Community remembers those lost in one of Australia's worst mining disasters
A new memorial installed near an abandoned mine in central Victoria remembers the 22 men who died in one of Australia's worst mining disasters.
In one of Australia's deadliest mining disasters, 22 men perished in pursuit of gold 140 years ago at The New Australasian No.2 Mine near Creswick. To honor these lives, a sign has been installed by the Creswick Connect community group. The tragedy occurred on December 11, 1882, when miners, including Darren Bellingham's great-great-grandfather Jabez and great-great-uncle Benjamin, began their night shift.
Tragedy struck when water surged into the mine, trapping 29 men, with Jabez managing to escape but turning back to save his brother. The men huddled together in darkness, praying and singing as the water rose, while some scratched messages onto buckets. After three days, only five survived. The community mourned the loss deeply, with four thousand marching in the funeral procession and 15,000 watching on.
The disaster led to the creation of the Mining Accident Relief Fund Act two years later, ensuring compensation for mining accident victims' families. New interpretive signage at the site aims to remind visitors of the miners' sacrifice and the lessons learned from the disaster, urging reflection on the sacrifices made in the name of progress.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
