Summary

On the 19th of September 1921, a gas explosion at the Mount Mulligan coal mine, killed 75 fathers, husbands and sons.

Mount Mulligan (Ngarrabullgan)^[1], a large, flat topped, pink conglomerate massif similar in shape to Uluru (Ayers Rock), was named by party of explorers led by James Venture Mulligan in 1874.

The Mount Mulligan Mine on the Atherland Tablelands 132 km west of Cairns had been open just six years when a series of explosions that could be heard 30 km away ripped through the coal mine at 9:25 am on 19 September 1921. Seventy-three workers were killed outright, one died immediately after rescue, and the last a week later in hospital. There were no survivors.^[2] Dense black smoke billowed from the mine’s entrance and large pieces of equipment were strewn up to 40 metres away. A rescue effort begun within minutes lasted for five days, with hundreds of volunteers coming from far and wide. The last body was not recovered until 5 months later after the mine had reopened. The accident was particularly shocking because the mine was widely considered safe and had no previous indications of gas leaks.^[3]

The close-knit community of Mount Mulligan^[4], gazetted in 1910, had a population of just 360 and every household in the town suffered a loss. Ironically, the townspeople had voted to establish a cemetery on the outskirts of town just two weeks before. The Mount Mulligan Mine disaster^[2] was the worst mining disaster in Queensland and the second worst mining disaster in Australia. 75 husbands, fathers and sons were killed. Sixty-nine victims were laid to rest in the newly established and consecrated Mount Mulligan Cemetery. Some were taken to the nearest town of Mareeba for burial.

The mine closed, but reopened in 1923 and continued in production until 1957. The township of Mount Mulligan is now a ghost town with a cemetery and a chimney stack.^[4]

Details

Table 1: The Victims - Age, Marital Status, Occupation and Wife's Residence^[5]
(Underscored names have profiles; boldfaced names are connected to the Big Tree.)

Largely due to the Mount Mulligan disaster, Queensland introduced the Coal Mining Act 1925^[6] to better protect coal miners. This Act provides for:

• appointment of Mines Inspectors who must have practical mining experience;
• recording of mine deputy safety inspections in individual reports;
• designation of specifically designed and “permitted” explosives and rules for their use;
• use of safety lamps or electric camp lamps for lighting for individual miners and the banning of naked lights;
• rules for the application of stone dust;
• establishment of Mines Rescue Stations in all mining districts;
• rules for airflow and the use of ventilation fans.

Victims with Headstones in Mt. Mulligan Cemetery

Source: Interment.net^[7]

• Carson, James, b. 1880, d. 19/09/1921, age: 41yr, killed in Mount Mulligan Explosion, erected by his Loving Daughters, HS
• Casloff, Alaxs, b. 1875, d. 19/09/1921, killed in Mount Mulligan Explosion. Born Russia Erected by his loving Wife & Children, HS
• Conoplia, Peter, b. 1880, d. 19/09/1921, age: 36yr, killed in Mount Mulligan Explosion. My Dear Husband & Our Father, HS
• Drier, John A., b. 1879, d. 19/09/1921, age: 43yr, killed in Mount Mulligan Explosion My Dear husband & Our Father, buried with Son John W. Drier, HS
• Drier, John W., b. 1904, d. 19/09/1921, age: 17yr, killed in Mount Mulligan Explosion My Dear Son & Our Brother, buried with Father John A. Drier, HS
• Grant, Francis "Frank", b. 1883, d. 19/09/1921, age: 37yr, killed in Mount Mulligan Explosion, erected by his Loving Wife Mary, HS
• Hutton, Edward D. J., b. 1889, d. 19/09/1921, age: 32yr, killed in Mount Mulligan Explosion. Our Dear husbands Erected by Their Loving Wives & Mother, buried Family Plot, Thomas Hutton, Edward Hutton, James O'Boyle (Mt Mulligan Disaster) & David Thomas Hutton. , HS
• Hutton, Thomas, b. 1885, d. 19/09/1921, age: 37yr, killed in Mount Mulligan Explosion. Our Dear husbands Erected by Their Loving Wives & Mother, buried Family Plot, Thomas Hutton, Edward Hutton, James O'Boyle (Mt Mulligan Disaster) & David Thomas Hutton. , HS
• Jackson, Hugh, b. 1889, d. 19/09/1921, age: 35yr, killed in Mount Mulligan Explosion, erected by the Masonic Bretheren, HS
• James, George Doran, b. 1891, d. 19/09/1921, age: 40yr, My Darling Husband & Son. killed in Mount Mulligan Explosion, erected by their Loving Wife, Mother & Family, buried with his Son George Robert James, HS
• James, George Robert, b. 1904, d. 19/09/1921, age: 17yr, My Darling Husband & Son. killed in Mount Mulligan Explosion, erected by their Loving Wife, Mother & Family, buried with his Father George Doran James, HS
• Leary, Robert Ernest, b. Abt. 1897, d. 19/09/1921, age: 24yr, killed in Mount Mulligan Explosion, HS
• McColm, Samuel, b. 1878, d. 19/09/1921, age: 41yr, killed in Mount Mulligan Explosion, erected by his Loving Wife Mary & Family, HS
• McCormack, Rowland, b. 1905, d. 19/09/1921, age: 16yr, killed in Mount Mulligan Explosion, HS
• Mcintyre, Duncan A., b. 1889, d. 19/09/1921, age: 32yr, killed in Mount Mulligan Explosion, erected by his loving Wife, HS
• Mounsey, George, b. 15/09/1875, d. 19/09/1921, killed in Mount Mulligan Explosion, buried in one of the unmarked Graves. Born Melbourne, Son of William & Annie, Husband of Christine Shears, Father of Annie, Agnes, Christina, George, Hilda, Charles, Lily, Leslie, Mary & Grace. Dedicated by Heather (Mounsey) Bird, Daughter of Leslie, Plaque
• O'Boyle, James, b. 1890, d. 19/09/1921, age: 31yr, killed in Mount Mulligan Explosion. Our Dear husbands Erected by Their Loving Wives & Mother, buried Family Plot, Thomas Hutton, Edward Hutton, James O'Boyle (Mt Mulligan Disaster) & David Thomas Hutton, HS
• Smithson, William Robert, b. 1880, d. 19/09/1921, killed in Mount Mulligan Explosion, HS
• Taylor, Thomas, b. 1891, d. 19/09/1921, killed in Mount Mulligan Explosion, erected by his Loving Wife and Sons, HS

Sources

1. ↑ Wikipedia: Ngarrabullgan: Wikipedia contributors, 'Ngarrabullgan', Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 21 February 2024, 07:21 UTC, <https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ngarrabullgan&oldid=1209305592> [accessed 19 June 2024]
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Wikipedia: Disaster: Wikipedia contributors, 'Mount Mulligan mine disaster', Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 12 May 2024, 13:14 UTC, <https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mount_Mulligan_mine_disaster&oldid=1223485785> [accessed 19 June 2024]
3. ↑ Article: Scheu, Anne.Mount Mulligan Mine Disaster, blog, State Library of Qieensland, John Oxley Library, Blog by Anne Scheu, State Library of Queensland, March 18, 2011, accessed 20 June 2024.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Wikipedia: Town: Wikipedia contributors, 'Mount Mulligan, Queensland', Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 14 June 2024, 04:47 UTC, <https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mount_Mulligan,_Queensland&oldid=1228971536> [accessed 19 June 2024]
5. ↑ List of Victims: Compiled from names on the MEU Monument and statements tendered to the Royal Commission by the Chillagoe Ltd. Accountant, Constable R. McClintock (including lists of dependents), and Union Secretary G. Hawes' Cavil List.
6. ↑ Legislation: Coal Mining Act 1925, Queensland Government, Office of the Queensland Parliamentary Counsel, Reprint No. 1B (not an authorised copy), reprinted as in force on 27 June 1997 (includes amendments up to Act No. 75 of 1996).
7. ↑ Cemetery Records: Internment.net, Mt Mulligan, website, Interment.net Cemetery Records Online, HOME > AUSTRALIA > QUEENSLAND > MAREEBA > MOUNT MULLIGAN CEMETERY, Mount Mulligan Cemetery, Mareeba Shire, Queensland, Australia, 10 September 2008, accessed 20 June 2024.

See also:

• 'Mine Accidents and Disasters>" Mine Accidents And Disasters ". 2020. Mineaccidents.Com.Au. Accessed February 3 2020. Australia Mine Disasters.
• Fatalities in Qld Mines>2020. Nost.Edu.Au. Accessed February 3 2020. Fatalities List, does not include Mt Mulligan.
• THE MT. MULLIGAN DISASTER, - The Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933) - 20 Sep 1921 2020. Trove. Accessed February 2 2020. News Article
• The Mt Mulligan mine disaster remembered - The Australian Mining Review. 2015. The Australian Mining Review. Accessed February 2 2020. Disaster remembered.
• Design, UBC. 2020. ""The Day The Devil Wept" | Monument Australia". Monumentaustralia.Org.Au. Accessed February 2 2020. Monument, Mount Mulligan.
• Mount Mulligan Mine Disaster "Mount Mulligan Mine Disaster". 2020. Mbahistsoc.Org.Au. Accessed February 2 2020. Mareeba Historical.
• JCU thesis pdf
• A Thousand Miles Away: A History Of North Queensland To 1920 (1963) - Book - The Robert Menzies Collection: A Living Library". 2020. Menziescollection.Esrc.Unimelb.Edu.Au. Accessed January 3 2020. Bibliography Citation. A Thousand Miles Away.
• Walkabout, Mount Mulligan
• Mine Safety Journal, Mount Mulligan
• SLQ Mount Mulligan
• Alisa Patterson, Version: 24 July 2021. In Loving Memory - Dedicated to the 75 men who died in the Mount Mulligan mine disaster of 19 September 1921: accessed 14 Mar 2025
• Kelso family
• David Kelso Fletcher, MMC
• Australian Geographic Nov/Dec 2022 edition171 page 12
• Victims from Victoria. List of Thirteen 1921 'VICTIMS FROM VICTORIA.', The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), 22 September, p. 7. , viewed 18 Mar 2025, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4651457