In north Queensland in September 1922 at the Mount Mulligan Coal
Mine the silence was shattered when an explosion caused by noxious gases
rocked the mining community and was heard at a distance of sixty
kilometres away at Mount Molloy, north of Mareeba. The resultant death
toll of seventy-five miners has been one of the largest losses in the
Australian mining history. Some families lost fathers and sons in the
disaster.
To gauge the severity of the remnant gas in the mine a canary and a
Gouldian Finch were employed to ascertain the possibility of rescue of
survivors of which there were none.
Both birds were overcome by gas and the canary escaped while being
resucitated. After that the Gouldian Finch was taken into the mine on
further missions and survived the resue attempt. This bird was given
some hero status and was raffled at a fund raising effort some six
months later to help the surviving widows and families of the disaster.
Gouldian Finches would have been common in the locality in that era.
For some years I have collected records for the Gouldians Finch
throughout north Queensland and would be glad to add any good records
from observers on Birding-aus.
Del. Richards, Fine Feather Tours, Mossman, NQ.
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