On Friday around 50 people gathered at Brisbane's Victoria Park Golf Clubhouse to launch the book of memoirs, "The 69ers: Half a Century On".
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With a beautiful photo of the north-west area on the cover, a love of this rugged mining community permeated the pages.
Who were these 69ers? Just as 49ers sought gold in the Klondike, so young professional engineers, metallurgists and geologists flocked to Mount Isa in the buoyant years of high metal prices to extract the rich ore. They lived in the staff mess behind the Barkly Hotel - 80 men and twenty women. It was an electric time - the energy, the sense of freedom and the degree of cohesion within the group.
Parties were frequent and loud - Friday was perhaps the last of them. Hey Jude brought a smile to many as those arriving.
Mount Isa Mines' Maryann Wipaki - General Manager Health, Safety, Environment & Community generously provided refreshments. MIM, our benefactor in 1969, continued to support us in 1988 at a mega reunion in Mount Isa. A more recent event at Twin Waters in 2013 was similarly attended. The connection between the members of this elite group is enduring.
MC Ian Goddard sketched the background for the book and introduced Cloncurry-born Ms Wipaki whose love of the country was apparent and her loyalty to MIM clear. Ken Dredge, whose association with MIM dates back to the 1950s and who was General Manager, launched the book. Ken said MIM was more than just an employer: they provided innovative leaders who enabled young professionals to springboard into the highest levels of management in mining around the world. MIM was at the cutting edge of technology and the 69ers were the flag-bearers of this quantum leap in mining technology.
Book collator Di Perkins spoke lovingly about the stories submitted. She was surprised these highly intelligent young men who pushed all boundaries did actually survive. Examples such as driving to Alice Springs for the weekend, undertaking hair-raising escapades just for the joy of it, shaking the tree of life with a conviction that there is only the present - amazed and delighted her.
This is the final chapter in half a century of partying, laughing and close bonding. These couples married (and generally remained so), had their children under the guidance of Dr Irene who revolutionised labour wards by insisting husbands be present at births, and then brought up their family in Mount Isa where every sporting facility and good education opportunities were available. This was a dream and many did not want to leave this city that had been the cradle of their maturity.
Two factors were integral to this closeness in the Isa community: Firstly geographic isolation in this desert country, meant that friends became like family and the links became unbreakable.
Secondly, the nature of mining - where men worked together underground and one's safety depended on another and there was an equal chance of death - created an egalitarianism that spilled over to the wider community. Throw in the vast array of different nationalities, and you have a recipe for interesting diversity and creativity. This was Mount Isa during these fabulous decades.
As the storm raged outside and the lightning strikes heralded long-awaited downpours, and we tried to put aside the heart-breaking impact of the tragic massacres in the mosques in Christchurch, we concentrated on counting our blessings at having lived in the harsh but unforgettable North-West. Our common heritage and our links were due, in large part, to the generosity and forward-thinking of a great Company and also to the remote location that brought many positives in its wake.
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