Mt. Kembla Mine Disaster 1902

Date: 31 Jul 1902 [unknown]
Location: Wollongong, New South Wales
Surnames/tags: Mining_Disasters Australia

Disasters |Mining Disasters |Australia, Mining Disasters

History and Circumstances

• Date: 31 Jul 1902
• Location:Wollongong, New South Wales
• Victims: 96 casualties
• Cause: Explosion

{{Mining Disasters|text=died in the Mt Kembla Mine Disaster|date= 31 July 1902}}

Victims

Victims Name Age Those they left behind Address Sourced Bio Connected Category Henry Aitken 23 Single Yes John Aitken 47 Widow and 8 children Yes Prosper James Annesley 32 Yes Richard Bellis 62 Yes Thomas Sylvester Best 48 Married, father of 7 Had lived in Lithgow Yes Alfred William Blackett 22 Single Yes Robert George Blackett 24 Single Yes William Brasher 55 Married, Father of 3 Yes William Varcoe Bray 38 Married, Father of 8 Yes Michael James Brennan 19 Single John Bryson 53 No next of kin Arthur Carter 28 Single Yes Charles Church 67 Single George Henry Dixon 22 Married, father of one Yes William Doherty 29 Single Yes Francis Dungey 46 Married, father of 7 Yes Frederick Dunning 19 Single Yes Thomas Reed Dunning 45 Married, father of 3 Yes Joseph Dunning 24 Single Yes Denis Egan 20 Single Yes Edward Egan 19 Single Yes Michael Egan 29 Single Yes Thomas Egan 32 Single Yes William Filby 49 Widower, father of 7 Yes J Daniel Gallagher 50 Widower Edward Gallagher 38 Married, Father of 4 Yes Michael Gallagher 45 Single Yes Edward Gill 28 Single Stephen Gleeson 33 Married, father of 5 Yes George Oliver Hartley 22 Single James Head 32 Widowed, father of 1 Yes Daniel Healey 32 Single Alfred Hewlett 28 Single Yes William Hewlett 21 Single Yes Jehu Hitchens 60 Married, father of 2 Thomas Howell 36 Separated, 1 child Thomas Hughes 35 Married, father of 1 Reynold Hume 27 Single Percy Alexander Hunt 42 Married, father of 7 Yes Percy Spencer Hunt 18 Single Yes William Hunt 18 Single Henry Robert James 33 Married, Father of 4 John Henry James 32 Married, Father of 3 John Jeffrey 47 Married, Father of 3 Robert Jones 21 Single Thomas Kindred 69 Single Richard Lane, jr 17 Single Richard Lane, sr 44 Married, Father of 3 Henry Osborne MacCabe 45 Married, Father of 2 Yes Patrick McCann 33 Married, Father of 3 James McDill 47 Married Yes Hugh McLister 24 Single James McLister 22 Single William McMurray 47 Single Henry Meurant 20 Single Yes William Meurant 22 Married, Father of 1 Yes George Morris 34 Single Alexander Morrison 15 Single Henry Morrison 17 Single Thomas P Morriss 26 Single Yes Walter Joseph Morriss 52 Married, 8 Children Yes John Muir 18 Single Peter Muir 41 Married John Murphy 49 Married John George Nees 34 Married, 6 Children Yes Jacob Alexander Nelson 15 Single William Nelson 39 Married, 5 children William Nixon 21 Single Matthew Peace 38 Married, father of 1 Yes William John Price 26 Father of 2 Yes James Purcell sr 64 Married Yes James Purcell jr 38 Married, Father of 3 Yes John Purcell 33 Married, Father of 3 Yes Patrick Francis Purcell 45 Married, Father of 7 Yes Thomas Purcell 39 Married, Father of 6 Yes Henry Rich 67 Married Yes James Henry Rich 37 Married, 6 Children Yes Edward Robson 63 Single George Russell 20 Single John Ryan 33 Married, 2 Children Yes Daniel Scott 39 Married, 7 children William Silcock 14 Single Albert Skilling 15 Single Frederick Smith 14 Single Claude Ramsay Stafford 17 Single David Kembla Stafford 17 Single William Stafford 25 Single Francis Stewart 38 Single Richard Thomas 26 Single Thomas Tost 30 Single John Walker 16 Single Richard Walker 43 Married, father of 6 William Walker 18 Single Joseph Wilkinson 26 Engaged Charles Woodroof 33 Married, died 5 weeks later on 08/09/02 George Youngman 37 Married, father of 3 Yes

A table from the original category, to be reviewed for relevant details and may then be deleted.

Miner Victims

Family Name	Given Names	Age	Status	Occupation	Place of Burial	Notes
Aitken	John	47	Married	Miner	Windy Gully Cemetery
Aitken	Henry	23	Single	Miner	Windy Gully Cemetery
Annesley	Prosper J	33	Single	Miner	Soldier's and Miner's Memorial Church Mt Kembla
Bellis	Richard	62	Married	Miner	Windy Gully Cemetery
Best	Thomas S	48	Married	Miner	Old Bowenfel Cemetery
Bray	William V	38	Married	Miner	Wollongong General Cemetery, Presbysterian Section
Brasher	William	55	Married	Miner	Soldier's and Miner's Memorial Church Mt Kembla
Blacket	Robert G	24	Single	Miner	Windy Gully Cemetery
Blacket	Albert W	22	Single	Miner	Windy Gully Cemetery
Bryson	John	53		Miner	Windy Gully Cemetery
Brennan	Michael (Micky)	19	Single	Wheeler		Body never found
Carter	Arthur	28	Single	Miner	Windy Gully Cemetery
Church	Charles	68	Single	Miner	Windy Gully Cemetery
Dixon	George H	22	Married	Wheeler	Soldier's and Miner's Memorial Church Mt Kembla
Doherty	William	29	Single	Miner	Albion Park Catholic Cemetery
Dungey	Frances	46	Married	Day Deputy	Soldier's and Miner's Memorial Church Mt Kembla
Dunning	Joseph F	24	Single	Miner	Soldier's and Miner's Memorial Church Mt Kembla
Dunning	Thomas R	46	Married	Miner	Soldier's and Miner's Memorial Church Mt Kembla
Dunning	Frederick R	19	Single	Wheeler	Soldier's and Miner's Memorial Church Mt Kembla
Egan	Thomas	32	Single	Miner	Wollongong General Cemetery, Catholic Section
Egan	Michael	29	Single	Miner	Wollongong General Cemetery, Catholic Section
Egan	Denis	20	Single	Miner	Wollongong General Cemetery, Catholic Section
Egan	Edward	19	Single	Miner	Wollongong General Cemetery, Catholic Section
Filby	William	49	Married	Miner	Soldier's and Miner's Memorial Church Mt Kembla
Gallagher	Michael	45	Single	Miner	Wollongong General Cemetery, Catholic Section
Gallagher	Edward	38	Married	Miner	Wollongong General Cemetery, Catholic Section
Gallaher	Daniel					No details found. It is possible this person did not exist, was not working on that day, or his body was not found and he had no family locally.
Gleeson	Stephen	33	Married	Miner	Wollongong General Cemetery, Catholic Section
Gill	Edward J	28	Single	Miner	Wollongong General Cemetery, Catholic Section
Hartley	George O	22	Single	Miner	Soldier's and Miner's Memorial Church Mt Kembla
Head	James	32	Widower	Miner	West Dapto Catholic Cemetery
Healey	Daniel	32	Single	Miner	West Dapto Catholic Cemetery
Hewlett	Alfred	28	Single	Shiftman	Windy Gully Cemetery
Hewlett	William	21	Single	Miner	Windy Gully Cemetery
Hitchins/Hitchens	John/Jehu	60	Married	Miner	Soldier's and Miner's Memorial Church Mt Kembla
Howell	Thomas	27	Single	Miner	Windy Gully Cemetery
Hughes	Thomas		Married	Fitter	Soldier's and Miner's Memorial Church Mt Kembla
Hume	Reynold	27	Single	Miner	Windy Gully Cemetery
Hunt	William	18	Single	Miner	Soldier's and Miner's Memorial Church Mt Kembla
Hunt	Percy Alex	42	Married	Miner	Soldier's and Miner's Memorial Church Mt Kembla
Hunt	Percy S	18	Single	Miner	Soldier's and Miner's Memorial Church Mt Kembla
James	John H	33	Married	Miner	Soldier's and Miner's Memorial Church Mt Kembla
James	Henry	33	Married	Miner	Wollongong General Cemetery, Presbysterian Section
Jeffrey	John	42	Married	Miner	Windy Gully Cemetery
Jones	Robert	21	Single	Miner	Windy Gully Cemetery
Kindred	Thomas	69	Single	Miner	Windy Gully Cemetery
Lane	Richard	44	Married	Miner	Soldier's and Miner's Memorial Church Mt Kembla
Lane	Richard	17	Single	Miner	Soldier's and Miner's Memorial Church Mt Kembla
MacCabe	Henry O	45	Married	Mining Engineer	Wollongong General Cemetery, Anglican Section	Not a mine employee. Killed during rescue effort.
McCann	Patrick	33	Married	Miner	Wollongong General Cemetery, Catholic Section
McDill	James	47	Married	Miner	Windy Gully Cemetery
McLister	Hugh	24	Single	Wheeler	Windy Gully Cemetery
McLister	James	22	Single	Miner	Windy Gully Cemetery
McMurray	William	47	Widower	Night Deputy	Windy Gully Cemetery	Not working during explosion. Killed during rescue effort.
Meurant	Henry	20	Single	Miner	Soldier's and Miner's Memorial Church Mt Kembla
Meurant	William	22	Married	Miner	Soldier's and Miner's Memorial Church Mt Kembla
Morrison	Henry	17	Single	Clipper	Windy Gully Cemetery
Morrison	Alexander	15	Single	Clipper	Windy Gully Cemetery
Morris	George	34	Married	Miner	Soldier's and Miner's Memorial Church Mt Kembla
Morriss	Thomas P	26	Single	Miner	Wollongong General Cemetery, Catholic Section
Morriss	Walter	52	Married	Miner	Wollongong General Cemetery, Catholic Section
Muir	John	18	Single	Miner	Windy Gully Cemetery
Muir	Peter	41	Married	Miner	Windy Gully Cemetery
Murphy	John	49	Married	Miner	Wollongong General Cemetery, Catholic Section
Nees	John G	34	Married	Miner	Soldier's and Miner's Memorial Church Mt Kembla
Nelson	William	39	Married	Under Manager	Windy Gully Cemetery
Nelson	Jacob A	14	Single	Working in Engine Shed	Windy Gully Cemetery
Nixon	William	21	Single	Wheeler	Helensburgh General Cemetery
Peace	Matthew	38	Married	Miner	Wollongong General Cemetery, Catholic Section
Price	William John	26	Married	Wheeler	Windy Gully Cemetery
Purcell	James senior	64	Married	Miner	Wollongong General Cemetery, Catholic Section
Purcell	James junior	38	Married	Shiftman	Wollongong General Cemetery, Catholic Section
Purcell	John	33	Married	Miner	Wollongong General Cemetery, Catholic Section
Purcell	Patrick	45	Married	Engine Driver	Wollongong General Cemetery, Catholic Section
Purcell	Thomas	39	Married	Miner	Wollongong General Cemetery, Catholic Section
Rich	Henry	67	Married	Miner	Soldier's and Miner's Memorial Church Mt Kembla
Rich	James Henry	39	Married	Miner	Soldier's and Miner's Memorial Church Mt Kembla
Robson	Edward	65	Single	Miner	Windy Gully Cemetery
Russell	George	20	Single	Miner	Windy Gully Cemetery
Ryan	John	33	Married	Miner	Wollongong General Cemetery, Catholic Section
Scott	Daniel/David	39	Married	Miner	Windy Gully Cemetery
Silcock	William	14	Single	Clipper	Windy Gully Cemetery
Skilling	Albert	15	Single	Clipper	Soldier's and Miner's Memorial Church Mt Kembla
Smith	Frederick J	14	Single	Clipper	Soldier's and Miner's Memorial Church Mt Kembla
Stafford	William	25	Single	Miner	Soldier's and Miner's Memorial Church Mt Kembla
Stafford	Kembla/David	17	Single	Wheeler	Soldier's and Miner's Memorial Church Mt Kembla
Stafford	Claude R	17	Single	Clipper	Soldier's and Miner's Memorial Church Mt Kembla
Stewart	Francis/Frank	38	Single	Miner	Wollongong General Cemetery, Catholic Section
Thomas	Richard	26	Single	Miner	Windy Gully Cemetery
Tost	Thomas/Edward	30	Single	Miner	Windy Gully Cemetery
Walker	Richard	42	Married	Miner	Soldier's and Miner's Memorial Church Mt Kembla
Walker	William T	18	Single	Clipper	Soldier's and Miner's Memorial Church Mt Kembla
Walker	John	16	Single	Miner	Soldier's and Miner's Memorial Church Mt Kembla
Wilkinson	Joseph	26	Single	Miner	Windy Gully Cemetery
Woodruff/Woodroof	Charles/William	33	Married	Miner	Wollongong General Cemetery, Presbysterian Section
Youngman	George H	38	Married	Miner	Soldier's and Miner's Memorial Church Mt Kembla

Rescue Efforts

Results and Findings

Resources

• Safety in Mines Testing and Research Station, link
• Illawarra Mercury, link
• Kembla Jottings, link
• Mount Kembla Wikipedia