Newmanhistory6753 Podcast

In this podcast Wolf, in conversation with Lisa Rickert,  recalls living in the Bechtel Con Camp - Sufferers' Paradise - and then the early days of the SMQ and the town Mess. He also remembers the early days of the Walkabout Hotel, especially the Animal Bar! He describes the town swimming pool and his involvement in the swimming club, including inter-town swimming carnivals.

In this podcast Wolf, in conversation with Lisa Rickert,  describes his journey of how he came to Newman in 1969. He had previously spent time at Koolan Island and he described his time there.  He then travelled the world, starting in 1966. He recalls his childhood days in East Berlin, just after WWII, and how his family escaped and migrated to Australia in 1953. 

In this podcast Wolf, describes how he came to Newman after much travels. He started in the workshop, which had not been fully completed at that stage. He describes the various machines he worked on, and how the new workshop didn't allow for the larger machines. He was moved to the Hill and worked on the shovels and trucks, but also across many different areas.

In this podcast Harley, in conversation with Lisa Rickert,  describes the present trip he is making on his Kawasaki Ninja 1000 motorbike, after a few different incidents that prevented him from completing the trip earlier. He also recalls that  the nearest medical facilities were only found in Meekathara.

In this podcast Harley, in conversation with Lisa Rickert,  recalls his trip up and landing at Meekathara. He reflects on the rare occasions that the rain came and the effects it had, and also the highlights of camp living. He remembers a geologist called Ray Martin and what he did. He worked in the camp for all of 1963 and then described his life beyond this time, including a short time back in N...

In this podcast Harley, in conversation with Lisa Rickert,  recalls some standout people from that time and how a kangaroo court was held to sort out a problem in the camp. He had some contact with Stan Hilditch, but found him to be quite a private person. He describes the long process involved in order to make a phone call to his parents in Perth, which started with a visit to Roy Hill Station. H...

In this podcast Harley, in conversation with Lisa Rickert,  talks about exploring the area around the camp.  He found a cave full of zebra rock, which he later discovered was blown apart. He also used to go out shooting for roos. He also recalls an aboriginal camp where they had four horses, which they were allowed to ride. He remembers when the river ran and their food truck became bogged - the g...

In this podcast Harley, in conversation with Lisa Rickert,  continues to describe what conditions were like in the Tent City. He also describes his job as a cadet draftsman, and how his job offered him the opportunity to save his money, as there were no expenses whilst he was working at the camp.

In this podcast Harley, in conversation with Lisa Rickert,  recalls his trip to Newman in 1963 when he was only 16. It was  his first trip in a plane and did a multi stop "milk run" until he landed in Meekathara. From there he was driven to the exploration camp at the Newman Homestead. He describes the tents they lived in and the layout of the camp. 

In this podcast Sandy, in conversation with Lisa Rickert,  remembers going out "bush" with Mick and Tracie Fleay. She also loved her time as a volunteer on 6NEW. She describes her time in Newman as quite stable with minimal changes in the town. She recalls how sad she felt leaving Newman, especially as her daughter had just graduated from Year 7, which was dedicated to the memory of Gerard Ross. S...

In this podcast Sandy, in conversation with Lisa Rickert,  recalls her involvement in the establishment of the Newman Neighbourhood Centre in 1992.

In this podcast Sandy, in conversation with Lisa Rickert,  recalls some of her many jobs in Newman, including working as a receptionist at the Rec Centre. Also at DES, Allied Pickfords, Video City,  and Australia Post. She discusses why they ultimately left Newman and the effects it had on her. She remembers the Creches that were available. She shares her memories of the  Fortescue Festival  and a...

In this podcast Sandy, in conversation with Lisa Rickert,  describes some of the sports she was involved in, including hockey, badminton, and basketball

In this podcast Sandy, in conversation with Lisa Rickert,  recalls coming to Newman in 1989 after time already spent in the Pilbara. She arrived in winter and was surprised at the cold! She was really impressed with all the sporting facilities and the friendliness of the people. She describes the involvement of herself and her children in multiple sports, but her special love was gymnastics, where...

In this podcast Merv, in conversation with Lisa Rickert, shares his memories of the Fortescue Festival and the "Fair-Go" Games. He goes on to describe the beginnings of the Aussie Rules Footy competition in Newman and how the teams were named, and the jumpers chosen. They played on Boomerang Oval, with no change rooms, and the grass was watered from the sewerage plant. 

In this podcast Merv, in conversation with Lisa Rickert, recalls the early footy trips to other towns, especially Tom Price. He goes on to reminisce about how safe the town was in the early days and how people took pride in their place and especially their gardens. Merv and Lisa discuss mines that no longer exist, such as Shay Gap and Goldsworthy. Merv also recalls some fatalities on the mine duri...

In this podcast Merv, in conversation with Lisa Rickert, recalls Cyclone Kerry and how it wiped quite a bit of the railway track. He  recalls stories about some of his workmates and also some characters from that time. He also remembers various events that were held in the Community Hall, including the Rolf Harris and Alf Garnett shows, and various sporting personalities. He discusses his football...

In this podcast Merv, in conversation with Lisa Rickert, remembers the beginnings of Tigers footy club, including the building of the Clubhouse. He laments what has happened to the Newman Club and the Community Hall and remembers his girls dancing in Miss Pam's Dancing School. Together Lisa and Merv recall the Dancing Schools and their teachers and those who attended. He goes on to recall when he...

In this podcast Merv, in conversation with Lisa Rickert, talks about his involvement in footy, golf club, gymkhana and Speedway. He recalls how the company allowed use of their equipment to help construct the Speedway, and people volunteered their time and skills to work the machines. He recalls attending Greg Williams funeral and some of the people who were there. He goes on to describe his jobs...

In this podcast Merv, in conversation with Lisa Rickert, describes his involvement with some of the cattle stations in the surrounding district. and the musters, and also the gymkhanas that took place that were very popular and included people from as far as Mt Magnet and Meekathara. He recalls the Morgan family and its various members. He also recalls the two Terrys who found and restored Stan Hi...

In this podcast Merv, in conversation with Lisa Rickert,  recalls the beginnings of the TAB and the trouble getting reception to hear the races! He describes the beginnings of Kumarina roadhouse - and the Capricorn roadhouse. He remembers the various places he lived in - the SMQ, Trotman Ave, Rudall Ave and all the "top brass" that lived in Giles Ave. He talks about the teachers who taught his chi...

In this podcast Merv, in conversation with Lisa Rickert,  recalls his trip to Newman in 1969 - his first trip in a plane. He describes his initiation and his working conditions on the Hill. He spent a short time in Transport, but was then recalled to work on the Mine. He remembers the advantages of working on the dozers, when no ore was produced on Sundays - leading to an eighteen hour shift. Merv...

In this podcast Cliff and Kay later share some random memories. These includes the rapid opening and closing of the Blue Spec Mine in Nullagine, the day they drank the pub dry - also in Nullagine. And a memorable story of the gentleman who lost his teeth in the septic tank - and later retrieved them!!! Cliff recalled many people who had come from Broken Hill to work in Newman and also from Witteno...

In this podcast Cliff recalls the strikes during his time, especially the one surrounding the change to continuous shifts. They discuss the nurse who helped deliver their son, Tony, and the centrality of football in the town. They remember their animals who were part of their life in Newman and beyond. Their concluding comments compared the town of Newman to their time there. Sadly the comparisons...

In this podcast Cliff and Kay discuss the resilience of the people of Newman. Cliff remembers getting across the river in flood, before the bridge... They both recall the major influences in their life in Newman., which for Cliff was related to the Mine and for Kay was life as a young Mum. They also described the highlights of their life up there.