A family connection stretching back to the State Coal Mine's early days has come full circle, with new Parks Victoria Ranger Ty Hamilton bringing traditional trade skills and fresh enthusiasm to one of South Gippsland's most important sites.
'Every day it's different here. My colleagues, the volunteers and everyone in between make this site what it is today, and I'm stoked to be a part of it,' Ty Hamilton said.
Wonthaggi State Coal Mine has welcomed new ranger Ty Hamilton, who joins Parks Victoria as part of a statewide recruitment of 65 new rangers to strengthen on ground park management. Ty is continuing a family connection to the site that spans three generations.
'My family wouldn't be down here if it wasn't for my great, great grandparents who moved to Wonthaggi after the opening of the State Coal Mine during its tent town era', Ty said.
As a Parks Victoria Ranger, Ty is following in the footsteps of both his great grandfather, Gordan 'Napper' Hamilton, who worked as a coal miner, and grandfather Bob Hamilton who completed his boiler maker and welder apprenticeship at the State Coal Mine Brace 5 workshops.
The tokens aren't going to hammer themselves! Ty is hard at work reinstating by-gone mine tech. Credit: Parks Victoria
Ty is well positioned to continue his family tradition of contributing practical skills to the restoration and conservation of the site.
'I am a cabinet-maker by trade and have worked with Bass Coast Landcare and later Waratah Conservation, where I really found my love for bush regeneration'.
Ty's trade skills have recently been put to good use re-establishing the traditional process of punching miners' tokens.
'These tokens were traditionally used as a simple clock-in, clock-out system for workers,' Ty explains.
'You would go to the token room at the start of your shift, grab your token off the wall and head out to your jobsite for the day. If your token wasn't back on the board at the end of shift, they would have to send a search and rescue team out to try and find you. Considering there are more than 4800km of tunnel networks beneath Wonthaggi it was pretty easy to get lost, injured or stuck in these dangerous mines.'
