We took holidays from our jobs and went to Sydney to meet Johns father who was still in Helensburgh. I had to return to Broken Hill before John and one day he came in from the farm and found his father ill. They called the doctor and his father who was only 57 had a heart attack. A couple of days later John took him in a cup of tea and found him dead in bed. John was totally devastated.
I don’t know whether you believe in angels but I do. The first one he encountered was when he was 5 or 6. He never knew the significance of it until he was a middle aged man. The property his father lived on had a big creek running through it. When it rained heavily it was a raging torrent. John as a child had decided to walk to a neighbours across the road because there was a little girl who lived there. As he walked across he was swept away. He was going under and drowning. Out of nowhere a man appeared. John said, All I can remember is he was wearing sand shoes and he was smiling a beautiful smile. He put out his hand and pulled John out of that raging torrent. John never thought about that for years but he said that man just disappeared when he was safe on dry land.
When we were engaged John was working in the New Broken Hill mine which was right next door to the Zinc corporation. He hadn’t been there long and as a gesture he offered to get the mens crib (lunches). He knew a few of their names and he went and got the lunches of the men he knew. When he returned one man said to him, You didn’t bring my lunch! John asked his name which was Arthur. John said I never knew your name and I’m sorry. Arthur went to then get his own lunch and after a while they realised he hadn’t returned so they went looking for him. They found him down the bottom of a shaft and he had died. The miners all wore carbide lights on their heads and when Arthur went to get his lunch a door slammed and the light blew out so he was in the dark groping and fell to his death. That upset John no end. He was the same age as John, about 23. He came form the same area and he had 2 little children, one a toddler and a 2 week old baby. It took him a long time to get over it. I often think of that poor young widow and if she ever got over it. Those children would now be in their 60’s. The very next day the mines installed lights but the horse had bolted. Eventually the mine built a memorial of all the men who lost their lives and there were many. We went back years later and there was a little plaque for Arthur Graves and a red poppy.
John also worked with Pro Hart in the mines. Pro was called Dicky Hart before he was a famous artist. Pro was a funny man and they became friends. They went out back riding their motor bikes. Pro was asked to do all the drawings for Henry Lawson’s poems and he signed a book with a drawing for John ( I will attach a pic).
There was a man in the road gang called Ivan and they didn’t know peoples full names. He was just Ivan. When we retired up here some of Johns mates called and said what did you think about Ivan. He said what Ivan? They said, Ivan from the road gang has been arrested and charged as the backpacker killer in the Belangalo State Forest. So John has worked with Pro Hart and Ivan Milat.
After being underground for 10 years John yearned for the green hills. One day he saw a job in the herald advertising a trucking business. Eventually he bought himself a decent truck with the Department of Main Roads and he worked at the asphalt depot. He did many miles way out on the highways.
There was one spot with a very steep hill they had to take the truck so John would roar down the hill so he could make it up the other side because if he didn’t he wouldn’t make it up with the load. This particular day there was an old fellow thumbing a ride and John stopped to pick him up. He had lost his momentum in the truck. The old fellow was talking and the steering broke on the truck. He hung on tight as he had no control and was terrified of hitting oncoming traffic. They veered into a creek. He lost all his load which was a hot mix of asphalt. The load came over his truck which had fallen forward. He said ‘I escaped serious injury that day because I stopped to pick up that man and then the steering broke. Had I been roaring down that hill as I wanted too I would have been killed.’ The old man he picked up had nothing. Without a word he got out of the truck and walked away. He said to me that man was an Angel. Angels, we believe come in the disguise of men.”
I don’t know whether you believe in angels but I do. The first one he encountered was when he was 5 or 6. He never knew the significance of it until he was a middle aged man. The property his father lived on had a big creek running through it. When it rained heavily it was a raging torrent. John as a child had decided to walk to a neighbours across the road because there was a little girl who lived there. As he walked across he was swept away. He was going under and drowning. Out of nowhere a man appeared. John said, All I can remember is he was wearing sand shoes and he was smiling a beautiful smile. He put out his hand and pulled John out of that raging torrent. John never thought about that for years but he said that man just disappeared when he was safe on dry land.
When we were engaged John was working in the New Broken Hill mine which was right next door to the Zinc corporation. He hadn’t been there long and as a gesture he offered to get the mens crib (lunches). He knew a few of their names and he went and got the lunches of the men he knew. When he returned one man said to him, You didn’t bring my lunch! John asked his name which was Arthur. John said I never knew your name and I’m sorry. Arthur went to then get his own lunch and after a while they realised he hadn’t returned so they went looking for him. They found him down the bottom of a shaft and he had died. The miners all wore carbide lights on their heads and when Arthur went to get his lunch a door slammed and the light blew out so he was in the dark groping and fell to his death. That upset John no end. He was the same age as John, about 23. He came form the same area and he had 2 little children, one a toddler and a 2 week old baby. It took him a long time to get over it. I often think of that poor young widow and if she ever got over it. Those children would now be in their 60’s. The very next day the mines installed lights but the horse had bolted. Eventually the mine built a memorial of all the men who lost their lives and there were many. We went back years later and there was a little plaque for Arthur Graves and a red poppy.
John also worked with Pro Hart in the mines. Pro was called Dicky Hart before he was a famous artist. Pro was a funny man and they became friends. They went out back riding their motor bikes. Pro was asked to do all the drawings for Henry Lawson’s poems and he signed a book with a drawing for John ( I will attach a pic).
There was a man in the road gang called Ivan and they didn’t know peoples full names. He was just Ivan. When we retired up here some of Johns mates called and said what did you think about Ivan. He said what Ivan? They said, Ivan from the road gang has been arrested and charged as the backpacker killer in the Belangalo State Forest. So John has worked with Pro Hart and Ivan Milat.
After being underground for 10 years John yearned for the green hills. One day he saw a job in the herald advertising a trucking business. Eventually he bought himself a decent truck with the Department of Main Roads and he worked at the asphalt depot. He did many miles way out on the highways.
There was one spot with a very steep hill they had to take the truck so John would roar down the hill so he could make it up the other side because if he didn’t he wouldn’t make it up with the load. This particular day there was an old fellow thumbing a ride and John stopped to pick him up. He had lost his momentum in the truck. The old fellow was talking and the steering broke on the truck. He hung on tight as he had no control and was terrified of hitting oncoming traffic. They veered into a creek. He lost all his load which was a hot mix of asphalt. The load came over his truck which had fallen forward. He said ‘I escaped serious injury that day because I stopped to pick up that man and then the steering broke. Had I been roaring down that hill as I wanted too I would have been killed.’ The old man he picked up had nothing. Without a word he got out of the truck and walked away. He said to me that man was an Angel. Angels, we believe come in the disguise of men.”