Rosewood History
The Roughrigg Colliery
Queensland Times (Ipswich, Qld. : 1909 – 1954), Friday 23 July 1926, page 1
MINING VENTURE. Charles Cochrane, Tallegalla, asked for the use of the reserve in front of Bundrock’s for coal mining purposes. W. Rohl and R. H. G. Bundrock advised that they would not object to the proposal. Cr. Schumann thought no objection should be offered, as the reserve actually was a road used only by one person. He moved that the application be granted. The motion was seconded by Cr. Heiner and carried.
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Queensland Times (Ipswich, Qld), Thursday 17 March 1927, page 7
Messrs. C. Cochrane wrote, for his partners and himself, agreeing to the councils terms of £50 and culvert pipes supplied for the improvement of the road to their mine at Tallegalla. They were ready to go on with the work for this amount.
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Queensland Times (Ipswich, Qld), Wednesday 2 November 1927, page 11
TENDERS are invited for the CARTAGE OF COAL from Roughrigg Colliery to Birru Siding, on Marburg line. Tenders close On SATURDAY, November 5, with Manager, Roughrigg. Colliery, Marburg line.
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Daily Standard (Brisbane, Qld), Tuesday 13 December 1927, page 1
A visit was made to Mountain Ash, Roughrigg collieries. It was found that Roughrigg and Mountain Ash were not working owing to the bad state of tho roads, over which they have to cart their coal to the railway.
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Queensland Times (Ipswich, Qld.) Wednesday 18 January 1933, page 2
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Queensland Times (Ipswich, Qld.), Wednesday 5 October 1938, page 6
COAL AT MARBURG. STILL BEING HEWN.
Transport Union Acts.
Information that coal Is being mined at Roughrlgg, in the Marburg dlstrict, has resulted in action by the Queensland Colliery Employees’ Union to prevent this breaching of its plans to enforce the miners claims by a stoppage in production.
The Secretary of the union (Mr. A. E. Phillips) said yesterday that the coal being hewn from Roughrigg by the owning group was being transported to Brisbane by truck. The drivers had been traced, and in consequence the Amalgamated Road. Transport Union had been approached with a request that it should assist the Q.C.E.U. by taking action to stop the handling of the coal. The A.R.T.U. had agreed, and in consequence the owners of the trucks were to be informed that the drivers would be taken off the job.
Drivers of trucks taking coal away from other collieries also have been pursuaded in the past few days to desist.
Leaders of the Q.C.E.U. nevertheless are aware that the loading and transport of coal still is proceeding in some quarters; and measures are being taken to deal with the parties responsible. The picket system now has been extended, to prevent the delivery of supplies from Roughrigg, Ideal, and Hampstead mines. From the last two, the union believes, spoil of very low fuel value still is being transported for factory use.
Queensland Times (Ipswich, Qld), Friday 7 October 1938, page 7
PICKET INCIDENTS. MINERS MET WITH GUNS.
Truck Emptied at Roadside.
With industry feeling the coal shortage more acutely every day, the miners found it necessary to tighten up their picketing to prevent increasing attempts to secure supplies from collieries by road transport. Incidents in consequence became more frequent, with the most sensational an occasion when pickets at one pit allegedly were confronted with firearms.
Though the miners believed they had effectively dealt with attempts to take coal away from the Roughrigg Colliery at Marburg, it was reported yesterday that trucks had begun to ply between Brisbane and two mines in the Lanefield area. In consequence the squad of pickets in the Rosewood district had been heavily reinforced. Involving in the cases of three mines the maintenance of watches through the 24 hours each day.
It was reported from this area yesterday that very early one morning when the pickets intervened ….. attempt to take away coal, firearms were produced in an endeavour to intimidate them. Yesterday morning a picket, informed that an empty truck had passed through Rosewood, heading for the coalfield, distributed it self over the roads leading back to Ipswich. Some time later, on a route that avoided the township, the men hailed a driver taking a full load of coal away. When he stopped the pickets ordered him to take the coal back, but he refused. Finally he emptied the fuel on the roadside after the miners had informed him that if he did not unload voluntarily, they would do it for him. This incident occurred on the outskirts of Rosewood.
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Longreach Leader (Qld), Saturday, 13 April 1940, page 18
The strenuous efforts by a flying squad of miners prevented the resumption of work at all except one of the Rosewood Collieries on Monday. Men at the Roughrigg mine near Marburg, refused to come out, and the president of the Queensland Collieries Employees’ Union told the men assembled outside the pit head, that the Union would ask the Transport Union to see that coal was not carried from the mine.
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Queensland Times (Ipswich, Qld), Thursday 3 January 1946, page 5
APPLICATION FOR COAL LEASE.
In the Warden’s Court yesterday afternoon, an application by Charles Cochrane and Agnes Cochrane, trading as Roughrigg Colliery, for a mineral coal lease. No. 196 Ipswich, was adjourned to January 22, 1946, awaiting a reply from the Rosewood Shire Council. Evidence was given by James Cochrane, mine underground foreman, residing at Tallegalla, who was authorised agent for the applicants In the matter. He stated that he had, in the company’s interests, marked out the land mentioned in the application on November 21, 1945, in accordance with the regulations. He had also lodged the application In the Warden’s office on the same date, and posted two copies of the certificate of application in the Warden’s office, he had caused a copy to he advertised in the “Queensland Times,” on November 23, 1945, and he had sent a copy to the Rosewood Shire Council. Applicants were the sub-lesees of a lease of the adjacent land. The applicants were the owners of No. 615. Mr. H. V. Gibbs (Messers. Walker and Walker) appeared on behalf of the applicants.
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Queensland Times (Ipswich, Qld.) Saturday 21 April 1951, page 8
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Queensland Times (Ipswich, Qld), Tuesday 29 May 1951, page 7
COAL MINING APPLICATION
In the Mining Warden’s Court yesterday, before Mr. Chas. Innes, Acting Mining Warden, application was made by Charles Cochrane and Agnes Cochrane, trading as Roughrigg Colliery, for coal mining lease No. 394, relative to private land at Marburg. Mr. H. V. Gibbs (Messrs. Walker and Walker) appeared for the applicants. In respect of a letter from the Moreton Shire Council Mr. Gibbs stated that no roads had been applied for in the application. Documents showing that the statutory requirements had been complied with were tendered. No objections were lodged. The application was recommended for approval, subject to survey; underground mining operations to be carried out at a depth of not less than 60 feet from the lowest part of the surface.
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Queensland Times (Ipswich, Qld.), Friday 12 June 1953, page 6
Applications for Coal Mining Leases 439 and 441 were made by the firm of Roughrigg Colliery in the Mining Warden’s Court yesterday. Mr. H. V. Gibbs appeared for the applicants, and evidence was given by Mr. J. Cochrane, a member of the firm, in support of the applications.The Warden recommended the leases for approval, subject to survey.
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Queensland Times (Ipswich, Qld4), Wednesday, 17 June 1953, page 2
Marburg Truck- Train Smash
INJURED MEN HELPED FROM CRUSHED TRUCK CABIN
The crew of a coal train which collided with a truck at Marburg early yesterday morning, ran to the wrecked vehicle to find the two occupants injured and badly shocked. The rescuers took some time extricating the men from the crushed cabin.
The railmen told investigating police, that although the emergency brakes were applied the train skidded on frost-covered rails and forced the track along the rail way lines for more than 50ft.
The injured men are Robert Ccchrane (24), of Marburg, the driver of the truck, and his passenger, August Kleve (62), of Rosewood. Both were admitted to the Ipswich General Hospital. Cochrane suffered head injuries, a possible fracture of the right elbow, abrasions to the leg, and shock; and Kleve is receiving treatment for head injuries, a probable fracture of the skull, fractured ribs, lacerated left ear, and shock.
The train crew Reg. Barton (guard), of Rex Street, Ipswich, Robert Cathcart (driver) 67 Tiger Street, West Ipswich, and Colin Hurley (fireman), Rowland Terrace. Ipswich-said that after the train stopped they raced to the truck to aid the occupants but had some trouble getting them out of the wreckage.
The railmen were later assisted by miners of the nearby Roughrigg Colliery.
Train Delayed The train was delayed over an hour while railway workmen cleared the line. Mr. Harold Qualischefski, who has a farm directly opposite the Malabar crossing where the accident occurred, brought a tractor from his cultivation to drag the truck from the lines after the injured men had been released. Rosewood Ambulance was summoned and first aid given before Kleve and Cochrane were transported to Ipswich for further attention.
Marburg police said that it was possible that a dip in the road approaching the Malabar crossing obscured the vision of the truck driver and he was unable to see the coal train. Police were told that the train driver had sounded his whistle. The truck, which as the property of the Roughrigg mine owners, was hauling a timber jinker. The truck was extensively damaged. At midnight, hospital authorities reported that the condition of both men was “satisfactory.”
© Jane Schy, 2025