BY DI SNEDDON
Described as the most important day in the Mining Energy Union’s calendar, members of the community gathered together on Sunday at the Him Commerford Memorial Wall for the 28th Annual Memorial Day Service.
Sadly, a new name appears on the black marble wall amongst the 1792 already engraved, that of Craig Hugo.
Craig was a contractor who fell into a decommissioned mine shaft at the Austar Coal Mine in Cessnock on September 17, 2024.
Family and friends of Craig Hugo attended the service and were presented with a miners lamp in his memory.
It was a gift Joy Hugo said she would greatly treasure.
Union General President Tony Maher offered sincere condolences to the Hugo family and said his death had a devastating effect on his loved ones and workmates.
He said it was a sobering reminder of the dangerous environment of coal production.
Each name on the Jim Comerford Wall represents a great tragedy, the ages from 8 to 80 reveal the history of mining, the first death recorded on the wall dating back to 1816.
Some 200 people attended the service. For some it was their first while others have attended every year.
Singleton’s Merv Shubert and wife, Fran, attend most years but this month’s event was made more special with their son, Corey attending for the first time.
Merv’s father, Mervan died in a roof fall at Liddell State Mine in 1981 where Merv also worked.
“I wasn’t at work that day but I sure remember it,” Merv told The Hunter River Times.
Merv worked in another section of the underground mine as was standard at the time.
“We worked in different sections, they never had family working together,” he said.
Asked if Merv took a bit of time off after his father’s death and he said no.
“No because miners are a close community underground, everybody looks after each other and I knew I would be looked after,” he said.
