Wonthaggi State Coal Mine

Mine Sharft

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A visit back home to Wonthaggi recently saw us call into the state coal mine to have a look as there is a family connection to the Wonthaggi coal mines. My husband has childhood memories of time spent at the mines with his father, as well as his father, three uncles and his grandfather also worked in the mines. We took a lot of photo's of the mine memorabilia, it seemed to me to be such a shame to see relics from the mine era rusting and decaying away.

Winch Cable

Coupling Pin

Decay

Timber skip

Relic's from the Coal Mines Wonthaggi

Over the past twenty years we have been taking photo's of the decline of a Rare Industrial Relic from the coal mines in Wonthaggi, No. Five Brace. This structure has been left to the ravages of the elements and time. Ever so slowly decaying away, no longer the life blood of a town and the many families that work in the mines. 

The Wonthaggi State Coal Mine is said to be of historical and scientific importance to the State of Victoria, so why then is the area around No. Five Brace, the Old Rescue Station, McBride Tunnel in such poor condition. This area is now in the hands of Parks Victoria and on our recent visit to this site it was so over grown we could not get any where near the Rescue Station, McBride Tunnel is also so over grown, paths are no more than mowed tracks very difficult to walk on. This is a very poor reflection of a site  in the hands of Parks Victoria it is so neglected, shame, shame, shame.