Today I was able to recognise the hard work of all those who contributed to the new Redhead Miners' Memorial in a Community Recognition Statement tabled in the Parliament of New South Wales:



The mine that became the Redhead Colliery, in my electorate of Charlestown, was originally opened in 1889. By the time of its closure in 1928, 16 miners had died working in the colliery.

Last week, following four years of hard work by the Redhead Mens Shed, I was privileged to open a new Miners Memorial for the Colliery. The memorial is in a prominent location in Redhead, and consists of a magnificently restored poppet wheel and a plaque with the names of the men who lost their lives.

Pat Conroy MP, Federal Member for Shortland, and Councillor Kay Fraser, Mayor of Lake Macquarie, both played significant roles in bringing the memorial project to fruition, and I was delighted that they joined me for the opening ceremony. The ceremony was made complete by the contribution of students from Redhead Public School who sang and read for us.

Local collieries have a significant place in the history of my electorate, as do the deaths of miners at work. I am grateful to the members of the Redhead Mens Shed for their hard work in ensuring that the Redhead Colliery is remembered by us now, and by future generations.