Hard work never hurts retiree Ron

Toowoomba retiree Ron Hodgson’s advice for upcoming mining professionals is “be prepared to put in the hard yards”.

The Northridge Salem aged care service resident (pictured) apparently endured gruelling conditions throughout his working life, which included carrying truckloads of coal via horse–driven wagon up mine shafts, working on a rescue team and shovelling a tonne of dirt each day.  

The 80-year-old former coal miner endured 30 years of working in extreme environments and was so successful at his trade he won the title Australian Shovelling Champion for shovelling a tonne of blue metal gravel in two minutes.  

“Hard work never hurt anybody. Working in mining is a good career,” Mr Hodgson says, adding miners make “much better money now”.

His first job began in 1952 at Redbank Plains, on the outskirts of Ipswich, working alongside 100 other men.

“It was a pretty safe mine and we didn’t have many accidents,” he said.

“It was a primitive method back then [to retrieve the coal] where 100 men dug up around 1,000 tonnes a day by hand; then a machine was brought in to replace them.

“It was cooler to be underground on a hot day and I made good friends.”

Mr Hodgson volunteered on a mines rescue team where he witnessed the Box Flat Mine explosion at Swanbank on 31 July 1972. The disaster claimed 17 lives.

“I was standing on the side and the explosion went straight past me,” he said.

“There were 14 men underground and the other three victims were trying to seal it but were swept in by the blast. I was badly shaken after that.”

After leaving Ipswich he moved to Lake Moogerah where he was awarded first prize for four out of five grand championships for Best Garden (quarter acre and over) in the competition organised by Fassifern Historical society.

“I did it all myself. My garden was set on one acre featuring native trees, annuals, a koala and sugar gliders.”

Mr Hodgson worked to live rather than lived to work. Along with indulging his passion for gardening, he travelled extensively and is a well-versed poet and loves fishing.

“It’s important to be happy in your work and find relaxation in your daily life,” he said.

For more information visit www.lccqld.org.au