispute commenced last Tuesday week.