Miners MemorialPrint Page

The monument commemorates the coalminers of the district who lost their lives while working in the coal mines.

The monument is a wrought iron or steel coal mine entrance sign fixed between a pair of brick piers in the north-east corner of the Public School Ground.  On the right hand pillar is a plaque with the names of coal miners of the district who lost their lives while working in the coal mines. Underneath the sign is a small restored coal skip, standing on a short length of trolley rails. The sign is from the main adit of Mt Sugarloaf No.1 Colliery (WW-47). It was removed from the mine after the adit was sealed.  The restored skip is typical of those used in older mines to move coal to the shaft, before conveyor belts became the usual means of moving coal.  The skip and trolley rails could be from some earlier mine, as the Sugarloaf mine used a conveyor belt to extract the coal. 

West Wallsend was founded on coal mining. In July 1888 the West Wallsend Coal Co. colliery commenced production after some years of lead up work. The Monkwearmouth Coal Co. colliery also began producing in the area in March 1890 after 4 years of preparation. It became Seaham Colliery in 1891-92. West Wallsend Extended (Killingworth) opened in 1892. Seaham No. 2 was opened in 1905. These four mines formed the economic basis of the town.

West Wallsend Colliery closed in the mid-1920`s; West Wallsend Extended (Killingworth) ceased production for 4 years in December 1910 after an explosion, and was closed indefinitely in 1930, but is now in operation again. Seaham No. 1 closed in 1932; and Seaham No. 2 in 1945. During 1886-88 some- 40 workers were employed on shaft sinking and foundation work for the start of the coal mines. They, were housed in huts clustered around the two mines. An explosion in 1979 wrecked West Wallsend Colliery but there was no loss of life.

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